New Beginnings: Teecie's Story
by Foodie
Summary: The next generation of students are attending Hogwarts. Part of the True Revenge Series.
1. Teecie Goes To Hogwarts

New Beginnings  
  
This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Teecie Goes To Hogwarts  
  
It was the last week of August, and Ticia Orendes, otherwise known as Teecie, was in Diagon Alley with her family. This would be her first year attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and today she was being fitted for robes and getting her first wand. Teecie was nervous, she'd never been away from home before, and didn't want to get homesick. She was so nervous, in fact, that she was thinking about not going at all.  
  
  
  
Her father, Lucius Malfoy, stayed at home and took care of Teecie and her sisters, and since she was the youngest, he'd be home all alone now. He might get lonely, and Teecie couldn't stand the thought of her father being lonely. Her mother, Adriana, was back at home now too, but she spent all her time outside on the farm, working with the animals, the orchard, and the wheat field. Teecie helped Lucius with the chores of running a home. He might not be able to do it all by himself. And everybody knew, she made the best dinner rolls in the whole family. They were her specialty, nobody else could do it quite like she could. The more Teecie thought about it, the more she realized she was needed at home, not Hogwarts.  
  
  
  
Teecie gripped her wand tightly in her fist, trying to calm herself down. She looked at the wand distastefully. It was eight inches long, made of swishy black ash and had a unicorn hair in it. The unicorn hair was the only thing that allowed Teecie to stand the wand at all. She'd wanted a pink wand, and this ugly black one was the only one she'd been allowed to have. Mr. Ollivander, the man who ran the wand shop, informed her that most wands didn't come in pink. When she'd suggested that he go and find her one of the few wands that did come in pink, Teecie had been led quickly out of the store by her mother, where she'd been told to respect her elders or she'd be grounded when they got home.  
  
  
  
Teecie looked at herself in the mirror of Madam Malkin's robe shop, as she was being fitted for robes. She'd been disappointed yet again after she'd been told that the robes had to be black. Teecie wanted pink robes to match her pink wand, yet it seemed that this horrid school was determined to ruin her life. Teecie hated black, it was such a sad and boring colour.   
  
  
  
Teecie's older sister, Kali stood next to her. They'd been left alone while the rest of the family looked at owls at the emporium. Kali looked bored as she waited for her sister to be done. She looked around and watched the other customers being fitted for robes. There was a blonde girl about Teecie's age being fitted a few stools down from them. The girl was very pretty, but wore a sour expression. She was alone as well, and looked at the sisters and scowled.   
  
  
  
The girl listened as Teecie made a fuss about the robes-she wanted hers to be less billowy, and was letting Madam Malkin know that. As Teecie was finally done, she hopped off the stool, and swept out of the store, without a backward glance. Kali thanked Madam Malkin and walked away. As she passed the blonde girl, she heard her mutter, "Stupid brat," in reference to Teecie. Kali knew Teecie could be bratty at times, but wasn't about to let somebody else say that about her. Without breaking her stride, she stuck her foot out and upset the stool the blonde girl stood on, sending her flying through the air. She tumbled to the floor, all twisted in the cloth she was being fitted in. Kali continued to walk out of the store, put her arm around Teecie's shoulders, and together they walked to meet their family at Flourish and Blotts.   
  
  
  
Lucius showed Teecie the owl they'd picked out for her. Teecie didn't want an owl, she wanted a kitten. Diablo, the old farm tomcat and his mate had had another litter of kittens earlier that holiday, and she wanted to take one of them. There was a fluffy white kitten that Teecie had fallen in love with, and she wanted that instead of the dumb owl. True the owl was a nice, snowy white owl, but who wanted to cuddle a bird?  
  
  
  
As they walked through the aisles of the Flourish and Blotts, collecting the books on her list, she saw a series of books on one of the shelves that interested her. The Many Adventures of Amaris Bradford, the Teen Witch Sleuth. The picture on the cover showed a girl of about 14 years or so, with brown spiky hair. Teecie thought she looked very cool, and decided she had to have those books. Lucius saw Teecie's enthusiasm for them and felt they might help her get excited about school. He thought the girl on the cover was a wholesome looking young lady that would be a good role model for his daughter. He bought Teecie the first three books to get her started.   
  
  
  
That evening, Teecie was sitting at her father's feet on the carpet in front of the fireplace. They were reading-Teecie, her first Amaris Bradford book, and Lucius, the Evening Prophet. Teecie sighed, set the book down, and leaned her head against her father's legs. Lucius set his paper down, and looked at his daughter. "What's the matter, honey?" He asked, patting the top of her head.  
  
  
  
Teecie sighed again. "I don't think I want to go to Hogwarts, daddy. Can't I stay here with you? Please?" Teecie's voice broke and Lucius could hear her snuffling.  
  
  
  
"You're going to have so much fun there. You'll make lots of friends, you won't even miss us! Besides, Draco and your sisters will be there, and so will Uncle Sev. And you have your own owl to send posts home everyday if you want," Lucius spoke soothingly, trying to calm his youngest daughter's fears.  
  
  
  
"But I want to stay here, with you and mummy," Teecie cried. "I don't want to be a witch, why can't I be a squib and stay at home?"  
  
  
  
"Because, your name was on the list for Hogwarts, that means your supposed to be a witch. I know it's scary right now, you've never been away from us before, and you're going to be doing some new things. But after a few days, you'll get used to it, and you'll be busy learning all sorts of new things. You won't even miss us, I promise," Lucius leaned down and gave his daughter a hug. "Would it help if you took that kitten you wanted, with you?" He asked.  
  
  
  
"Can I name him 'Snowball'?" Teecie asked, sniffling.  
  
  
  
"You can name him whatever you want. And you can take all of your dolls with you too. You might be able to play with some of the other girls there. And you can take your books. These new books will be fun for you to read," Lucius said pointing to the Amaris book on the floor next to Teecie, "And you can take all of your Anne books. I know she's your favourite because you have the same coloured hair. Remember she had to go away to school too."  
  
  
  
"And you'll send me presents?" Teecie asked, looking up at her father with a pitiful look on her face that completely melted her father's heart.  
  
  
  
"Of course, I'll send you a box every week," He promised.  
  
  
  
"Make sure you send lots of Mars bars, they don't have those there," Teecie said, sounding a little more confident. "And M&M's, and Coke, send some bottles of that too. And potato crisps, and...How 'bout I just send you a list each week?"   
  
  
  
Lucius smiled to himself, "Sure, you do that."  
  
  
  
  
  
Finally September first arrived, and Teecie traveled with her family to King's Cross train station in London. Her mother took her hand and walked through Platform 9 3/4, to the other side. It would be Teecie's first train ride. Reni and Kali followed a minute later, followed by Lucius and the trolley with his daughters' trunks. Three daughters and four trunks-Teecie had ended up taking a few more things than originally planned.   
  
  
  
Adriana and Lucius hugged and kissed their daughters goodbye, and watched as they walked away from them and onto the train. Teecie tried not to look back, she knew if she did, she'd never be able to go.   
  
  
  
Teecie followed her sisters into a compartment on the train, and sat down, looking out the window. She made Kali sit next to her, snuggling against her for comfort. Several hours later, when Reni and Kali had left to walk around for a while, to look for their friends, the blonde-haired girl Kali had tripped in Madam Malkin's shop came into the compartment. Teecie was reading her battered copy of Anne of Green Gables so deeply, she didn't hear the girl come in. "I saw you in the robe shop last week. What's your name?" Teecie heard a voice ask, startling her out of her reading.  
  
  
  
Looking up, she saw a girl with her hands on her hips, smirking at her. "Ticia Orendes," Teecie replied, "But my friends call me 'Teecie'."  
  
  
  
"Teecie? That's a dumb name. My name's Lisette Crabbe," Lisette said. She looked at the book in Teecie's hand. "Anne of Green Gables, what kind of stupid Muggle book is that? Are you a Mudblood?"  
  
  
  
Teecie couldn't get over how rude this girl was. "What does it matter if I'm a Mudblood? Why do you care?"  
  
  
  
"Well, it matters, because everybody knows Mudbloods aren't as good at magic as purebloods are."  
  
  
  
"That's dumb. My mother was Muggle-born, and she's the most powerful witch in the entire world! Besides they fought a war a long time ago that proved that everybody's equal. Whoever told you purebloods are better?"  
  
  
  
"My father. He's pureblood, so am I."  
  
  
  
"Well then, your father's stupid, and so are you for believing him," Teecie said, growing more confident in her anger. She stood up, looking Lisette in the eye. "Get out of my compartment, before I throw you out!"  
  
  
  
Lisette smirked again, "You can't throw me out, you don't own this compartment!"  
  
  
  
Teecie advanced upon Lisette, taking her wand out of her robes and pointing it at her. "You wanna see a neat trick? I know how to turn a person into an ugly toad. Although, that would be an improvement for you!" Raising her wand high in the air and opening her mouth, she watched as Lisette backed out of the compartment.  
  
  
  
"Like you could really do that. I have to go anyway, that's all," Lisette said, scowling and walking away.  
  
  
  
Several minutes later, Reni and Kali returned to the compartment to hear the tale of fighting off Lisette. "She looked just like an orc," Teecie said, referring to some of their favourite movies. Kali indulged her sister by cringing at the description, she knew Teecie enjoyed being dramatic.  
  
  
  
The day passed, and finally the train arrived at its final destination. The students piled off the train in a jumbled mass. The first year students were called to the front, in order to take the traditional boat ride up to the school. Teecie clung tightly to Kali's hand. "I don't want to go by myself," She whispered, her earlier confidence now gone.  
  
  
  
Kali tried to unwind her sister's fingers from her hand without success. "It's a lot of fun Teecie, you'll like it. Reni and I have to go in the carriages to the school. We'll see you there in a little while, all right?"   
  
  
  
And that's how Kali found herself holding onto Teecie's hand during the carriage ride to the school. Teecie was firmly wedged in between her two older sisters. "This is so embarrassing," Reni muttered to herself.  
  
  
  
"You have to go up to the Sorting Hat by yourself, and that's final!" Kali said, exasperatedly after Teecie begged her to go with her. "You're grown up enough to do that!"  
  
  
  
Teecie was miserable, thinking about having to go up there by herself. As the carriages arrived at the school, she had to find out where to catch up with the other first year students. She found a large group of people her age in the main hallway, getting a tour of the school. A man with graying hair was telling them about the history of the school as he led them into the Great Hall.  
  
  
  
The other students were already at their tables by the time the first years made it inside the room. Standing huddled about in the middle of the room, they waited as the Sorting Hat sang a song. Then, one by one, they were called up to it. Being an "O", Teecie had a lot of waiting to do until her turn came. She watched as Lisette Crabbe was sorted into Slytherin. She looked around and spotted Reni at the Slytherin table, and Kali at the Ravenclaw table. She saw her brother Draco and Uncle Sev sitting up at the professor's table.  
  
  
  
After what felt like forever, Teecie heard her name called out. She slowly walked up to the hat. It was very dirty, she wasn't sure if she wanted to put something that so many other people had worn before her, on her head. Looking wearily at the man who'd led them into the room, she put the hat over her head, as closely as possible without actually touching her curly red hair. She jumped as she heard a voice speaking to her. "Another Orendes, eh? Which house would you like to be in?" The hat asked her, more out of curiosity than anything else.  
  
  
  
"Well," Teecie started, thinking about that question, "Yellow doesn't go well with my hair, so not Hufflepuff. Green makes me look ill, so not Slytherin. Blue is cute, but maroon is closest to pink, so I'd say Gryffindor."  
  
  
  
The Sorting Hat had never heard a response quite like that before and couldn't help chuckling a little bit. "Well, you're lucky, because Gryffindor it is, but not because it's the closest to pink." Teecie heard cheering from one of the tables. As the hat was taken off her head, she saw the people from her house welcoming her to Gryffindor. Walking down the stairs and over to the table, Teecie found an empty area of the table, and sat down.  
  
  
  
As the crowd of first year students dwindled down, Teecie heard a name, "Paige Weasley," and saw a girl who looked a lot like herself, approach the hat. This girl was sorted into Gryffindor. Paige walked over to Teecie, and sat down next to her. The next girl, Patricia Weasley, Paige's twin sister, was sorted into Gryffindor as well. She sat down on the other side of Teecie.  
  
  
  
When the sorting had finished, Professor Snape stood up to make his welcoming speech. He wished everybody a good evening, gave a warning about never entering the Forbidden Forest, and told them to eat well, as the food began to appear at the tables.  
  
  
  
The Great Hall was soon buzzing with students chattering about their summer holidays, and people catching up with one another. Teecie remained silent, as did the girls on either side of her. She was too nervous to eat anything more than a few bites of mashed potatoes.  
  
  
  
As the meal wound down, the professor who'd led them into the room, and called out their names, approached the table and introduced himself as Professor Lupin, Head of Gryffindor House. As he saw the three silent girls, he stopped talking and looked at them. They could have been triplets, yet he knew they were unrelated. Lupin approached them with a warm smile on his face that helped make Teecie feel better. "How are you three young ladies doing this evening?" He asked.  
  
  
  
The girls on either side of her remained silent, so Teecie spoke up, "We're doing as well as can be expected, under the circumstances."  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin tried to hide the smile growing on his face. "Are the circumstances so bad that you have to cope with?" He asked seriously.  
  
  
  
Teecie sighed. "Well, they've been better, I will admit that. These are the times that try the soul," Teecie answered, just as seriously, shaking her head slowly.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin had to bite his cheek in order to keep from laughing out loud at this overly dramatic child. "Well, I'm sure things will look brighter in a few days, after you've adjusted to your new surroundings."  
  
  
  
"We can only hope that, can't we?"  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin had to end this conversation or he'd insult this adorable child by laughing hysterically at her. "Well, I'd better see to the housing arrangements, if you ladies will excuse me," He bowed politely to the girls before turning on his heel and walking away from them.  
  
  
  
After a few more minutes, the students began to leave the Great Hall, following the prefects to their houses. The Gryffindors learned the password, "Bertie Bott," and the painting of the Fat Lady opened up, allowing them all entrance to the tower. Their prefect gave told them all sorts of rules about the house and the school. He showed them where the dormitories were, and they all trickled off to see them.   
  
  
  
Teecie found herself in a room with the two Weasley girls from dinner. They were the only girls in their year, so the three beds were spread out. Teecie found her two trunks, the cage with her owl, whom she'd named "Snowflake," and the basket containing her kitten, "Snowball," by one of the four poster beds.   
  
  
  
Teecie opened her trunks. One of them contained her clothes, and all the books and equipment she needed for school. The second one contained all the books, dolls, and other clothes she'd brought with her. Fortunately, most rooms were set up for five students, so there was extra room for all her stuff. The other girls didn't seem to have too much to unpack, and didn't mind that Teecie took over the majority of the room.  
  
  
  
As Teecie got ready for bed that first night, she put on her favourite pink nightgown, and slipped in between the warm bed sheets. She pulled the curtains and read some more of Anne of Green Gables, before turning out her light.   
  
  
  
Perhaps this wouldn't be so horrible after all. 


	2. Teecie's First Day of Class

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them! Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Teecie's First Day of Class  
  
Teecie was up well before breakfast time. She was used to waking up early at home, to help her family on the farm. She spent an hour in the bathroom getting her hair done right. Finishing up and returning to her room, Teecie quietly dressed for her first day of classes. She put on a pair of pink nylons and then the rest of her school uniform. She sat down on her bed and painted a fresh coat of pink nail polish on her nails.  
  
  
  
The twin girls had woken up by this time and stared at Teecie while she looked in a mirror. She was fluffing her hair and pinching her cheeks, while the girls looked on. They spent much less time getting ready for the day. One girl threw her clothes on, passed a brush through her hair, and never glanced at the mirror. The other girl spent a little more time preparing, by putting a cute black belt on her skirt. Nobody said anything to anybody, for they were all too shy. Before leaving, Teecie put a few bangles on one wrist, her pink plastic watch on the other wrist, and her stone mood ring on her right forefinger. Silently, the three girls walked down to the Great Hall for breakfast.  
  
  
  
Teecie and the twins sat down at the Gryffindor table to a delicious pancake and sausage breakfast. Teecie liked to cut her sausage into small pieces and put them in between the pancakes and drizzle the stack with syrup. The twins looked at her as though she was crazy. "What? It's good this way!" Teecie said defensively. The twins quickly looked down at their plates and continued eating.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin walked up and down the table, handing out timetables for the students. Teecie saw her first class of the day was Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Lupin. Then she had Potions with Draco. She had to keep reminding herself, she had to call him Professor Black. After lunch she had Transfigurations with Professor Hermione Weasley and Herbology with Professor Longbottom.  
  
  
  
Finding her first class was difficult; Teecie didn't seem to understand the layout of the school very well. Maybe there was a map somewhere that she could have. After a brief search, she found the right classroom. Walking inside, Teecie made her way to the front of the class, and found a seat right in front of the professor's desk. She turned around to see who else was in the class. All the other Gryffindors, and that girl from the train, Lisette. So that meant the Slytherin students shared this class with them. Teecie watched as Professor Lupin walked into the classroom with an armful of books and props. She turned in her seat to watch him as he unloaded all his things on the desk.   
  
  
  
Teecie leaned down and took her book out, along with a pen and a small notebook. She had tried the ink and quill at home and didn't like it too much, so she'd snuck some pens into her trunk before leaving for school. She also didn't like the parchment, so she saved that for things that had to be turned in. She held her favourite pink gel ink feather topped pen in her hand, poised and ready to take notes.   
  
  
  
Professor Lupin introduced himself and welcomed all the students to his class. He called roll and tried to learn all the student's names. Most of the class was spent explaining what Defense Against the Dark Arts was and what the students would be learning during the term. He explained what he expected of them, and what they could expect from him as a professor.   
  
  
  
The Dark Arts sounded pretty scary to Teecie. Why would anybody want to learn to do those kinds of things? This sounded like a very important class. The Dark Arts could be used to hurt people, and it was good to know how to combat that. But Teecie was confused, if they didn't teach anybody about the Dark Arts, then nobody would no how to use them, so then nobody could. Wasn't that an easier way to solve the problem?  
  
  
  
When Professor Lupin asked if there were any questions, Teecie raised her hand, her bangles jangling together. When he called on her, Teecie asked why they couldn't just not teach the Dark Arts so nobody would know how to do them. Some of the students murmured their agreement with her question, while some of the others laughed. Lupin shot a glare at the laughing students which stifled their laughter pretty quickly.   
  
"That's a very good question Ticia. I think the reason it's important to teach people to defend themselves against the Dark Arts, is because there really isn't a way to make sure there aren't people who know how to use them. There will always be at least one person who knows the Dark Arts, and that person might teach more people. And if nobody knew how to defend themselves, they'd get into a lot of trouble if the people who knew the Dark Arts used those against them. Does that makes sense?" When Teecie nodded her head and smiled, Professor Lupin said, "That was a very good question, 5 points to Gryffindor."  
  
  
  
In the background Teecie could hear a girl whisper loudly, "He's only favouring her because she's a Gryffindor. She's stupid!" She didn't know who it was, and began to turn around to see who had said that, when Professor Lupin gently tapped his wand on her desk, bringing her attention back to him. Looking at him, he shook his head very slightly, causing Teecie to sit motionless in her seat for the rest of the class.   
  
  
  
Her next class was in the dungeons with Draco. She'd heard the dungeons could be very cold, and had brought her favourite pink scarf to wear. Putting it on as she packed her bag, she began to walk with the other students to the dungeon.  
  
  
  
The dungeon was indeed very cold, and Teecie was grateful for the scarf. Finding another seat at the front of the class, she unpacked her paper and pen. She'd just sat down, as had the other students, when Professor Black made his grand sweeping entrance into the classroom. He stood imposingly at the front of the class with his hands on his hips, glaring at the students. He saw Teecie in her ridiculous scarf, and carefully avoided looking in her eyes. Clearing his throat, he began his welcoming speech. "Potions making is the very foundation of magic. Proper potions are vital to being a powerful witch or wizard. Potions are about logic, and ingenuity. Potions can be as simple as reading a book, or as complex as any test you could undertake. This class will be unlike any other class you take here at Hogwarts, and only the very best of you will be any good at it. While you are in this classroom, though, I expect only your best, and anything less will be severely punished."   
  
  
  
Draco's eyes swept around the class, looking each and every student in the eye to make his point. When he reached Teecie, he was displeased to see her head in her arms, her shoulders shaking as she laughed at his speech. His eyes narrowed dangerously, and he moved right in front of her. When he was done talking, he picked up a heavy book from his desk, and threw it down right next to Teecie's head. Teecie gasped, jerked her head up, and looked at her brother with wide, startled eyes. Teecie pursed her lips to keep from giggling at her brother.   
  
  
  
"Miss Orendes, was there something particularly...amusing...about my speech?" Professor Black asked.  
  
  
  
"No," Teecie replied.  
  
  
  
"No, what, Miss Orendes?"  
  
  
  
"No, there wasn't."  
  
  
  
Draco turned quite pale as his anger grew. In the desk next to Teecie, Lisette sat looking at the two, snickering. As the siblings faced off, her laughing distracted Draco enough to draw his attention away from Teecie for a moment and pounce upon Lisette. "You, what's your name?" Professor Black snapped.  
  
  
  
"Lisette Crabbe, sir," Lisette said pointedly, glancing in Teecie's direction as she spoke that last word.   
  
  
  
Draco raised his eyebrows slightly, and tilted his head as he looked at Lisette. "Miss Crabbe, since you and Miss Orendes find my class so funny, you can spend extra time here. You two will spend every evening this week, here, in detention. And I can assure you, ladies, it will not be a laughing matter," He said through clenched teeth.  
  
  
  
Lisette and Teecie glared at each other for a few moments before looking away and listening to Professor Black as he called roll. Teecie tried to pay attention and take notes during the rest of the class, but found she was too upset to listen.   
  
  
  
When the class had finally finished and the students trickled out of the room for lunch, Teecie remained in her seat. Draco was gathering his books up and ignoring his sister as she sat, sniffling, in her chair. "Draco, why do you hate me?" She cried.  
  
  
  
Draco looked up to see tears flowing down his sister's face. Sighing and rolling his eyes, he explained, "I don't hate you Teecie, but I need order in the class. You can't disrupt the class like that. You'll have time to think about that in detention." Draco walked over to Teecie and patted her on the shoulder, "Come on, let's go get some lunch." As they walked to the Great Hall, Draco leaned down and said, "I'm proud of you for not calling me 'Draco' during class." Teecie felt flushed with happiness and smiled up at her brother.  
  
  
  
Teecie went to the Gryffindor table as Draco continued to walk to the professor's table. She enjoyed a delicious ham and cheese sandwich and a bowl of vegetable soup. When she'd finished her food, Teecie walked over to the Ravenclaw table and plopped herself down next to Kali who was talking to her friend, Paul Weasley. When Kali noticed her, she asked Teecie how her first day of classes was going. She frowned when she heard about the detention. "That's not a very good way to start out the school year, you know," Kali said.   
  
  
  
After a few more words from Kali, Teecie went over to the Slytherin table and sat down next to Reni. Reni tried to ignore her for as long as possible, but finally looked down at her. "Hey, brat. What do you want?" She said. Teecie told her about Lisette and how horrible she was. Fortunately she was at the far side of the table and in no danger of hearing her. After being asked to beat Lisette up for her, Reni scowled, and said, "Beat it squirt," before turning back around, ending the conversation for the day.   
  
  
  
Looking around, Teecie wondered if she should go up and talk to Draco again, or maybe Uncle Sev or Matria, his daughter, but wasn't sure if she was allowed up at that table. By the time she decided to visit with Uncle Sev, lunch was over and she had to make her way to Transfigurations with Professor Weasley.  
  
  
  
Teecie didn't like Professor Weasley. She started the class by showing off her ability to turn into a hawk and flying around the room. Everybody else oohed and aahed, but not Teecie. She sat primly at her desk, with her feather pen at the ready, waiting for the Professor to begin speaking.  
  
  
  
Teecie took notes during class and was dismayed to be assigned so much homework on the very first day of school. How could she do it when she had detention? Suddenly, Teecie began wondering if she really wanted to be here. Home was looking pretty good right now.  
  
  
  
The last class was in one of the greenhouses. Gryffindor and Hufflepuff met around the tables and looked around when Professor Longbottom walked into the room. He had an armful of gardening tools in his arms, and several of them fell out as he walked towards one of the tables. A few students scrambled to pick them up for him. The professor took roll and began explaining what Herbology was and what they'd be learning in class. He had a small project planned for them to get used to working with the dirt and plants. Teecie had done her nails that morning and didn't want mess them up. Raising her hand, she politely asked Professor Longbottom if he'd be providing the students with gloves for keeping clean. Professor Longbottom looked at Teecie for a long time before responding. It took a great strength within the professor to not laugh at Teecie, but somehow he managed it. "I might have an extra pair you can use, Miss Orendes." Teecie rewarded him with a huge smile.   
  
  
  
The students were shown how to plant seeds in pots with soil. He set out packages of various seeds for them to choose from. The professor told them that after the plants had grown and were ready to be harvested, the students could have a feast in class to try all the food they'd grown.   
  
  
  
Teecie potted a tomato seed in a pot of soil. Carefully watering the seed, she gazed at her pot, wondering how many tomatoes would grow from it. She would make a salad with them. At the end of class, the students labeled their pots and set them in the windows.   
  
  
  
Teecie returned to her room and dropped her book bag off, fed Snowball, and played with him for a few minutes, before going to the Great Hall for dinner. After a nice plate of roast beef and mashed potatoes, she trudged off to the dungeons for detention.  
  
  
  
Draco and Lisette were already there when she arrived. Draco handed the girls a bucket and scrub brush each and told them to start at opposite ends of the room and start cleaning the floors. Both girls looked shocked and stared open-mouthed at Draco. Draco looked at their faces with amusement. "You'll stay till you've finished, so I suggest you start soon," He said, sitting down at his desk to read.  
  
  
  
Teecie walked to the nearest corner, while Lisette walked to the opposite end of the room. Kneeling down, Teecie began to scrub the floor. She couldn't believe she was doing this, this would ruin her nails, not to mention get her nylons dirty! Teecie thought about what her father would think when he found out about this punishment. He'd be outraged! He'd rush up to the school, yell at Draco, and take her back home again. She planned the letter she would write to him after this was over as she scrubbed the floor.   
  
  
  
An hour later, Teecie had finally made it to Draco's desk. She had to clean around him, but he wouldn't move so she could scrub under the desk. Glaring up at her brother, then glancing over to see where Lisette was, she whispered, "Will you move your big stupid feet!"  
  
  
  
Draco looked down at her, and replied, "That's no way to speak to your professor!"  
  
  
  
"I'm not in class, I can talk to you any way I want!"  
  
  
  
"Well, this is detention, so technically it still counts as class. So you have to be a little more respectful towards the authority figure," Draco said, clearly enjoying this.  
  
  
  
"You just wait till MY father finds out how you've been treating his favourite child!" Teecie hissed as quietly as possible.  
  
  
  
Draco glared at her. "You want another week of detention?"  
  
  
  
"I'll tell father! He'll come up here and ground you if you do!"  
  
  
  
Draco bit his lip to keep from laughing. He visualized Lucius marching up to school and yelling at him. It was the most ridiculous idea! Instead of continuing the conversation, Draco stood up and moved away from his desk, allowing Teecie to clean the floors where she needed to.   
  
  
  
When she finished and he moved back to his seat, Draco called Teecie back to the desk. Pointing to a small part of the floor by his foot, he smiled evilly and said, "You missed a spot."  
  
  
  
Teecie narrowed her eyes, bent down by his foot and scrubbed the floor where he'd pointed. To make sure it was thoroughly cleaned, she dumped some of the water from the bucket over his shoe, and onto the floor. Draco jumped up, shaking his foot, and snarled, "You did that on purpose! That's it, another week of detention for you!"  
  
  
  
Teecie could hear Lisette giggling as she scrubbed her part of the floor. Why was this happening to her? Why was Draco being so cruel? Teecie's lower lip began to quiver and tears filled her eyes as she looked imploringly at her brother. Instead of telling her he was joking and giving her a hug, he pointed to the floor and said, "You'd better finish the floor, I can stay here all night if I need to," and turned back to his book.  
  
  
  
Teecie went back to cleaning the floor for another hour, until she finished. Lisette had finished twenty minutes before and had left for the night. Teecie left the room without saying anything to Draco, and walked back to her house.   
  
  
  
Teecie had forgotten about her homework, and sat in the common room, watching the other students talk and play games, but not participating in anything. After a while, she went to her room and wrote the letter to her father, sending it off with her owl. Playing with her kitten made Teecie feel a little bit better, and as she got ready for bed, she read some of her Amaris book until she fell asleep. It was early, but Teecie was exhausted.   
  
  
  
It had been some first day of class. 


	3. Teecie's Last Day at Hogwarts

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Bazile: I'm so glad to hear you've read the entire series of stories. ElfFlame and I have worked very hard on these and we love to get feedback like this! The story ElFlame is writing now, Dragon's Tears is dealing with the reconciliation of Lucius and Draco, so make sure you keep reading that one to see how it happens! The reason all of Lucius' daughters have their mother's last name instead of his is because of his past. I decided that after the war ended, those with strong Death Eater connections and people related to them might not be very welcome in the Wizarding world. It could even go so far as being dangerous for them in terms of somebody avenging a loved one lost during the war. So not only do the girls have their mother's name, but it has to be kept a secret to the other students as to who their father really is. I hope this answers your question and I hope you enjoy this next chapter!   
  
Teecie's Last Day at Hogwarts  
  
Teecie woke up the next morning and took a shower, then fixed her hair. Her morning preparations went just as the day before, with the twins staring silently at her. After a breakfast of porridge, Teecie went outside for her first class of the day, Flying with Professor Wood. Teecie had tried flying at home, with her father, but hadn't been any good at it. Not like Kali. Kali was the best flier ever. She was the Ravenclaw seeker, known for her Suicide Drop move. She hoped Professor Wood wasn't expecting her to be like Kali.   
  
  
  
Professor Wood was very enthusiastic about flying, and demonstrated for the students the basics of the art. When the time came for them to take the brooms in their hands, by concentrating and saying, "Up!" Teecie's just lay on the ground, the entire time. Hers was the only one that never left the ground. Teecie's cheeks burned as Professor Wood walked over to her and asked what was going on. Teecie explained that she thought her broom must be broken. She blushed further when the professor lifted it from the ground on his first try. She could hear the other students laughing at her in the background.   
  
  
  
Professor Wood heard the laughing too, and blew his whistle loudly to quiet the class down again. He gave the students their next instructions, then turned his attention to Teecie. Though he gave her as much help as he could, and told her some tricks about the basics, she still couldn't lift the broom. The professor had never encountered this problem before, and didn't know what to do. In the end, Teecie spent the rest of the class, sitting under a tree, watching the rest of the students.   
  
  
  
The next class was History of Magic, with Professor Binns, a ghost. He called roll and began to drone on about historical events in a way that made the students lose their attention. Teecie tried very hard to pay attention and take good notes. She didn't want to be a complete dunce with all her classes.   
  
  
  
Teecie was writing down events described by Professor Binns, when suddenly, the story he told began to sound very familiar. It was the tale of a witch, whose daughter was a nun. The nun had turned her mother in to the Church, in the 17th century. This created an uproar in both the Muggle and the Wizarding worlds. The Ministry had had to protect the Wizarding World from the prying Muggles. They'd also exiled the witch responsible as well. This had also led to some of the Muggle secrecy acts that were still in effect to this very day.   
  
  
  
Teecie knew that was about her mother, and didn't know what to do. How could the professor say what happened to her was a good thing? She'd been betrayed by her own daughter and it had ruined her life. How was that good? Teecie felt very defensive when the other students began to agree in loud voices that the witch had gotten what she'd deserved. When some of the students asked questions about what happened to the witch, Teecie raised her hand to speak. Professor Binns called on her, and asked her name. Teecie introduced herself, and asked the professor why the witch had been blamed for something her daughter had done.   
  
  
  
Professor Binns looked at her, and spoke, "Well Teresa, that witch was a bad woman for letting her daughter become a nun. The Church at the time was very scared of magic, and she should have known better than to expose the Wizarding world to such danger."   
  
  
  
Teecie looked shocked to hear such an answer. Luckily the professor moved on to the next student's question, leaving her alone to recover.  
  
  
  
Finally the class ended, and it was time for lunch, though Teecie didn't really have much of an appetite. Finding a seat by herself at the Gryffindor table, Teecie sat down and looked at the food available to her today. Picking up a sandwich and biting into it, she spat it out onto her plate. "Liverwurst, yuck!" She said to herself and absentmindedly dropped the sandwich on the floor, to get it as far away from her as possible.   
  
  
  
A voice from behind her spoke sharply, "You pick that up, young lady!"  
  
  
  
"The house-elves will pick it up later," Teecie replied, looking intensely through the pile of sandwiches for one suitable to eat.  
  
  
  
The person who'd barked at her came up right next to Teecie. She looked up to see Professor Weasley looking down at her with steam coming out of her ears. "I asked you to pick that up, now!" She said firmly, folding her arms.   
  
  
  
Teecie narrowed her eyes at the professor. She didn't like her, and wasn't about to do what she said. Turning away from Professor Weasley, Teecie went back to rifling through the sandwiches.  
  
  
  
Professor Weasley remained standing next to Teecie, and said, "Well, I guess I'll be seeing you later on tonight Miss Orendes, in detention. And every night for the next week." With that the professor leaned down, picked up the sandwich, and stuffed it into Teecie's hand, and began to walk away.  
  
  
  
Teecie stood up, sandwich in hand, and looked at Professor Weasley before speaking, "I can't Professor."  
  
  
  
Professor Weasley turned around and walked back to Teecie. "And why is that, Miss Orendes?"  
  
  
  
"Because I already have detention this week with Draco," Teecie replied.  
  
  
  
"Professor Black," Professor Weasley corrected Teecie.  
  
  
  
"I'm not in class. I don't have to call Draco that!" Teecie said as loudly as possible without letting other people hear her. She threw the sandwich down on the floor again in frustration.  
  
  
  
"Well then, Miss Orendes, you can come to my detention after you've finished with Professor Black's detention. Now pick that sandwich up or it's two weeks detention!" Without saying another word, Professor Weasley turned around and walked up to the professor's table. Slowly Teecie picked the sandwich up. She considered throwing it at Professor Weasley, but set it down on her plate instead. Not sitting down, Teecie stood where she was, thinking about her experience so far at school.   
  
  
  
Teecie was shocked, they couldn't do that, could they? Why did everybody treat her so abominably? What kind of a school was this where professors were allowed to mistreat their students so? Teecie didn't want to go to a school where she was treated in such a fashion. It was clear that she didn't belong here. She had to go back home, her father could send her to a Muggle school, and everything would be all right.  
  
  
  
Turning around, Teecie walked out of the Great Hall and up to her dormitory. She packed her trunks as quickly as she could. Finding Snowball, she put him back in the basket he'd come to school in. Snowflake, her owl, watched as she ran around the room, packing up. Finding her pink handbag, Teecie took some paper and her feather pen, all the money she had, her wand, and some sweets, and placed them inside it. She changed into her pink skirt and matching blouse, before trying to drag her trunks outside the room.  
  
  
  
The trunks were far too heavy for her to even drag, so she left them behind. Her father could send for them after she was back home. Walking out of Gryffindor tower, with Snowflake and Snowball, Teecie made it all the way out the front doors before she remembered something. Her tomato seed from Herbology class. It would die if she didn't water it. Walking to the stairs, she sat down, fished out a piece of paper, and her pen, and hastily wrote a note to Professor Longbottom:  
  
Dear Professor Longbottom,  
  
I wanted you to know I enjoyed your class a lot. But I've decided to leave Hogwarts forever. Will you please water my tomato seed? Thank you very much.  
  
Love,  
  
Teecie Orendes  
  
Walking down the stairs, Teecie went to the greenhouse and left the letter on the professor's table. Leaving the greenhouse, she walked all the way to the edge of the school property, and left Hogwarts behind her. Reni had told her about Hogsmeade and how that was the nearest town from the school. She'd shown Teecie where it was on a map once. Teecie began walking in the direction of Hogsmeade, carrying the basket in one hand, and balancing the owl on her shoulder. Finally letting Snowflake fly above her, Teecie quickened her pace, trying to make it to Hogsmeade.  
  
  
  
She'd made it about two thirds of the way, before Teecie heard a loud popping noise, and saw a person appear next to her. Screaming, Teecie jumped about a mile, and tried to run away, but felt a strong hand close around hers, bringing her to a stop. Teecie dropped her basket, and flailed against the man holding her. She continued to scream and hit him with her free hand. As she pulled against the man, he let go of her arm, sending her backwards onto the ground. Quickly pushing herself up, she saw Professor Lupin kneeling on the ground, several feet from her, holding his hands up, as if showing her he meant her no harm. "Teecie, it's Professor Lupin. I'm not going to hurt you. I came to talk to you. Professor Longbottom got your note and told the Headmaster-" Professor Lupin was cut off by Teecie.  
  
  
  
"I'm going home, and you can't stop me!" Teecie shouted. She stood up, picked up the basket with Snowball in it, and started running towards Hogsmeade.   
  
  
  
Professor Lupin stood up and ran up to Teecie. "Let's go back to the school. We can sit down with the headmaster and talk. And if you're still upset, we can send an owl to your parents. How does that sound?"  
  
  
  
Teecie ignored him. She wasn't about to let him bring her back to the school. Once she reached Hogsmeade, she'd write a letter to her parents, telling them to come and pick her up. Lupin continued to walk a few steps behind her, all the way to Hogsmeade.   
  
  
  
Teecie looked around and found a nice-looking pub, the Three Broomsticks, and walked into it. Finding a seat at the counter, Teecie hopped up into it, continuing to ignore Professor Lupin, who took a seat next to her. When the barkeep asked what they wanted, Professor Lupin ordered two butterbeers. Teecie opened her handbag, took out the feather pen and another piece of paper. She covered the paper with her arm to keep the professor from reading over her shoulder. Writing a letter to her parents, telling them she was very unhappy, and had quit Hogwarts, and needed them to come get her, she folded the note up into a small square. Tying it to Snowflake's foot, she sent him off to deliver it.   
  
  
  
Assuming that was a letter to her parents, Professor Lupin sighed. There would be a lot of explaining to do later on. Professor Lupin felt responsible for all of this, for as Head of Gryffindor, it was his job to see that his students were adjusting well to the school. He'd seen how nervous she'd been that first night, and had assumed it was just first night jitters. He saw now he should have followed up on that. Now that he thought about it, he did recall seeing her sitting alone during most of the meals. He should have talked to her long before she'd made it halfway to Hogsmeade. Trying to think of the best way to approach her, Lupin looked down at Teecie, handed her one of the butterbeers the barkeep had just given him, and said, "Tough day, eh?"  
  
  
  
Glaring up at Lupin, Teecie ripped the butterbeer out of his hand and swallowed about half the bottle in one gulp. "You have no idea," She replied, slamming the bottle on the countertop.  
  
  
  
"You want to tell me about it?" Lupin asked quietly.  
  
  
  
Teecie looked at him for a few seconds before launching into the tale of woe that had been her first two days of school. She went into great detail about the injustices and humiliations she'd endured. Teecie told him about not wanting to be a witch and how she hadn't wanted to go to Hogwarts in the first place, but her parents had made her go. She talked about hating her uniforms and her wand; she hated everything about going to school.  
  
  
  
Teecie told Lupin how she helped her father out around the house, and now he was all alone. She didn't want him to be lonely. Lupin knew Teecie's mother, Adriana, from when she'd taught at Hogwarts a few years back. He had the feeling that Lucius was doing just fine at home, alone with her, and no kids in sight.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin listened to Teecie without interrupting her. He nodded his head sympathetically when it seemed appropriate. He made sure to look in her eyes while she spoke. There was none of the brattiness that Draco had warned him about in her demeanor. This child truly didn't want to be at the school, nothing more. It probably wasn't a good way to make her feel comfortable and interested in Hogwarts by giving her two weeks of detention to start off with. He'd have to see about making some adjustments to that.   
  
  
  
Teecie wondered when her parents would come to get her. It would probably take another hour or two before it reached them. She was wondering if she should just try to find another way home, when a woman walked up to them, asking if they wanted another drink. "Excuse me, ma'am, when does the next Hogwarts Express arrive through town?" Teecie asked politely.  
  
  
  
The woman looked down at Teecie, and smiled. "I'm sorry, not till June, love," She replied, patting Teecie on the head before walking away.  
  
  
  
Looking up at Professor Lupin, Teecie asked, "Are there any taxis here? Is there any way besides walking, that I can get back home? I suppose I can walk to the nearest Muggle town and hitchhike home. Where is the nearest Muggle town from here?"  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin sighed. This was going to be much more difficult than he'd thought at first. At least she didn't know about the Knight Bus. Deciding on another tactic, Lupin asked Teecie, "Why don't you want to be a witch?" As he spoke, Lupin took his wand out of his pocket.  
  
  
  
Teecie looked at the wand. "I don't need magic. Mummy's very powerful, but she doesn't really use it. Daddy doesn't either. So why do I? Why can't I just be a Muggle? There isn't anything wrong with that," She explained.  
  
  
  
Lupin twirled his wand around in his fingers, while Teecie watched. "Let me see your wand," He commanded. Teecie took her wand that was stuffed into the bottom of her handbag, and handed it to Lupin. Lupin started bending and twisting the wand roughly, though not hard enough to break it. "It's a good wand," He noted. "Too bad it won't get used." With that Professor Lupin tossed Teecie's wand over his shoulder, where it clattered onto the floor behind him.  
  
  
  
Lupin mentally crossed his fingers. If he'd done that correctly, her response should be...Yes! Teecie looked very angry at him for throwing her wand away. "Why'd you do that? That's mine! You can't throw my stuff away!" Teecie said loudly. Standing up and putting her hands on her hips, she continued her tirade, "What's the matter with you?" Teecie walked over to her wand, picked it up, and put it back in her handbag, glaring at Lupin the entire time.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin stood up, took some money out of his pocket, and paid for their drinks. He walked away from Teecie, not even looking back at her, and left the pub. Slowly walking towards the edge of town, he heard a small set of feet running behind him. "You can't just leave me!" Teecie called out after him.  
  
  
  
Lupin stopped and turned around. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was going back to the school since you were waiting for your parents to come. I didn't think you needed me to stay. I need to get back to the school anyway, I'm missing a class, you know. There are students up at the school who want to learn about magic. So, you stay here, and I'll go back, ok?" Lupin walked away from Teecie again.  
  
  
  
"Do you like those students better than me?" Teecie called out to him.  
  
  
  
Lupin smiled, but quickly wiped it off his face before turning around again.  
  
  
  
"Well, I hardly know you, you've only been here for two days. And now if you'll excuse me, I must return to the students who actually know how to do magic well. You wait here for your parents, and have fun being a Muggle--bye," Lupin turned around and walked quickly away from Teecie.  
  
  
  
Lupin could hear Teecie's footsteps behind him. She finally caught up to him, and Lupin kept his mouth shut as Teecie caught her breath. "I'm only going back to wait for my parents there. I don't want you to get into trouble. My mum would be very upset to know you abandoned me," Teecie said graciously.  
  
  
  
"Well, that's very kind of you. I appreciate it," Lupin said, grinning in spite of his best efforts not to.  
  
  
  
Together, Teecie and Professor Lupin walked back to Hogwarts. Teecie opened up to him and told him all about her life and the things she liked. She knew it didn't matter, since she'd be leaving soon. Lupin couldn't help wondering how a man like Lucius could have such an adorable daughter.  
  
  
  
As they reached the steps of the school, Snowflake returned with a note from Teecie's parents. Teecie stopped and read it. Her face fell, and tears sprang to her eyes. Looking up at Professor Lupin as tears flowed down her face, she said, "They're not coming." Teecie began to sob, and Lupin patted her on the shoulder, trying to console her.   
  
  
  
As he gently guided her into the school, Lupin was faced with the worst possible person in a situation like this: Peeves. Peeves the Poltergeist, the school's practical joke playing ghost, who was very annoying, and almost impossible to control. Peeves looked at Teecie, deciding what to do to her. Teecie continued to cry as Lupin guided her towards the steps that would lead to the headmaster's office. "What's the matter with the ickle red-headed pixie?" Peeves asked, floating to Teecie and looking at her. "She's so sad!"  
  
  
  
Teecie moved closer to Professor Lupin, but looked at Peeves, and stopped crying for a few seconds. Lupin was afraid Peeves would do something to scare Teecie, but instead, he pulled a daisy from out of nowhere, and handed it to her. Batting his eyelashes at Teecie, he grinned and flew away without another word. Lupin sighed, very relieved.  
  
  
  
Teecie held onto her flower as they walked towards Snape's office. As they walked in, Teecie saw Uncle Sev and Draco waiting for her. Both men were sitting in chairs with their arms folded. They looked annoyed. Teecie bit her lip and threw her head back defiantly. As she walked into the middle of the room, she felt very small, very scared, and very much alone. Teecie tried not to look at Uncle Sev or her brother, but Draco stood up and walked over to her. "Teecie, how could you run away like that? I was so worried! Never do anything like that again, all right?" Draco grabbed her chin and pulled her head up to look into his eyes.  
  
  
  
Teecie began to cry again, and threw herself against her brother. Draco picked her up, walked to his chair, and sat down with Teecie in his lap. "There, there, it's all right, it's ok," Draco said softly to his sister, rocking her in his arms while she cried against his chest.  
  
  
  
Professor Snape unfolded his arms, stood up, and walked over to Teecie. Kneeling down, he said, "Teecie, why didn't you come to us if you were so unhappy? You shouldn't have run away like that. We were very worried about you."  
  
  
  
Teecie continued to bury her head against Draco, but began to tell them all she'd told Professor Lupin about not wanting to go to Hogwarts, and having very little interest in magic, and about all the detention she now had over the next two weeks.  
  
  
  
Professor Snape had to figure out what the best course of action was. Teecie didn't like school, and giving her so much detention probably wasn't helping much. But letting her out of detention wasn't teaching her anything except that she could get out of trouble without being punished. Snape rubbed his temples, and glanced at the painting of Albus Dumbledore, the former headmaster. He'd never have let this go so far, Snape thought to himself.  
  
  
  
"Teecie, is there anything we can do, to help make your stay at Hogwarts more pleasant? Isn't there anything we can do to make you stay? We don't want you to leave," Snape said, taking hold of Teecie's hand.  
  
  
  
Teecie looked thoughtful for a while, before presenting a list of her demands. "I want something that will turn my wand pink. And I want to wear my own clothes outside of class. And I don't think that second week of detention from Draco was fair. And I want that part about my mother taught differently in history class. People should learn the truth about her. And I don't want to take Transfiguration anymore, I don't like that lady. And I want Draco to give me sweets every day. And there should be no more liverwurst served at meals. And I want to call you "Uncle Sev" and "Draco" outside of class too," She said slowly.  
  
  
  
Snape stood up and paced the floor for a few minutes before speaking. "Draco can make a potion to put on the wand to turn it pink. You may wear your clothes outside of class. I'll drop the second week of detention, but the detentions for this week still stand, and I'll look into revising the history lesson," He said, looking down at Teecie. "No deal on the liverwurst, or sweets from Draco, or Transfiguration with Professor Weasley. You may call me Uncle Sev, but you can only call your brother by his name when no other students are around. How does that sound?"  
  
  
  
Teecie bit her lip as she considered this. "I suppose I can try it out for a while, but what if I still don't like it here?"  
  
  
  
"Let's give it two weeks, all right? In two weeks, we'll all meet again and talk about how you feel. Then we can go from there," Uncle Sev said, holding his hand out to Teecie. "Deal?"  
  
  
  
Teecie took his hand and shook it lightly, "Deal," She replied. 


	4. A Fresh Start

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Gabriela2: I'm so happy to see you're now reading the rest of the series! In answer to your question, yes Dragon's Tears will be continued. ElfFlame told me she'd start writing the next chapter today in fact! Just be sure to review each time you read her chapters, because she's threatening to not write again until she gets enough reviews!  
  
Wicked Lee: Yay! I'm so glad you're back! I'm happy to see you're enjoying this. It's very different from her parents' stories which you've already read about. I still plan on writing about Reni and Kali, it's just that Teecie came to me first, so I have to tell her story first. Also, are you reading Dragon's Tears, by ElfFlame? The girls are in that story a lot too, so you might check out and review that to get the story of those years and the reconciliation between Lucius and Draco. It's really amazing so far!  
  
A Fresh Start  
  
Author's Note: Just for the reader's information, almost all Weasley children in these stories whose name begins with a "P", are Percy's children. Not a terribly big deal, but I thought you might like to know that!   
  
Since it was dinner time now that Teecie had returned to the school, Professor Lupin walked with her into the Great Hall to get some food. It had been a stressful day to say the very least, and he was starving. He figured Teecie must be too.   
  
  
  
As they walked to the Gryffindor table, Lupin called somebody over to him. "Peter, I'd like you to meet someone. This is Teecie Orendes. Teecie, this is Peter Weasley. Peter is a prefect for Gryffindor. He's here to help you if you have any problems, so you can come and talk to him if you ever need to," Lupin introduced the two students to each other.   
  
  
  
Peter's eyebrows raised as he heard Teecie's name. "You're Renata's sister, aren't you? She's in the same year as me."  
  
  
  
"Yes I am," Teecie answered, smiling at Peter.   
  
  
  
"My sisters were telling me about how much you look like them, and I have to say the similarity is astonishing. They said they haven't really met you yet though. I can introduce you if you like. They're pretty cool, for kid sisters at least," Peter said, putting his hand on Teecie's shoulder and guiding her over to where the twin girls were sitting. Teecie looked nervously back at Professor Lupin, who smiled encouragingly at her, and waved before walking off to the teacher's table.  
  
  
  
Peter called out to his sisters, who turned around and smiled. "Patricia, Paige, I have somebody here I'd like you to meet. This is Teecie, she's your roommate. Teecie, this is Patricia," the twin on the left waved and smiled. "And this is Paige," the twin on the right smiled and said, "I love your skirt." Teecie smiled at the girls and sat down next to Patricia. Peter sat down on Teecie's other side. The girls chatted shyly while Peter dished a plate full of food for Teecie.   
  
  
  
Teecie ate hungrily, as she hadn't eaten since breakfast. Luckily, spaghetti was one of her favourite meals. Teecie didn't go into detail about what had happened earlier that day, but mainly listened to the other girls talk about the classes. Patricia loved flying lessons with Professor Wood, and Paige really liked Professor Weasley. Teecie told the girls she liked Herbology. That was the only thing she could think of that she didn't completely hate at that point in time.   
  
  
  
Patricia asked what Teecie was doing this evening, to which Teecie replied, "Detention." Paige asked her how long that would be and Teecie explained about having double detentions for the entire week. The girls sounded very sympathetic to her plight, and Teecie appreciated that very much.  
  
  
  
When she'd finished eating, Teecie got up to go to the dungeons for her first detention of the evening. She wondered what horrible task Draco would have for her tonight. She was relieved to find Lisette was no longer sharing detention with her. Lisette would be coming in an hour for hers. Draco had a pile of dusty ingredient bottles on a table that he wanted wiped off and arranged neatly of the shelves. Teecie set to work dusting off all the bottles before putting them away. She hummed mindlessly to herself the entire time. When the time had come to put them back on the shelf, Teecie couldn't decide whether it should be done alphabetically, by colour, or by size of the bottle. She decided on alphabetical order, and went to work sorting the bottles out. By the time the hour was over, everything was clean and well-organized. Draco came over to inspect her work and praised Teecie for how well she'd done. As she was leaving, Draco handed her the bottle of liquid to put on her wand each morning to turn it pink.   
  
  
  
When she left the room to go to detention with Professor Weasley, Teecie passed Lisette in the hallway. The stared coolly at one another, and roughly brushed shoulders as they walked by each other.  
  
  
  
Teecie was dreading going to see Professor Weasley. She seemed so mean. As Teecie walked into the classroom, she found Professor Weasley sitting at her desk in the front of the room. Taking a seat at the far end of the room, she sat down quietly, trying not to make eye contact with the professor. After a couple of minutes, the professor looked up, frowned, and called out for Teecie to come up front by her. Groaning, Teecie walked up to the front and sat down in the desk in front of Professor Weasley. Sitting with her arms folded, Teecie stared at her desk. "So, you're just going to sit here for an hour?" Professor Weasley asked.  
  
  
  
Looking warily at the professor, Teecie said nothing, and went back to staring at the desk. Professor Weasley was not used to being hated by the students and didn't really know how to handle Teecie. Sure, many of the students had been angry at her before for the amount of reading and homework she assigned, but this was a pure and unadulterated hate. There must be a way to break through with this child. "So, Miss Orendes, I was thinking you could help me organize my notes for class next week. They're all in a stack on my desk, and need to be organized by subject. Do you think you can handle that?"  
  
  
  
Teecie looked at the 2 foot tall stack on the desk, "Of course I can handle that!" She said, standing up and grabbing the pile of papers. Sifting through the papers, Teecie began to make piles of subjects on the surrounding desks. After finishing the sorting, she went though each page and sorted the notes by date. Restacking each pile in a neat and tidy fashion, she presented the pile to Professor Weasley 45 minutes later.   
  
  
  
Professor Weasley glanced through the pile and was impressed at the thoroughness of the job. "Well, this was very well done," She complimented Teecie. "You still have 15 minutes left of detention. How about we talk for a while? Why don't you tell me about your family."  
  
  
  
Teecie told her about the farm she lived on and how her mother ran it. She told Professor Weasley how her father took care of the house and the children, when they were home. She told her all about how nice her father was, and how much she loved and missed him. "Do you know my father?" Teecie asked Professor Weasley. All the professors knew who the Orendes girls' father was, but were not to tell any of the students. It wasn't safe for too many people to know they were Lucius Malfoy's daughters. Professor Weasley looked at Teecie for a minute with a strange look on her face, before deciding how to answer. "I do. It's good to hear he's so nice to you," She replied, smiling kindly at Teecie. "Well, I think our time is up tonight, but I'll see you in class tomorrow. Don't forget your homework," Professor Weasley called out to Teecie as she walked out of the classroom.  
  
  
  
Teecie had completely forgotten about the homework assignment. At least she still had time to work on it. Going back to her dorm, she greeted Patricia and Paige as she opened her trunks, pulled out the books she needed, moved to her bed, and began to read. It took two hours, but finally, she finished answering the questions. Teecie still hadn't gotten the hang of using a quill and ink bottle, or parchment. As a result, her homework had several ink blotches throughout the answers, but they were all legible anyway.   
  
  
  
Teecie was exhausted after all the trauma she'd been through that day, and fell asleep within minutes of going to bed. The next morning started as the other two had, with the exception of talking to Patricia and Paige. Paige watched as Teecie worked on her hair for a half hour before being satisfied with it. Patricia didn't pay any attention to that, and remained silent as they all walked to breakfast together. They sat down to French toast together, but didn't talk that much. After they were done eating, they went to Defense Against the Dark Arts and sat down together there as well.   
  
  
  
Professor Lupin greeted the students and began the class by asking the question, "How would you define the Dark Arts? Let's make a list, shall we?"  
  
  
  
Students began raising their hands excitedly. Teecie didn't raise hers, but looked around at all the others who had. Professor Lupin called on Patricia, who was sitting next to Teecie. "Anything that hurts somebody is a Dark Art," She said, smiling at Lupin.  
  
  
  
"That's a great definition, Patricia," Lupin replied. "Who else has a definition?"  
  
  
  
Calling on Anthony Flint, he responded, "It's a spell you do at nighttime." Lupin looked as though trying not to laugh, taking a deep breath and covering his mouth with his hand.  
  
  
  
Slowly Paige raised her hand. Lupin called on her, and she said in a small voice, "It's what my mum threatens to use on me when I don't clean my room."   
  
  
  
Lupin smiled, and replied, "Well, I hope she never has to use them!"  
  
  
  
"It's the spells the government doesn't want you to know about," Lisette answered when called upon.  
  
  
  
Lupin decided that was enough, and launched into his lecture which kept the students riveted to their seats the entire time. Teecie furiously took notes, the feathers of her pen waving with the movements of her hand. She had cramps in her fingers by the time the class was over. When the twins asked where she'd gotten the pen from, she offered one to each of them, which they accepted with huge smiles.   
  
  
  
As the girls walked to the dungeons for Potions, Teecie asked if she could call Patricia, Patty. Patricia said it was fine with her. They walked happily side-by-side to their class.  
  
  
  
When Professor Black walked into the room and saw the three girls sitting side-by-side by his desk, he did a double take. If he hadn't known them, he'd have thought they were triplets! Professor Black told the students he'd made a list of assigned seating and spent several minutes rearranging them. He kept Teecie and the twins where they were though. He wanted to keep his sister where he could see her, and these girls were the first signs of her adjusting to the school, so he wasn't about to separate them.  
  
  
  
After the students were in their new seats and Professor Black had called for order, he showed them the assignment for the day. They were to brew the Lembasa potion that could fill your stomach without eating anything. It was a simple potion with only seven ingredients. Professor Black pointed out where the ingredients were kept and let the class work on their own, as he walked around observing and offering advice.  
  
  
  
Teecie carefully read the instructions before starting. She sent Patty off to gather the ingredients and bring them back. She sent Paige off to gather the equipment they'd need. Both girls were in a huff when they returned to their seats. Patty dropped the ingredients on the table and said, "Those Slytherin goons are so rude! Anthony Flint took the daisy roots I needed, right out of my hands!"  
  
  
  
Teecie shook her head in sympathy. Paige said, "Well I was trying to get a stirring spoon, and Richelle Warrington bumped passed me and made me drop everything I was carrying. Luckily nothing was breakable!" Teecie looked over her shoulder to see where these people were sitting. She'd heard their names called together with Lisette's, and saw them all gathered around a table. One of them, a boy, with blonde hair and green eyes, looked up, saw Teecie, and smirked at her before looking back at his group. Teecie turned back to her own group and began to read off the instructions.   
  
  
  
Professor Black walked around the room. When he stopped by Teecie's table, he watched them working before showing Paige an easier way to cut the ginger roots. As Paige was thanking him, a loud explosion of laughter came from where Lisette and her friends were working. Professor Black went off to see what the commotion was about.  
  
  
  
The girls turned around and watched as Professor Black began to yell at them for goofing off, and smiled when he took ten points from Slytherin. They quickly turned around when Professor Black finished with the Slytherins and went back to helping the other students.   
  
  
  
When they'd finished the potion, Professor Black came and inspected it. He tasted a small amount and told them they'd done everything correctly. When the class had finished, the professor made them all take a drink of their potion to see what it tasted like and to experience the effects first-hand. Teecie noted that it tasted like strawberries.  
  
  
  
Everybody from Potions class felt too full to eat lunch that day. Most sat at their tables and talked to one another instead of eating. Peter Weasley stopped by and asked how Teecie's day was going. Teecie informed him her day was going very well. He then asked if she'd spoken to Renata lately, or if Teecie knew how she was doing. Teecie hadn't heard from her in a couple days, and said he was welcome to ask Renata herself. Peter turned red, cleared his throat and excused himself from the table.   
  
  
  
Paige smiled, leaned over to Teecie and whispered, "I think my brother likes your sister!"  
  
  
  
Teecie grinned and said, "I wonder if she likes him! Let's go see!" The girls stood up and walked over to the Slytherin table to find Renata, but were stopped by Lisette and Marius.   
  
  
  
"What are you doing at our table?" Lisette asked, scowling and folding her arms.  
  
  
  
"I want to talk to my sister!" Teecie exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips.  
  
  
  
"Well you can't just come over here. You have to ask our permission first," Marius said.  
  
  
  
"For what? I don't have to ask you anything!" Teecie said loudly.  
  
  
  
As Marius took a threatening step towards Teecie, Patty and Paige stepped up on either side of her, as protection from whatever Marius might try. "Yeah, we don't have to ask permission from you!" Patty said. Marius turned his attention to her while Lisette squared off with Teecie. Paige stood alone, shaking, and observing the situation while occasionally glancing at the professors table, hoping somebody would come and rescue them.  
  
  
  
Paige's wish came true as one of the Slytherin prefects saw the Gryffindor students and walked over to them. "What to you want?" He asked. When Teecie told him it was none of his business, he told the girls they'd better go back to their own table or he'd make sure points were taken from Gryffindor.   
  
  
  
As Teecie slowly walked away with the twins, she looked up at the professor's table and saw Draco looking questioningly at her. Narrowing her eyes, she quickly stuck her tongue out, though nobody noticed but him. Thankfully lunch was over before any more trouble started.   
  
  
  
As the girls traipsed off to their next class with Professor Weasley, Teecie talked over the trouble with Slytherin with them. They were still chatting as they took seats in the back of the class. Teecie didn't want to sit in front with Professor Weasley, so they chose the back. Professor Weasley collected their homework at the start of class.  
  
  
  
Professor Weasley began a lecture that Teecie found difficult to pay much attention to. Teecie had no interest in Transfiguration. Who'd ever need to know how to turn a rabbit into a drinking cup? If Teecie was ever so poor that she had to turn her pets into eating utensils, she'd just get a job, and buy some real glasses. Things shouldn't be turned into something different. They should always be what they are. Her father had made her try turkey bacon once and Teecie thought it was awful. Turkey is turkey and bacon is bacon, and they should never be anything other than that.  
  
  
  
Herbology class was much more interesting. Professor Longbottom began a unit on Fungi by showing drawings of different types of mushrooms and explaining the helpful properties of each kind. Teecie took notes and drew pictures to study from. When the class was finished, Teecie stayed behind and helped Professor Longbottom collect his drawings and notes.   
  
  
  
Professor Longbottom looked carefully down at Teecie while she walked at his side towards his office. "So, have you had a good day today?" He asked.  
  
  
  
"So far, yes," Teecie replied, nodding her head. When they made it to his office, Professor Longbottom opened his door and Teecie walked in. He offered her a chair as she set his papers down on his desk.  
  
  
  
"Would you like a cup of tea?" Professor Longbottom asked. As she nodded her head, he conjured a teapot and two cups. The two sat in Professor Longbottom's office, sipping tea, and talking about school. Teecie told him about the humiliating experience of not being able to fly. Professor Longbottom smiled and told her he'd had a very hard time getting the hang of flying too. He offered to help her if she still had trouble with it after tomorrow's flying lesson.  
  
  
  
After tea, Teecie went back to her dorm to see what the twins were up to. The girls were reading books, so Teecie took a few of her dolls, sat down on her bed, and began to brush their hair. After several minutes, Paige looked up, smiled, and ran over to Teecie's bed. "Wow, you have Happy Holiday Wendy! Do you have Happy Holiday Lee?" She asked excitedly. Teecie nodded, held up the doll, handed it to Paige, and the two began playing together. Teecie told Paige how her father had insisted on getting her the entire Wendy doll collection after she'd insisted on getting a Barbie doll. She had Wendy, Wendy's boyfriend Lee, her sister Blithe, Wendy's best friend Althea, and Duncan, Lee's best friend. She also collected the Hogwart's Heroes sets as well. She had Rock Star Rowena, Healer Helga, Sporty Salazar, and Golfer Godric. There were many other dolls available that Teecie still wanted.  
  
  
  
Patty looked up from her book and rolled her eyes at the other girls. After about ten minutes though, she joined them on the bed and grabbed a doll to play too. Holding Quidditch Seeker Salazar in her hand, she tried to convince Teecie to give Rock Star Rowena a hair cut. Teecie looked alarmed and held her hand protectively over the doll as Patty was reaching for it. Paige yelled at her sister to stop trying to give all the dolls haircuts, especially since they weren't hers. Things calmed down and the girls played peacefully until dinner.  
  
  
  
As the girls sat at the table, eating their dinner of beef stew and dumplings, they listened to Teecie list off all the dolls she had. She'd just told them about her newest doll, Autumn Fashion Althea, Wendy's best friend, when they were rudely interrupted by a voice behind them. "You still play with those dumb dolls? Those are for babies! You must be dumb babies too!"  
  
  
  
The three girls were on their feet facing Lisette and her friends before she'd even finished speaking. "What's the matter, Lisette, is your daddy too dumb to find his way to the store to buy any for you?" Teecie said in a loud voice.  
  
  
  
Richelle stepped up to Teecie, sneered, and said, "The whole school's heard about how you quit school yesterday. So, why are you still here? We think the school would be much better if you left."  
  
  
  
"I think the school would be a much better place, if you'd never come at all!" Shouted Patty, putting her arm around Teecie's shoulders.  
  
  
  
Just as it seemed blows were going to be exchanged, Professor Black swooped in upon the children. "What's going on here?" He asked sternly.  
  
  
  
"We were merely passing by on our way to dinner, when these girls stood up and began yelling at us, sir," Lisette said, looking at Draco and fluttering her eyelashes at him.  
  
  
  
Draco looked at Lisette for a moment before looking at Teecie. Teecie rolled her eyes, and spoke, "That's not what happened Drac--er, um, Professor. She made fun of us!"  
  
  
  
Draco looked back and forth at the kids for several moments before speaking. "You girls sit down and finish your dinner," He said, looking at Teecie and the twins. "You kids go sit down at your table and leave these girls alone," Draco said, watching Lisette and her friends slink away to the Slytherin table.  
  
  
  
When dinner was finished, Teecie went to the dungeons for detention with Draco. Draco had been pleased to see how well Teecie had handled the potion in class earlier that day, and had another easy one he wanted her to try. It was called the Potizo potion, and it was the companion to the spell they'd done earlier that day. This potion quenched one's thirst, when water couldn't be found.  
  
  
  
Draco couldn't help but be amused at how talkative Teecie was when she was alone with him. She chattered on incessantly the entire time. Draco listened with amusement as he handed her each ingredient and watched her mix them together. At one point in time, she commented, "Gee, with this potion and the Lembasa potion, you'd never need to eat or drink again!"  
  
  
  
As Draco handed her the last ingredient, he smiled and replied, "Well, you could only do it for a little while. Those potions have no nutrients in them and you'd get sick after a while if you didn't eat real food or drink real water." Draco watched as Teecie stirred the mixture in her cauldron over the flame for a minute before finishing.   
  
  
  
As it turned purple, Teecie smiled at her brother, and said, "It's done!" Pouring a small amount into a goblet, Draco took a sip, smiled, and handed it to his sister. Teecie took a sip, and said, "It tastes kind of like watermelon!"  
  
  
  
Teecie continued to chatter while she cleaned up before leaving. As she was leaving, she turned to her brother and said, "Draco, Lisette really did start that argument. You believe me, don't you?"   
  
  
  
Draco looked down at Teecie, and replied, "Yes, I believe you. Now off you go to Professor Weasley's class." Draco kissed the top of his sister's head as she hugged him good night. Lisette glared at Teecie as she left the classroom. Teecie ignored her and went to her next detention.  
  
  
  
Professor Weasley had a project for Teecie to work on as well. She had a small button that Teecie was supposed to turn into a piece of peppermint candy. Teecie hadn't used her wand before now, and wasn't sure if she wanted to or not. Fishing it out of her pink handbag, Teecie put a drop of the potion Draco had made for her. She watched as her wand turned pink. Smiling up at Professor Weasley, she waved the wand around for a second before focusing on her task. Looking at the button and pointing the wand at it, Teecie said, "Dulcesco," and watched as nothing happened.   
  
  
  
"Don't worry, it usually takes more than one try the first few times," Professor Weasley said encouragingly. Teecie leaned over the button and continued to try. After a half hour, she'd managed to turn a quarter of the button into a peppermint. A small part had a red stripe now. By the time the hour was up, three quarters of the button was now a peppermint. Professor Weasley was impressed at how much progress Teecie had made, but even more so at the fact that she refused to quit until she'd finished. It took 20 more minutes, but Professor Weasley sat and patiently watched Teecie as she completed her task.  
  
  
  
When she'd finished, Teecie beamed with pride and held the mint up for Professor Weasley to admire. "Yes, you did very well, Miss Orendes. It's only fitting that you get to eat it."   
  
  
  
Teecie popped the mint into her mouth and noted that it was the best piece of candy she'd ever tasted. Sighing, she said to the professor, "You know, my mummy doesn't have to try to do magic. She doesn't even use a wand. She just thinks something, and it happens."  
  
  
  
"Well, your mum started out just as you're doing now. She's just had more time than the rest of us to practice more," Professor Weasley replied, thinking of how difficult it must be to have a parent that you could never be as good as. Professor Weasley congratulated Teecie and sent her back to her dorm for the evening.  
  
  
  
Teecie was exhausted after such a difficult task. Snowball crawled up into her bed, and she held onto him while she read another chapter of her Amaris book before falling asleep with a smile on her face. 


	5. The First Weekend

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe3: I'm glad to see you're back! I'm really enjoying Lupin in this story, and you can probably tell that by how much he shows up in it! In answer to your question about Snape's daughter, her name is Matria and she's from an idea for a story that ElfFlame came up with, but hasn't written. She's supposed to be the daughter of Severus and Lily, and we included her because we were trying to use as many kids from our different stories as possible. So even though the Orendes girls are from the True Revenge series, it's not strictly just that world, but for all intents and purposes, it all still fits within the series. I hope that answers your question!  
  
Wicked Lee: Yes, Teecie is doing better, for now at least. She's very dramatic though, and will end up going back and forth before finally settling in at Hogwarts. Here's another chapter to enjoy, it was a lot of fun to write!  
  
The First Weekend  
  
Friday passed with no events worthy of mention. Flying lessons were as abysmal as the first time. Teecie had her first Charms class, and was completely charmed by Professor Flitwick. He reminded her of a happy elvish gnome.  
  
  
  
Teecie also had to stay up late for her astronomy class. They met in the Astronomy Tower to observe the stars. She found the Little Dipper, and Orion's belt. Those constellations made Teecie feel a pang of homesickness. There were many summer nights that her family stayed outside, wrapped in blankets, looking at the stars and telling stories to one another.   
  
  
  
The next morning, Teecie woke up to find a box at the foot of her bed. Her father had sent her a care package! Jumping up and hopping across her mattress to it, Teecie eagerly opened the box. It was packed full of goodies. On the very top was a letter from he father. She opened it and read what it said:   
  
Teecie,  
  
  
  
So, it's been a whole week at Hogwarts. How are you liking it? Your mother and I are so proud of you for staying after the first couple of days. Have you made any friends yet? I'm sending you some treats to share with your housemates. I heard about getting sorted into Gryffindor. Don't worry, I'll always love you as much as I ever have. Ha ha, that was a joke. You're much too sweet to be a Slytherin. I knew that the first time you sneezed on me. Well, I hope you have a good weekend and that your next week goes well too. Don't forget, you're welcome to write home any time you wish. We love you and miss you,  
  
Love,  
  
Daddy  
  
  
  
Teecie found Mars bars, M&M's, a new Amaris book, and home made biscuits in the box. There was also a new bottle of Teecie's favourite shade of pink nail polish. Patty and Paige had awoken by that time and came over to see what Teecie had gotten. The trio started their day off with a breakfast of chocolate bars and biscuits before dressing and wandering around the school. Teecie took a bag of biscuits, her notebook, and a feather pen with her. She wanted to draw a map of the entire school so she would never get lost.   
  
  
  
The girls wandered up and down the halls. Teecie drew a map for each floor, noting how many rooms were on each floor, and what each room was. Patty and Paige would walk up to each room, look inside and call out what was inside. Teecie made a separate list of each and every painting in the school, noting the location, title, and description of each one on every wall of every hall in the school.  
  
  
  
Half the bag of biscuits was gone before Teecie and the girls ran into a professor. Professor Lupin was walking down the hall, having come from breakfast, and smiled as he saw the three girls together. "And how are you three doing this very fine day?" He asked.  
  
  
  
"We're doing just fine Professor. We're just exploring the school, drawing a map, so we never get lost," Teecie said, while making a note of the painting right next to them.   
  
  
  
Professor Lupin was taken aback for a moment, and gazed fondly at the girls without speaking. He saw the three small figures standing before him and felt as though he was stepping into a memory of himself and his friends doing just the same thing. "Well, you have fun making that map," He said softly before taking his leave and walking to his office.   
  
  
  
"I heard Professor Lupin lets his older students work with scary monsters," Paige said as the professor turned the corner away from them. "I hear he keeps them in his office."  
  
  
  
"Really? What kind of monsters? Vampires? Trolls?" Teecie asked curiously.  
  
  
  
"All kinds of monsters," Paige replied.  
  
  
  
"He sure seems to know a lot about scary things," Teecie said.  
  
  
  
"You do know he's a werewolf, right?" Patty said, joining the conversation.  
  
  
  
"Really? No! That's so cool!" Teecie said, looking towards the corner.   
  
  
  
"He's a werewolf?" Paige asked in a small voice, looking very pale all of a sudden.  
  
  
  
"Yep, at least since he was our age!" Patty informed the girls, feeling important for knowing so much more than they did about the subject.  
  
  
  
"Let's go to his office and see what kinds of stuff he has there!" Teecie said, eating another biscuit and walking towards the corner that led to the office. Patty ran close behind her, taking a biscuit from the bag and eating.   
  
  
  
Paige remained rooted to the spot she was standing in. After a minute, she looked around, and ran after the girls. "Hey, wait up! Don't leave me!" She called out while catching up to them. She caught up with them at Lupin's door. Teecie grinned at the twins before raising a fist and knocking on the door.  
  
  
  
After a few seconds, the door opened, and Professor Lupin looked out at the girls. "Can I help you?" He asked.  
  
  
  
"We were wondering if we could come inside," Teecie asked, pushing the door open all the way and walking inside. Patty followed behind her, while Paige remained staring at the professor. She had turned white again.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin looked at her with concern, and asked, "Paige, is everything all right? Do you need to sit down?" Paige looked at Lupin with huge eyes, opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Patty looked back at her sister, ran over to her, grabbed her hand, and pulled her into the office.  
  
  
  
Teecie sat down in a chair across from Lupin's desk, and took another biscuit from the bag. As she nibbled on it, she looked around the room for signs of anything out of the ordinary. Patty sat in a chair next to Teecie while Paige remained standing by the door, ready to run out of it if need be. Patty took a biscuit from the bag and handed it to Professor Lupin. The girls remained silent, and looked expectantly at Lupin. Lupin looked at Patty and Teecie. "So, ladies, is there something you wanted to talk about? Or did you just need a place to sit down for a while?" He asked.  
  
  
"We just wanted to see what your office looked like, professor," Teecie said, looking over her shoulder to look for monsters.  
  
  
  
"Yeah, we heard there was some interesting things to look at, professor," Patty said, looking around.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin looked at Paige, who cowered by the door. "Paige, are you sure you're all right?" He asked kindly, stepping towards her.  
  
  
  
"You're a werewolf," Paige screeched.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin stopped walking towards Paige, and backed away from her. Sitting down in his chair, he looked carefully at the girls. Paige was afraid, but Patty and Teecie looked at him with what looked like admiration in their eyes. He'd lived his entire life dealing with other people's reactions to this information about him. Though Lupin had developed a thick skin towards people, he still felt hurt when he was looked down upon. "Yes, I am a werewolf," Professor Lupin said slowly.  
  
  
  
Teecie looked at the professor, sensing that he was nervous. "There's nothing wrong with being a werewolf, professor. Werewolves have a bad reputation, but I bet it wasn't your fault, was it?" She asked.  
  
  
  
"I was bitten on accident," Professor Lupin said quietly.  
  
  
  
"Did you have to move around a lot? I bet your family was afraid of you. And the Ministry of Magic has kept a close eye on you. I understand," Teecie said, leaning forward and putting her small hand comfortingly over his. She'd heard about her mother's past and saw that even though the circumstances were vastly different, the situations were similar in those aspects.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin looked into Teecie's eyes, and smiled. "Yes, I suppose you would," He said. Remus also knew about Adriana's past, as they had become good friends while she had taught at Hogwarts.  
  
  
  
Before Lupin could speak again, he was interrupted by Patty, who'd gotten up and walked to a corner of his office, "Hey, cool! A Cornish pixie! Where'd you get it professor?"   
  
  
  
As Patty reached to open the cage, Professor Lupin called out, "I wouldn't open that if I were you Patricia. Those pixies are little devils to deal with."  
  
  
  
Teecie had run up to the cage and looked inside. "Oh, but it looks so cute!" She squealed. "Can't we take it out? Please?" She begged.  
  
  
  
"But I was going to show it to the entire class next week. Don't you want to wait until then?" Professor Lupin asked, showing no signs of being willing to open the door for them.  
  
  
  
"I suppose," Teecie said, returning to her seat, frowning. "Do you have any interesting stories? About monsters? Have you ever met any?" She asked Professor Lupin.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin sat back in his chair, trying to think of a story to excite Patty and Teecie without scaring poor Paige to death. None that he knew of would do both.   
  
  
  
"Or how about stories about when you were a student here? What was the school like then? I bet loads of things have changed since then," Teecie said, "Since it was such a very long time ago."  
  
  
  
Lupin thought back fondly on his Marauder days. What could he tell them that wouldn't encourage them to do the same things? Munching on the biscuit he'd been given earlier, Professor Lupin began telling them about the professors he'd had as a student. Some of the names sounded familiar to the girls, though none of them had met those professors. He told them censored versions of some of the Marauder's escapades.  
  
  
  
After an hour or so of listening to stories, the girls were hungry, and took their leave of Professor Lupin to go to lunch. As they walked towards the Great Hall, they saw an attractive young boy, with brown hair and black eyes, who had to be in their class, but wasn't from their house, being bullied. Marius and Anthony, two of Lisette's friends, were blocking the boy's entrance to the hall. Teecie could hear them saying he had to pay to get passed them. Patty and Teecie approached Marius and Anthony, and told them to get out of the way. The boys spun around and faced the girls, menacingly. They were several inches taller than the girls, and much broader as well. Paige rushed over to the other boy and took him by the arm into the Great Hall.  
  
  
  
Teecie looked at the boys and began to try reasoning with them, "You boys can't just bully everybody here. You don't own this school. Why don't you just go sit down at your table and leave everybody else alone?" Teecie tried to push her way passed them as they continued to block their way into the Great Hall. She could see this wasn't going to be easy. Deciding to try something else, Teecie began looking over Anthony's shoulder. Waving her hand as though greeting somebody, she called out, "Professor Black, good afternoon!" As soon as the boys turned around to see if Professor Black was really there, Patty and Teecie pushed passed them, and walked into the Great Hall for lunch.  
  
  
  
As they sat down to eat, Paige asked them if everything was all right. Patty assured her everything was fine. Teecie asked who that boy was. It was Paige's turn to be proud of the information she knew. "His name's Jordan Engelmann. He's in our class, but a Hufflepuff. He has a brother named Zacharias in Slytherin, and a sister named Amina in Ravenclaw. I wonder if your sisters know them, Teecie." Teecie shrugged her shoulders and began eating a turkey sandwich. After several minutes, Teecie looked over at the Hufflepuff table, and saw Jordan. He was eating and talking to a couple of people when he looked up and saw her. Jordan blushed and quickly looked away from Teecie.   
  
  
  
After the girls had finished eating and were returning to exploring the school and making their map, they ran into Lisette and Richelle. "Hey, you can't pick on our friends like that!" Lisette said to Teecie, poking her in the shoulder with a finger. "Anthony told me all about what you said to him and Marius." Richelle glared at Patty who was glaring right back at her.   
  
  
  
"Don't you touch me, Lisette!" Teecie shouted. Teecie had been in enough trouble this week and didn't want to start anything else. She chose to ignore these girls and walk away before it got worse. As she walked away from Lisette, Teecie felt herself being pulled backwards. Richelle and Lisette had grabbed her from behind and held her tight.  
  
  
  
Lisette pulled her wand out of her robes and pointed it at Teecie. "You need to be taught a lesson! You can't just walk around this school like you own it!" Lisette grabbed a couple of Teecie's curls, held the wand to them, and said, "Abscindo". Teecie felt a warmth near the back of her head, and was pushed down to the ground by Richelle. As she looked up, Lisette dangled a curl of red hair in Teecie's face. "Let's take this back and show the whole house!" Lisette said to Richelle. The two girls cackled and ran away, leaving Teecie and the twins staring in anger after them.  
  
  
  
Teecie put her hand to her hair, and started to whimper, "My hair...my hair...she cut my hair." Paige put an arm consolingly around her shoulders and lead her to the stairs and sat down with her. Patty came and sat down on Teecie's other side.   
  
  
  
The twins gasped as a ghost popped out of the wall and floated in front of them. "My ickle red-headed pixie has two red-headed pixie friends! But she's still so sad!" Peeves said, looking at Teecie. He floated upside down, crossing his eyes, and making silly faces, trying to get Teecie to smile.  
  
  
  
Teecie looked at Peeves and said, "Do you know Lisette Crabbe? Blonde, first year, Slytherin? She cut off my hair!"   
  
  
  
"She cut off my red-headed pixie's hair? She can't do that! You wait right here, I'll be back in a little while!" Peeves said. With that, he flew out of the girl's sight.   
  
  
  
Paige patted Teecie's head while Teecie leaned on her shoulder. About a minute later, the girls heard two voices screaming coming from the floor below them. As the screams died down, Peeves floated through the floor, grinning, and presented Teecie with the lock of hair that had been cut off her head. "Peeves, what did you do?" Teecie asked excitedly.  
  
  
  
"Well, you know. A little of this, a little of that. I think I outdid myself this time!" Peeves said, grinning evilly at Teecie.   
  
  
  
"Oh Peeves, if you weren't a ghost, I'd kiss you!" Teecie said, smiling at Peeves gratefully.  
  
  
  
Peeves leaned into Teecie's face and kissed her cheek. Teecie felt as though he'd put an ice cube against her skin. He handed her another flower and flew away, out of sight.   
  
  
  
The next morning, at breakfast, the girls noticed Lisette and Richelle sporting lovely blue hair-do's, and laughed at them. Teecie held her glass of pumpkin juice up to Lisette, and toasted her before taking a sip of it. Lisette glared at Teecie, and started whispering to her other friends. Planning their next move, no doubt. "Well girls, I think it's about to get interesting around here!" Teecie said to the twins. 


	6. Making Friends

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Wicked Lee: I'm enjoying using Peeves in this story, I'm glad you like reading about him. There are many new characters in this chapter for you to get to know, I hope you like them!  
  
Arsinoe3: Peeves is indeed a wonderful ally, he'll be useful to them later on as well. I'm so glad you're enjoying this story so far. I'm having a great time writing it. I hope you like the new characters in this chapter. Let me know what you think!  
  
Making Friends  
  
The second week passed without much incident. Teecie managed to not get detention the entire time. On the next Wednesday, Uncle Sev sent her an owl at breakfast, reminding her to come see him after classes that day, because the two week trial was up. Teecie wasn't sure what she wanted. She liked Patty and Paige, and some of her classes, but Lisette and the classes she hated were such strong marks against staying. Should she stay or leave?   
  
  
  
After classes, Teecie walked over to Uncle Sev's office. Since she didn't know the password to get inside, Teecie waited until Professor Lupin walked up to her. "So, Teecie, are you ready to go inside?" He asked her. When Teecie nodded, he said the password, "Gillyweed," and together, they went inside.  
  
  
  
Uncle Sev and Draco were waiting for them, like last time. Teecie sat in a chair a few feet from the desk, while all three men stood leaning against it, looking at her. Uncle Sev unfolded his arms and asked, "So, Teecie, have you come to a decision about staying here?"  
  
  
  
"I don't know...There are some things I like and some things I don't like," Teecie said slowly.  
  
  
  
"Well, I've...communicated...with your mother, and she seems...intent...that you remain here at the school," Uncle Sev said, choosing his words carefully. Draco stifled a laugh and tried to maintain his composure. He'd heard about how Adriana had popped out of the fireplace that evening and berated Snape for an hour before calming down. He was just glad he hadn't been there for it.  
  
  
  
"Teecie, you've been doing really well in most of your classes, we've gotten good reports from your other professors. Professor Weasley in particular is impressed with your efforts in her class. I think if you keep trying like you are now, you'll be just fine," Uncle Sev said. "Professor Lupin is going to introduce you to a few more students to make more friends with, aren't you professor?"   
  
  
  
Professor Lupin nodded his head, "Yes, I was. I'll do that this evening in fact."  
  
  
  
"I still don't know," Teecie said. "There are some people here I really can't stand. Not one bit."  
  
  
  
"Well, hon, let me tell you, there are people in this world that you won't get along with. It's just part of life. We've all had to deal with people we hate, haven't we? I had people at this school that I hated more than anything when I was a student, but I learned to get along with them," Draco said, looking from Lupin to Snape.  
  
  
  
Uncle Sev snorted and stifled a laugh before speaking. "I myself have had to learn to deal with many unpleasant people," Uncle Sev said, glancing at Professor Lupin.  
  
  
  
"And I too have worked with people I hate," Professor Lupin said, trying to ignore Snape's look.  
  
  
  
"You'll just have to learn what everybody else does to get along with people we don't like: ignore them," Draco said, wisely.  
  
  
  
Teecie sighed. "I suppose I'll keep trying. I do have a couple of good friends at least."  
  
  
  
"Atta girl, Teecie, that's the attitude!" Draco said, enthusiastically.   
  
  
  
As Professor Lupin and Teecie walked back out of Uncle Sev's office, he told her he was arranging a special party that evening for just the first years to meet one another. They were all supposed to meet in the Gryffindor common room at 8 o'clock. Teecie smiled and said she'd be there.  
  
  
  
Teecie was once again stopped by Anthony and Marius while she walked to the Great Hall for dinner. They smiled menacingly as Teecie stepped away from them, until she hit the wall and could go no further. Marius kept a look out for professors or passing students while Anthony continued to advance upon her. He pinned her to the wall, grabbed a handful of her hair, and said, "I should continue the hair cut you got last week. Lisette was upset that she couldn't finish it herself." He was pulling her hair with one hand and fumbling around for his wand with the other, when Teecie tried to push him away. She screeched as he fell back a few steps, but maintained his grip on her hair. Teecie realized she was helpless, and looked up at Anthony just in time to see him being slammed into the wall.  
  
  
  
Anthony let go of her hair, and Teecie watched as a boy she barely recognized proceeded to give him a very intense thrashing. Marius ran away before the boy could turn on him. After a few minutes, he stopped, and allowed Anthony to hobble away from them. Teecie stared open-mouthed at the boy as he began to rub his knuckles. "Wow! That was amazing! Are you all right?" Teecie asked, rushing up to the boy and putting her hand on his.  
  
  
  
The boy took her hand in his, looked into her eyes, and said, "Oh, that was nothing. I'm fine!"  
  
  
  
Teecie smiled as the boy began to run his fingers over her hand. "What's your name? You're in my house, aren't you?"  
  
  
  
"James Lupin. I am in Gryffindor. I've seen you in class but never had a chance to talk to you before," James said.  
  
  
  
"Well, James Lupin, is there anything I can do to thank you for your heroism? You saved my life!" Teecie said. As she looked at James, she saw how much he resembled Professor Lupin. Must be father and son, she thought to herself.  
  
  
  
"Aw, it was nothing, really. I'd have done it for anybody," James said, as he began to rub his cheek.  
  
  
  
Teecie looked concerned and asked James if he'd been hit in the scuffle.  
  
  
  
"Oh, I'm all right, really. It's nothing much. I just got punched, that's all," James said bravely.  
  
  
  
"Oh no!" Teecie cried. "That's terrible! Here, let me look at it," She said, bringing her hand up to his right cheek and gently brushing his skin.  
  
  
  
James winced. When Teecie asked if that had hurt, he replied, "Only a little bit, but I'll be OK. Don't worry about me."  
  
  
  
"You're so brave! Enduring such pain like that!" Teecie said, looking into James' eyes with admiration. "Does your other cheek hurt? Did you get hit there too?" She asked.  
  
  
  
"No, that one's fine. It's about the only thing that doesn't hurt me right now, I'll tell you," James said, taking a small, limping step towards her.  
  
  
  
"Aww. You're such a hero," Teecie crooned as James took her other hand in his. Since they were the same height, it didn't take too much effort for her to lean over to his pain-free cheek to kiss him. But just as her lips were about to make contact with his cheek, James turned his head so his lips met hers. Teecie gasped, ripped her hands out of his, and slapped him hard across the face. She hit him right where he'd said he'd been hurt, so he was in double pain at the moment. "You did that on purpose! How dare you! I don't even know you!" Teecie hissed at him. Before turning to walk away from him, she punched him in the arm, just to make it clear she was unimpressed with his actions.  
  
  
  
As Teecie walked into the Great Hall to find Patty and Paige, James smiled and rubbed the arm that Teecie had hit. Sighing, he slowly followed behind her.  
  
  
  
Teecie ignored James while she ate. He tried to catch her eye a few times during the meal, but was disappointed at her lack of attention. That had been his first real kiss. He'd gotten advice to try that trick out from a friend, and was pleased to see it had worked. James tried to eat, but he was too full of nervous energy to eat much. His palms were sweaty, and he felt slightly light-headed as he watched Teecie. She was pretty. As she took a bite of her rice pudding dessert, James decided he was in love with Teecie, and would marry her one day.   
  
  
  
Teecie was so angry at James, she didn't even tell Patty and Paige about what had happened. After dinner, she went back to her dorm and worked on homework until 7:30. Then she got ready for the party. She fixed her hair, changed into a more festive outfit, and put on her favourite pink lip gloss. Looking in the mirror one last time, Teecie decided she looked good, and left the room to go downstairs.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin was setting up the common room for the party. He'd brought a group of chairs and put them in a circle in front of the fireplace. In the centre of the circle he'd put a small table filled with biscuits and sweets for the kids to share. He'd even brought bottles of butterbeer for everybody. Looking up and seeing Teecie, he smiled and said, "Well, don't you look festive tonight!"  
  
  
  
Teecie beamed up at the professor and helped him bring the rest of the food over to the table. Several minutes later, Patty and Paige arrived. Paige looked at Teecie, and her face fell, "You dressed up?" She asked. There was still time before the party started, so Paige ran up to the dorm and changed her clothes. Patty didn't care about how she looked so she sat down next to Teecie and talked about their Transfiguration class that day until Paige returned. As she sat down, Teecie noticed Paige had put on a cute black skirt and a white jumper.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin saw all the girls huddled together and had hoped they'd spread out a little more. How could they get to meet the other people if they stayed together? "Girls, why don't you spread out a little bit. So you can meet some of the other first years. You already know each other. Patty, why don't you move over there?" He asked, pointing to one of the chairs on the far side of the circle. "And Teecie, why don't you move over here," He continued, pointing to another chair. Professor Lupin knew Paige was still terrified of him and decided not to tell her to move.  
  
  
  
Slowly, the boys began trickling in. Daniel Wood was the first one in. He was a well-muscled boy with dark brown hair and blue eyes. Looking at the girls, he sat down next to Patty and began talking to her about Quidditch.   
  
  
  
Carl Wagner, a well-dressed boy with perfectly arranged blonde hair and green eyes. He sat down next to Paige and began a conversation that Professor Lupin could hear involved the furniture arrangement of the common room.  
  
  
  
James Lupin came over next. He looked around and wanted to sit next to Teecie, but was afraid she might hit him again. He decided to sit across from her where he could gaze at her all night long. Professor Lupin could sense his son's attraction to Teecie. He could see that she was clearly not interested in James. In fact, he could tell she was quite angry with him. What had James done to her? He wondered. Lupin decided he'd have to have a talk with his son after the party.   
  
  
  
Robert Bones, who was a plain-looking boy with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes, sat in between James and Daniel. All three boys had and interest in Quidditch, and soon they and Patty were loudly discussing the sport.  
  
  
  
Kern Barlow was the last to joint them. His black hair contrasted against the red hair of Teecie and Paige, who sat on either side of him. His brown eyes looked around the circle, taking the scene in, but he remained silent.   
  
  
  
Professor Lupin moved inside the circle of chairs to the table, began opening bottles of butterbeer, and passing them out. After everybody had gotten a bottle, he passed plates of sweets and biscuits around for the kids to share. Taking the final seat in between Patty and Teecie, he called the students to his attention. "So, I'm glad you could all make it tonight. I thought it was time for everybody to meet one another. Let's start by introducing ourselves. You all know me, so let's start with, Patty, and go around in the circle. All right?" Professor Lupin said, looking at the students.  
  
  
  
The kids introduced themselves to one another. Some of the student's names were familiar, and Teecie could see they resembled some of her professors. Professor Lupin asked the children questions to break the ice. They talked about what their favourite colour was, their favourite book, and favourite past time.   
  
  
  
They learned that Kern's favourite book was The Lord of the Rings, one of Teecie's favourites too! She'd have to talk to him about it sometime.  
  
  
  
Robert's favourite past time was playing Wizard's chess. Daniel was pretty good at chess too, and they made plans to play together soon.  
  
  
  
Carl's favourite colour was mauve. He found it went well with his skin tone and complimented the highlights of his hair.  
  
  
  
After a while, the circle broke off into smaller groups of children talking about various subjects. Professor Lupin just sat back and listened to everything. They were all so young, so innocent. Remus thought to himself that it seemed children were being made smaller and younger these days than when he was a kid.   
  
  
  
Some of the kids moved around to be able to talk to other people, and Remus watched as James moved and sat next to Teecie. James didn't say anything, but Teecie glared at him and crossed her arms. James spoke quietly to Teecie, but Remus could still hear. "Teecie, look, I'm really sorry. Can't we pretend it didn't happen? Can't we start over? I won't do it again, honest," James said.   
  
  
  
Teecie glared at James for several seconds before taking a large swig of butterbeer. "Of course it won't happen again, cuz I'm never speaking to you again!" She sneered at James before turning her back on him. Her sneer remained as she looked up at Professor Lupin. He'd been tempted to say something to Teecie, but thought better of it. He was slightly scared of her at the moment. Inside every girl, is a woman waiting to happen, and Remus had learned the hard way with his wife, to keep his mouth shut sometimes. Though Remus did decide to get to the bottom of this.  
  
  
  
The evening dwindled down after that, with the boys trickling off to their dorm, and the girls to theirs. Professor Lupin cleaned up after the successful party, with a smile on his face. 


	7. Professor Lupin's Holiday

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe3: I'm glad you like the new characters. I like the idea of having the professors being a little more involved in the students' lives, not controlling them, but being surrogate parents in a way. Lupin especially will play that sort of role in this story. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and I hope you enjoy it!  
  
Wicked Lee: I've fallen in love with James, he's just the cutest little kid. You'll see him more in the later chapters. Here's the next chapter, hope you like it!  
  
Professor Lupin's Holiday  
  
The evening after the party, Teecie went back to her dorm with Patty and Paige. As the girls were changing into their nightgowns, Paige gave a small scream. As Teecie and Patty turned to see what was wrong, they saw Paige clutching her nightgown to her body and looking with enormous eyes at the painting in the middle of the room. "Was there always a boy in that painting?" She whispered.  
  
  
  
Teecie shook her head. "Well, there's one there now," Paige said. Teecie walked up to the painting. Bernia Hadwin, the girl in the painting, who was dressed in a gray Empire waist dress and usually reading a book while sitting at a table, was now accompanied by a young man of about 15 or 16 years.  
  
  
  
"Hey, what are you doing? Were you watching us?" Teecie asked, crossing her arms.   
  
  
  
"I was just passing through. Thought I'd introduce myself. I've already met the boys in your class," the boy said, taking a seat across from Bernia, who was trying to ignore the boy and read her book.  
  
  
  
"Well, who are you then?"  
  
  
  
"Call me Padfoot," the boy said.  
  
  
  
"What kind of a name is Padfoot?" Teecie asked.  
  
  
  
"My kind of name," the boy said, grinning from ear to ear, not giving any explanation.  
  
  
  
"What painting did you come from? I don't recognize you," Teecie said.  
  
  
  
"I don't usually stay in my painting. I travel around a lot, so you may not have seen me before," Padfoot replied.  
  
  
  
Teecie introduced herself and the twins to Padfoot. Padfoot looked around their room and at Bernia Hadwin. "You know, I like this room. And the company," Padfoot said, glancing at Bernia. "Do you mind if I stick around? I promise to close my eyes when you're changing your clothes."  
  
  
  
Patty shrugged her shoulders when Teecie looked at her. Paige looked alarmed, "We can't have a boy in the room!"   
  
  
  
Teecie looked back and forth at the girls. "Well...two against one. Sure, why not?" She said, turning to Padfoot.  
  
After Remus left the common room, he went to his son's dormitory and called James out for a private talk. After a few questions, James told his father everything that had happened between Teecie and himself. He confessed everything except who had given him the advice to do such a thing. "A friend," was all James would say. Remus lectured him about respecting other people's personal space, and about violating people's trust. He also told James, 11 years old was far too young for such behaviour. Before leaving James, Remus told him he'd have to apologize to Teecie tomorrow. James looked miserable, but his father didn't relent.   
  
  
  
James spent a sleepless night, tossing and turning, and worrying about what he'd say to Teecie the next day.  
  
The next morning, the girls woke up to get dressed, and told Padfoot to cover his eyes, which he did. "What are you going to do today?" Patty asked Padfoot as the girls walked out of the room.  
  
  
  
"Oh, I thought I'd try to get to know Bernia better," Padfoot grinned and winked an eye at the girls. Bernia set her book down and raised an eyebrow, glancing through the corner of her eye at Padfoot.  
  
  
  
"Well, have fun!" Patty said as she shut the door behind her.  
  
  
  
The first year Gryffindor students sat together at breakfast, continuing their conversations from the night before. As Lisette and her group of friends passed by, they grew quiet and watched them walk by. It turned out that the Gryffindor boys had been having their own problems with them, not just the girls. Kern and Carl, in particular, had been bullied by Anthony and Marius. They were smaller than the others and the fact that they were Gryffindors only made them bigger targets.   
  
  
  
"Well there's safety in numbers. We'll just need to stick together," Teecie suggested.   
  
  
  
Daniel, the largest of the boys, nodded his head in agreement. "They can't do too much if we're all together."  
  
  
  
Teecie spent another miserable morning attempting to fly. After all this time, with special after-class sessions with Professor Longbottom, she still couldn't even raise the broom off the ground. Patty and Daniel tried to help her during the class, but still, nothing happened.  
  
  
  
The next class, history, passed slowly. The kids had trouble concentrating, for Professor Binns was a very poor orator. He droned on with no inflection of his tone and soon the students found themselves drifting off to sleep.   
  
  
  
The students revived themselves during lunch. James had tried to avoid Teecie all day, but he saw his father step down from the professor's table and over to him. James' stomach grew tight and his heart began to pound. Remus stopped by Teecie and asked if she'd come with him. As she followed his father, James slowly got up and followed him as well.   
  
  
  
Remus stopped at the great marble stairway and sat down. The kids remained standing in front of him, looking away from one another. "Teecie, I know you're upset with James. He told me what happened yesterday. But James has something to say to you. James?" Remus looked expectantly at his son.  
  
  
  
James turned bright red and looked at the floor. "I'm sorry I kissed you..." He mumbled.  
  
  
  
"And?" Remus prodded his son on.  
  
  
  
"And I'll never do it again..." James began to kick the bottom stair with his shoe.  
  
  
  
"And?" Remus prompted.  
  
  
  
"And maybe we can start over again and be friends?" James looked as though he wished the floor would open up and swallow him.  
  
  
  
Teecie stood turned away from James with crossed arms the entire time he'd spoken. Remus looked at Teecie. Would she forgive his son? "What do you say Teecie?" He asked.  
  
  
  
Teecie turned around and looked at Professor Lupin. "I suppose," She sighed. Turning to James, she said, "I forgive you."  
  
  
  
Remus smiled and patted both of them on their heads. "See, isn't it nicer to be friends?" He said, standing up to leave the two alone to talk.  
  
  
  
As his father left, James smiled at Teecie said, "Really? We can be friends now?"  
  
  
  
"No! I just said that to make him go away. I'll never forgive you!" Teecie hissed. With that, she turned her back on James and walked back into the Great Hall to finish eating her lunch.   
  
  
  
James' face fell as he watched Teecie walk away from him. He'd never felt more hurt or disappointed in his young life. No longer hungry, James walked to the library and tried to find a book to drown his sorrows in.  
  
The first Saturday in October, Professor Lupin sat in his office. He was expecting Teecie any moment for tea, as it had become somewhat of a weekly ritual after that first weekend visit. When the knock on the door came, Lupin called for Teecie to come inside. His smile turned to a look of confusion as he saw her standing in the doorway with a broom, and wearing a coat, hat, scarf, and mittens. "Can I borrow your window real quick professor?" She asked while crossing his office to the window. Standing on the chair next to it, she opened window and began to make her way out onto the ledge.   
  
  
  
Professor Lupin had been rooted to the seat, trying to work out in his mind what Teecie was trying to do. But when he saw her halfway out his window, three stories from the ground, Lupin suddenly sprang to life. Jumping up from his chair, he was at the window in a couple seconds time, grabbing Teecie by the waist and pulling her down. Holding her with one arm, Lupin closed the window, and carried Teecie to a chair and sat her down. "What were you thinking? What's wrong with you? Were you trying to kill yourself?" Lupin yelled at her.  
  
  
  
Teecie had never seen him so upset before. Clutching onto her broom, she tried to explain, "Well, I thought it would help me learn to fly. I figured I'd start out in the air and go from there."  
  
  
  
"Go from there? And what if you went from there, straight into the ground? You could have killed yourself, you know!" Professor Lupin was rubbing his temples. As he glanced at the once-again empty painting of Sirius Black by the cupboard, he was overcome with memories of the hair-brained ideas he and his friend had come up with while in school. Not all of them were the most pleasant of memories. It was because of these memories, that Lupin was treating Teecie so harshly. Pacing the floor to try and calm himself down, he was suddenly struck with an idea. "You want to fly? Come with me!" Lupin grabbed Teecie by one of her mittens, yanked her out of her chair, and began dragging her out of the office and down the hall.   
  
  
  
Teecie had to trot alongside him to keep up and stumbled a couple times. They stopped at the staircase as a boy was walking up. "Sirius," Professor Lupin called out to his oldest son, "What are you doing right now?"   
  
  
  
"Nothing, pop. Why?" Sirius, a very handsome boy with dark brown hair and green eyes, answered.  
  
  
  
"Get your broom and come back here with us," Professor Lupin said. Sirius ran off to get his broom and rejoined them a couple minutes later. Together, the three walked outside into the cold afternoon air. "Teecie, this is Sirius, my son. Sirius, this is Teecie. She's been having some troubles learning to fly. So we're going to help her," Lupin explained to his son. Turning to Teecie, he said, "Sirius is going to mount his broom, and then you'll get on behind him, all right?"  
  
  
  
Teecie's heart fluttered at the thought of sitting next to Sirius. She nodded to the professor. Sirius mounted his broom and then his father helped her onto it. He showed her how to hold on with her legs and told her to hold on tight to Sirius. Teecie threw both arms around Sirius and leaned her head against his back so she could watch them take off. Teecie squealed as they took off into the air. It was a very cold, crisp day, and she was very glad she was so well-dressed, or she'd have been freezing.  
  
  
  
Sirius called out to her, asking if she was all right. "I'm fine! This is fun!" She called back. Teecie looked down and saw how high they were. Professor Lupin looked much smaller, but she could see him waving at her. Daring to let go of Sirius, she waved back before quickly putting her arm around him again.  
  
  
  
After several minutes, Sirius flew back to the ground, next to his father. Teecie slipped off the broom and jumped around excitedly. "I flew! I flew! Did you see me?" She hopped up and down in front of Professor Lupin.  
  
  
  
"Yes I did. You did great!" Professor Lupin said, grinning. "Now let's try it with you in front, all right?" He brought the broom off the ground and Sirius set Teecie on it before mounting it himself. Putting his hands on her waist, Sirius showed her how to push off the ground. He maintained control of the broom, but Teecie got a better view of their surroundings. Teecie noticed that Sirius had big, strong hands. She settled comfortably into his chest, and together, they flew around.   
  
  
  
When they landed, Sirius bent down to tie his shoe. As Remus and Teecie walked to the middle of the lawn, he asked if Teecie felt ready to try it out by herself. Nodding her head, he helped her mount the broom and watched as she pushed off the ground. Teecie flew straight up into the air. Remus and Sirius watched as she continued to fly straight up. "Isn't she going to fly around?" Sirius asked, after he'd rejoined his father.   
  
  
  
Furrowing his brow, Remus shrugged his shoulders. After a minute with Teecie continuing to fly up, Sirius asked his father, "Um, did she know how to control the broom?"  
  
  
  
"Didn't you show her how, up there?" Remus asked, turning to look at his son with large eyes.  
  
  
  
"Uh, I thought that was the next lesson," Sirius replied slowly, looking up in the air. "Oh man, I'll go get her!" Sirius whipped the broom out of his father's hands and flew up after Teecie. It took a couple minutes to catch up to her, and she was crying hysterically, clinging to the broom when he saw her. Sirius grabbed on to her broom and drew it to a stop. Pulling her over to him, he held Teecie and her broom in his arms, as they gently flew back to the ground.  
  
  
  
Sirius handed his broom to his father. Remus tried to pry the other broom loose from Teecie's grip, but she was clinging to it too tightly. Teecie continued to cry as Sirius began walking up to the school with her in his arms. Remus was beside himself with concern for her. That's all he needed, to be responsible for a traumatic childhood event that poor Teecie would spend a lifetime trying to block from her memory. How could he have been such an idiot!  
  
  
  
Sirius was a strong boy, but Teecie was too large for him to carry up the stairs, so Remus took her in his arms, and carried her into the school. Carrying Teecie to the marble stair case and sitting down with her in his lap, Remus tried to calm her down. "Teecie, honey? You're all right now. You're back on the ground. Why don't you try taking a deep breath?"  
  
  
  
Teecie took a deep breath and let it out in another heaving sob, burying her head in Professor Lupin's chest. After a couple minutes though, she began to calm down, and finally let go of the broom, which Sirius took out of her hands and held onto. As the professor looked up to thank Sirius for his help, his stomach lurched as he saw Snape standing several feet away from them with his hands on his hips, taking the entire scene in. Marching up to the small group, Snape spoke, "What is going on here? What happened?"  
  
  
  
"I can explain everything Severus--" Professor Lupin began, but was cut off.  
  
  
  
"It's all my fault sir," Sirius interrupted.  
  
  
  
"No, it's not, this was all my doing. Let me explain," Professor Lupin said. He explained everything, from Teecie trying to jump out the window up to letting her fly away without knowing how to. Severus tried to keep a straight face. This was a serious matter, and Teecie could have been hurt, and she had been traumatized, but still, it was quite amusing.  
  
  
  
Walking up to Teecie, Severus looked down at her and asked, "Teecie, dear, who gave you the idea to jump out the window? Was it another student?" This was an important matter to be dealt with.  
  
  
  
Teecie remained silent for a while. She had the feeling the person who told her might get in trouble, and she didn't want that. "No," She said slowly, "It wasn't a student."  
  
  
  
"Who then? Surely not one of the professors," Severus said.  
  
  
  
"One of the paintings," Teecie said quietly.  
  
  
  
"A painting told you to jump out a window? Which painting?" Severus asked, his brow furrowed.  
  
  
  
"I don't know which one he's from, he travels around a lot."  
  
  
  
"What's his name, Teecie?"  
  
  
  
"I don't know his real name. He told me to call him Padfoot."  
  
  
  
Remus and Severus gasped collectively. "Padfoot?" Remus asked.  
  
  
  
"Yes."  
  
  
  
Remus put a hand to his head and began rubbing his temples. "Oh no, oh no," He murmured.  
  
  
  
Severus raised his eyebrows and said, "Is there something you need to tell me, Lupin?"  
  
  
  
Setting Teecie on the ground, Remus slowly stood up and said, "Hold on, I'll be right back," before dashing off up the stairs and out of sight.  
  
  
  
Remus ran to his office, opened the door, and looked at the painting on his wall. For once, Sirius was in the painting where he belonged. "Damn it Sirius, have you been sneaking around the school? Giving students advice? Did you tell Teecie to jump out a window?" Remus yelled at the painting.  
  
  
  
"Relax, Moony, you're so tense. The students ask me for advice and I give it to them. And as for Teecie, I was joking. How was I to know she'd take me seriously?" Sirius explained.   
  
  
  
Remus couldn't believe what he was hearing. He'd found that painting at the end of the summer holiday when he'd been cleaning out some old boxes. He made Sirius promise to stay in the painting and behave himself before taking him to the school. Obviously he couldn't be trusted. Now that he thought about it, many of the students had been acting up lately. He'd heard other professors complain about unusual behaviour from them. He must have been the "friend" James got his brilliant idea to kiss Teecie from.  
  
  
  
Remus was angry enough to punch the wall, which he did. He left a hefty dent in it as well. "Damn it, Sirius," He yelled again. "She could have been killed. And it would have been my fault. I can't believe you! If you weren't dead, I swear I'd kill you myself, you bastard!" Remus could feel his wolfish side starting to take over. The full moon was three weeks away, and it was alarming to have those feelings out of cycle.   
  
  
  
More bad memories of his Marauder days flooded his mind. How could he not have seen how horribly wrong it was to bring that man into the school? Severus would kill him when he found out. Remus was seriously contemplating tossing the painting into the fire, but couldn't bring himself to do something that permanent to one of the only representations of his best friend that he still had.  
  
  
  
Ripping the painting off the wall, so Sirius couldn't leave it again, he carried it out into the hallway. At the top of the staircase, he called out to Severus, "We need to talk. In your office, now!"  
  
  
  
Severus looked up at Remus, and walked up the stairs, leaving Teecie and Sirius Lupin, alone. "Why do you think your father's so upset?" Teecie asked Sirius, who was now sitting next to her on the stairs.  
  
  
  
"Who knows? They're serving dinner now. You want to go eat?" Sirius asked, looking down at Teecie.  
  
  
  
"With you?"  
  
  
  
"Sure," Sirius replied, smiling and putting his arm around her shoulders to help her up. Teecie was still a little shaky from her ride.   
  
  
  
While Teecie and Sirius ate dinner, Severus and Remus yelled at each other for a long time, until it was mutually decided that Remus needed to be away from the school for a while, until his temper was more under control. He was instructed to take the painting with him.   
  
  
  
When Severus took over the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, he told the students that Professor Lupin had needed a bit of a holiday, but would be back soon. Teecie hoped he was having a lot of fun. 


	8. Belling the Cat

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe3: I'm glad you liked the painting. They will come in handy later on in the story. Yes Teecie does have a crush on Sirius Lupin. That'll develop a little more as the story goes on as well. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, so let me know what you think! Thanks!  
  
Belling the Cat  
  
Hallowe'en was fast approaching, and the students were getting excited about the festivities. Some of the Gryffindor students were planning to sneak out of the castle and make their way to the graveyard in Hogsmeade to tell scary stories while sipping on butterbeer at midnight on Hallowe'en. The first year students wanted to come along as well, but had been told they were too young and would get them all caught if they tagged along. During lunch one day, they came up with a brilliant plan to prove themselves to their older housemates.  
  
  
  
Patty showed them the latest edition of the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes catalogue. There was a new invention of her uncle Fred's, the Invisi-Bell. If they ordered that and managed to get it around Mrs. Otis, Old Man Filch's narc cat, not only would they be able to know when she was coming, but they'd be advanced to revered status among their housemates.   
  
  
  
Mrs. Otis was a cat who roamed around the school all day and night. She was a fluffy Persian who bit and scratched all who came near her. Even the professors disliked her. She told Old Man Filch where students were so he could bust them for misbehaviour.   
  
  
  
Old Man Filch, the school's groundskeeper, was a warped, frustrated old man. He found pleasure in punishing the students. He liked to threaten them with archaic forms of corporal punishment that would never be allowed, so they never took him too seriously. But he was capable of making their lives miserable, nonetheless.  
  
  
  
Teecie hadn't had detention from him yet, but she had passed by him in the hallway one time. He'd stopped sweeping and glared at her with angry eyes. "Keep moving!" Filch had bellowed at her as she'd slowed down while passing by him. Biting her fingernail nervously, Teecie had trotted off to her Herbology class after that.  
  
  
  
Daniel had had detention with him. He told his classmates the horrible tale of being taken out at night to the Forbidden Forest to search for mushrooms for Professor Longbottom. It had been freezing and Old Man Filch made him stay out until he'd filled his basket, which had taken three hours. The entire time, he'd heard the sounds of werewolves in the distance.   
  
  
  
Paige shuddered at that part, glancing up at Professor Lupin, who was sitting at the professor's table. "You sure Professor Lupin wasn't one of them?" She asked quietly.  
  
  
  
Daniel put his arm around her and said, "Naw, he was in his office. I wasn't scared! Those werewolves were far away." Paige smiled up at Daniel.  
  
  
  
Patty wrote to her Uncle Fred for an Invisi-Bell. It arrived a couple days later with a letter from him telling the kids he was very proud of all of them for doing this for the betterment of school unity. There were tear stains on the parchment that showed how overcome with emotion he'd been over the thought. He didn't even charge them for the Invisi-Bell.  
  
  
  
The kids stayed up late making their plans one night in the common room. It would take several of them to keep a look-out for professors, and several others to hold down the cat. And one lucky person got to put the Invisi-Bell on Mrs. Otis. Daniel thought it was too dangerous for the girls to handle the cat, and encouraged them to act as look-outs. Teecie had been swiped at by Mrs. Otis before, and agreed to that willingly. She and the twins made plans on what to do if a professor showed up during this. Carl, the smallest and quickest of the boys, was chosen by the group to put the bell on, while the others held Mrs. Otis down.  
  
  
  
The girls had to worry about keeping the group from getting caught by a teacher. How could so many of them keep from being caught? After a lengthy debate, it was decided that the best time to do this was at night. That way most of the professors would be asleep. This led James to inform them that not only was his father a very light sleeper, but he had heightened senses, and slept in the room right next to the Fat Lady painting.  
  
  
  
There was no way for them to mask themselves from him. Even if he couldn't see them, he'd be able to smell them. Patty came up with a brilliant idea, that if they couldn't cover themselves up from Professor Lupin, maybe they could confuse his senses instead. Patty was the best at the Lumos spell. She could work on developing the spell into a strobe light to confuse his sight. Paige decided to work on a spell that would emit incense from her wand to cover up their scents from his nose. Teecie was trying to find a way to make loud music play so he couldn't hear them. It had to be very distracting.   
  
  
  
The girls worked on their spells for a week before they were certain they knew how to use them properly. Teecie had chosen the song, Break on Through (to the Other Side), by the Doors. She didn't know what it was about, but it was loud and confusing and sure to cover any sounds they made if they had to run and hide.  
  
  
  
Kern had heard through the grapevine that some of the Slytherins had found out about the Invisi-Bell and might be roaming around looking out for them that night. How had Lisette found out? They must have been talking too loudly as she and her squad passed by in the Great Hall. They'd have to be extra careful now.  
  
  
  
A week before Hallowe'en, the Gryffindors prepared to go to sleep as usual to avoid raising any suspicion among the other students. It was midnight before they were sure the other students were all asleep. The girls snuck out of their room, still in their nightgowns, with their wands in hand and met the boys who were wearing their pyjamas as well. As they quietly slipped into their dressing gowns, the students talked through their plan one last time in whispers, before making their way to the door.   
  
  
  
It was assumed that if they congregated in the hallway long enough, Mrs. Otis would come to them in order to see what they were up to. The girls went to their stations. Patty went to the far west side of the hallway and kept an eye out for people coming around that corner. Paige went to the staircase in the middle, and Teecie to the far east side of the hallway. The boys mingled around the corridor, away from Professor Lupin's door, staying as quiet as they could.  
  
  
  
After about 15 minutes, Mrs. Otis wandered into the hall, passed Patty, down to where the boys were standing. James, Robert, Daniel, and Kern pounced on her, pinning her to the ground. Mrs. Otis hissed and spit, digging her back claws into their arms to get away from the boys. Carl quickly moved in and grabbed the collar. With a few deft moves, the Invisi-Bell was locked onto the collar.   
  
  
  
Mrs. Otis began to have a fit, running up and down the hallway, yowling and scratching at her collar. The kids watched her, mesmerized, until they heard footsteps approaching. Teecie saw Patty run towards her down the hall and stop half way at the staircase. A few seconds later, Old Man Filch appeared where Patty had been looking-out. At the very same moment, the door to Professor Lupin's room opened.   
  
  
  
Professor Lupin, wearing his dressing gown over pyjamas, stepped out into the hallway to see what was going on. Mrs. Otis ran up his leg and she hissed at him before jumping off him and running back down the hall. Professor Lupin grabbed at his leg and looked at the cat as it ran away. "Ow! You little--," Lupin's words were cut off when Paige screamed.  
  
  
  
"Suffimentum!" Came her cry. With that, the hallway began to smell of burning incense.   
  
  
  
Patty jumped in with her spell next. "Lumos Corusco!" A large bright strobe light grew from the end of her wand and began to flash.  
  
  
  
Teecie held her wand in her left hand, and said, "Cantito Cantus!" Loud and confusing music began to emanate from her wand. "Run!" She yelled. With that, all the students scattered in different directions.   
  
  
  
As Teecie watched her fellow classmates run, she saw the fatal flaw in their otherwise perfect plan. Because they were all on the same floor as the door to their room, and all the teachers were there chasing after them, they'd all be seen going back into their room if they managed to make it that far. The only option was to run to different places in the school and hide until the teachers went away and try to sneak back into the room later on.  
  
  
  
Patty beckoned to Teecie to join them on the stairs. As Teecie ran towards the twins, she had to leap over Mrs. Otis who was running back down the hall again. They watched as the boys ran in different directions through the corridor. James ran down the hall, trying different doors, and finally disappearing into a room. Kern, Robert, and Carl ran down the opposite direction as James and disappeared around the corner. Daniel came running towards them at full speed.   
  
  
  
The music, flashing light, and smell were indeed confusing not only Professor Lupin, but Old Man Filch as well. They could see Filch was yelling, but didn't know what he was saying. Professor Lupin was squinting his eyes and glancing around for the sources of the confusion. The four students on the stairs dropped onto their hands and knees to make plans. "Daniel, you take the girls down the stairs, and double back up the other way. Find Kern and Carl and go back to the room. I saw James run into one of the other rooms. He can make his way back when all this dies down. I'll create a diversion so you can get away, all right?" Teecie said in a loud whisper, over the music.  
  
  
  
"No, you three should go. I'll make a diversion," Daniel said, trying to sound brave, though Teecie could see the fear in his eyes.  
  
  
  
"No, you go. Now!" With that, Teecie stood up, and ran into the hallway. She glanced over at the stairs and saw Daniel quickly leading the twins down the stairs to safety.   
  
  
  
Now that the light and the incense were gone, Teecie was alone in the dark, with Old Man Filch, Mrs. Otis, Professor Lupin, and only her music to protect her from being caught. Though she couldn't hear the spell, she saw a light erupt from the end of Professor Lupin's wand. They made eye contact briefly before Teecie turned and began running down the hallway in the opposite direction of where the others would be sneaking back up soon. Shutting her music off, Teecie tried to outrun Professor Lupin, who was quickly gaining on her. She had rounded the corner and begun to run down the stairs when she heard Lupin's footsteps behind her. Teecie made it almost all the way to the next floor before she felt herself falling through the air. When she landed against the stairs, Teecie felt her right leg immobilized as she tried to push herself up. Looking over her shoulder, Teecie saw her right foot stuck in the middle of a stair. She also saw Professor Lupin and Old Man Filch closing in upon her. She was trapped! Her dressing gown had come undone in the course of the chaos and Teecie's first instinct was to throw her gown over her body to hide it from the teachers. She cursed the fact that it wasn't an elvish cloak and wouldn't do a thing to truly hide her from them. But she did so anyway.   
  
  
  
Old Man Filch was cackling hysterically when he saw Teecie's small body huddled under her dressing gown. Professor Lupin swooped down upon her and lifted the gown from her head. "Teecie! What is the meaning of this? I'm so disappointed in you!" He said sternly. Grabbing her ankle, he gently removed it from the step, and set it down. "Where are all the others?" Lupin asked, looking directly in her eyes.  
  
  
  
Teecie pursed her lips and looked up at the ceiling. "Let me question her for a while, Professor! You give me ten minutes alone with her and I'll get the location of every one of those brats out of her!" Old Man Filch said, licking his lips in anticipation.  
  
  
  
"I think I can handle it, but thanks," Professor Lupin replied politely. "Let's all go the common room and sort this out, shall we?" As he stood up and helped Teecie to her feet, they began to walk back up the stairs. Instead of following, Teecie turned around and once again began running back down the stairs. She made it halfway down the 6th floor hallway before Professor Lupin caught her again. To keep her from getting away from him again, Lupin picked her up and threw Teecie over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Teecie had seen no sign of the other students and assumed they'd had enough chance to get back into their tower. Because of this, she made no great fuss about being carried around like this.  
  
  
  
As they passed by Old Man Filch, he cackled again, and called out, "Trying to get away again, eh? You little escaped convict!"  
  
  
  
"Filch, I know there are some Slytherin students out tonight as well, why don't you go and catch some of them, all right?" Professor Lupin suggested. Filch grumbled and shuffled off to find the Slytherins who were on the loose.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin walked to the staircase and went down the stairs, with Teecie over his shoulder. He walked down four flights of stairs before stopping on the 2nd floor and making his way to his office. Opening the door to his room and walking inside, he set Teecie down in a chair and shut the door. Instead of sitting behind his desk, Professor Lupin stood in front of Teecie's chair, looking down upon her. Folding his arms and shaking his head, he began to pace the floor. Turning to her, Lupin spoke harshly, "How could you do such a thing, Teecie? Who else was with you tonight? And why were you torturing Mrs. Otis?"   
  
  
  
Teecie remained silent and looked at the ceiling. She wasn't going to get the others in trouble. She'd rather take the entire heat for this stunt than get even James into trouble as well. Professor Lupin looked as though his head was about to explode when he saw her ignoring him. Leaning over her chair and putting his face close to hers, he growled, "Who else was there tonight, Teecie? Was it the rest of your class? Were there more? Who made the lights and the incense? You made the music, so there must have been others." Teecie began to play with the belt of her dressing gown. It was clear that she would not talk. "So you won't tell me anything? So you want to bear the full punishment of all who I know were involved? Very well. Since I know all 8 of you were there, ten points each will be taken. So, 80 points from Gryffindor shall be taken, under your name. You will also receive an entire week of detention with Filch for this."   
  
  
  
Professor Lupin stopped and looked to see if he was making any impact on her at all. Teecie was continuing to play with her belt and looking at the ground. Lupin was getting angrier now. He wanted to see her throw one of her famous tantrums. He wanted to see her threaten to leave the school. At least then he'd know he was getting through to her. Why wasn't it working? "Very well, Filch will be expecting to see you tomorrow night after dinner. I'm sure he'll have something really fun planned for you to do. I just hope it's not anywhere in the Forbidden Forest. I can only imagine what might happen to you out there," Professor Lupin said, threateningly. As Teecie stood up and turned to leave, he called out to her one last time, "Oh, Teecie, did you learn anything tonight?"  
  
  
  
Teecie turned around and looked him in the eyes. Opening her mouth for the first time since she'd been caught, she said, "Yes, next time I'll do this during the full moon."  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin's jaw dropped open. How dare she speak to him like that? "Well, Miss Orendes, you'll see I don't take kindly to cheeky students. 15 more points from Gryffindor and another day of detention. Now get out of my office and go back to bed!" He roared. Teecie turned around and left the room.  
  
  
  
Teecie was surprised to find all her classmates waiting for her in the common room. They'd all made it back safely! Patty and Paige ran up and hugged her. "Thank goodness you're all right!" They said. The boys came up to her and Teecie hugged all of them, including James. As she was moving away from James to hug Kern, James turned bright red and looked at the ground. All eight of them were talking at once, trying to find out what happened from each other after they'd been separated. They were soon interrupted by Peter and Stephen Weasley, who'd been awoken by the noise.   
  
  
  
After Stephen and Peter demanded to know what was going on, all eight students began speaking at once. They told the story of the night's events to Peter and Stephen. More and more students began trickling out of their rooms and into the common room, until the entire house was there. The first year students stood in the centre of the room to be seen by everybody and told the story several times until everybody had heard the whole thing. They ended their speech by giving all the Gryffindor students the frequency needed to pick up on Mrs. Otis' Invisi-Bell.   
  
  
  
The students had to be quiet since it was so late, but many of them shook Teecie's and the other first year student's hands afterwards and thanked them for a job well done. Stephen Weasley, a very handsome boy with curly brown hair and blue eyes, kissed her hand. She probably wouldn't have been as excited if she'd known he was Professor Weasley's son. Sirius Lupin picked her up in a big bear hug and kissed her cheek. Teecie watched as a sixth year girl kissed James' cheek. She had no idea why she wanted to slap that girl, but tried to ignore that impulse. After several minutes of this, Peter Weasley told the students it was late and time to return to their bedrooms. Soon, all the students were heading back to bed.   
  
  
  
Teecie was much to excited to sleep. Two handsome boys had kissed her! Everybody loved her! Patty and Paige refused to go to sleep until she'd told them the story one final time. Teecie didn't care that she had so much detention looming before her. It had been totally worth it.   
  
References: The chapter title is taken from the name of one of Aesop's Fables.  
  
"Warped, frustrated old man" quote is from It's a Wonderful Life. 


	9. The Aftermath

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe3: I'm glad you liked the chapter. Invisi-Bell just came to me one day and I had to use it. As for losing all the points, I don't think they seem to be as into that anymore, as this chapter will show you. This generation seems to be more into having fun, regardless of the consequences. I wish I could use Snape more too! Unfortunately, seeing as he's the headmaster, I can't use him too much, but he shows up here and there in a few memorable points. Keep an eye out for the Christmas chapters in particular.  
  
Wicked Lee: I'm so glad you loved the chapter. It was a lot of fun to write. I'm having a lot of fun with this entire story, it's much more light-hearted than my other one!  
  
The Aftermath  
  
Teecie was exhausted the next morning, and since she no longer went to flying classes, she was tempted to sleep in. But Patty and Paige encouraged her to go to breakfast. Teecie was going to say no, until she thought about seeing Sirius or Stephen again. Maybe she could sit by them today.   
  
  
  
As the girls walked into the Great Hall, a hush fell over the Gryffindor table. Walking over to Sirius, who was sitting with his other 5th year friends, Teecie asked, "May I sit here?" and smiled as he patted the seat beside him.  
  
  
  
"So, tell us again what happened last night. I like the part when you escaped from my dad and he threw you over his shoulder," Sirius said, looking down at Teecie. Teecie beamed at him and told her tale once again.   
  
  
  
Not only was Teecie looked at in a new light, but the other first year students were more respected as well. They were invited to attend the sneak-out on Hallowe'en. Teecie would have detention that day and, though she would be allowed to attend the feast, would have to work afterwards, and so declined.  
  
  
  
At the professor's table, Lupin observed Teecie and how the other students seemed to be treating her with respect. She'd lost her house almost 100 points and they weren't upset at all? What was going on here? Draco could see the attention his sister was getting and wondered what was happening as well. Seeing the look of frustration on Lupin's face, he asked what happened. Lupin explained everything he knew about the night before, and soon, all the professors were listening. Draco shook his head, "Lupin, I told you she's tricky. She'll be impossible to handle now. We'll all have to band together against her."   
  
  
  
Professor Snape watched Teecie as she walked over to the Ravenclaw table. "Well, we don't know what she did, but whatever it was, it was more impressive than all the points she lost. Have fun dealing with her now, Lupin. Looks like you've found your wolfsbane." Draco snorted over the joke, while Lupin rolled his eyes.   
  
  
  
Teecie walked over to the Ravenclaw table to talk to Kali for a while before classes started. Sitting next to Kali, Teecie watched as she drank her usual morning strawberry protein shake. Teecie grew pouty however, when she asked for a sip and Kali said no. "But you drink those every day! Can't I have just a taste to see what they're like? Please?" Teecie threw herself against Kali in a tight hug.  
  
  
  
Kali twisted her arms free of her sister's grip, and pushed her away. "Don't do that! Go back to your own table, brat!" Looking angry, Teecie opened her mouth to respond, but Kali rolled her eyes and turned away, ending the conversation.   
  
  
  
As Teecie trudged back to the Gryffindor table, she couldn't help but realize how bony her sister had felt. Maybe those protein shakes were doing too good of a job.   
  
  
  
As classes were starting, Teecie walked back to her common room and lay down on a sofa by the fire. She'd just take a short nap until her history class, and then when Professor Binns, oratory genius that he was, began to speak, she'd take another one. Then it was lunchtime. Not a bad schedule for the day.   
  
  
  
While she slept, Teecie felt as though somebody was watching her. Stirring awake and slowly opening her eyes, she saw a ghost looking at her. It wasn't Peeves. She'd seen him off and on before in the school and in the tower, but had never spoken to him. Rubbing her eyes and sitting up, she smiled and said, "Hello. You're Nearly Headless Nick, right?"  
  
  
  
The ghost glared at her and put his hands on his hips. "That's Sir Nicholas to you!"  
  
  
  
"I'm sorry, Sir Nicholas," Teecie said, biting her lip.  
  
  
  
"You'd better be sorry. I know what you did last night. You and all of your classmates. I'm the house ghost, and I'll do all that's in my power to keep the honour of Gryffindor in tact. So mark my words, girlie, if you try any more funny business, I'll get Lupin so fast it'll make your head spin! Just remember, I'm watching you now!" With that, Sir Nicholas flew away through the wall, and all the way down to Professor Lupin's classroom.  
  
  
  
Sir Nicholas waited patiently while Lupin instructed the 5th year students in their activities. Once they were working on their own, Sir Nicholas approached Lupin. "So, how'd it go?" Lupin asked.  
  
  
  
"I believe I set her straight. I showed her the error of her ways and valiantly guided her towards the right path. I don't think the Orendes girl will try anything like that again," Sir Nicholas said, importantly.  
  
  
  
"Great! Good job Nick!" Professor Lupin said, grinning. "She'll learn not to mess with a Marauder!"  
  
  
  
After a very slow, very boring History class, Teecie went off to lunch. As she passed by Lisette, she heard Lisette hiss, "Well, if it isn't little miss perfect! Can't even get in trouble without being worshipped by her housemates!"  
  
  
  
Teecie whirled around and walked up to Lisette. "What's the matter, Lisette? Are you jealous of me?" Lisette smirked. "No? Well, you should be!" Teecie turned around and walked into the Great Hall, her curls bouncing with each step. Lisette burned holes into Teecie's back with her eyes as she watched her walk away. How dare she?  
  
  
  
Teecie sat next to Stephen Weasley at lunch that day. He was quieter and more shy than Sirius, but she didn't mind. He had a wonderful smile. Teecie's heart fluttered as he put a slice of chocolate cake on her plate. He told her a story about his first year, and how Mrs. Otis had cornered him outside the Transfigurations classroom for a half hour before letting him alone again.   
  
  
  
Teecie's next class was Charms. They were working on levitating feathers. Normally Teecie was the best at Charms, but for some reason, floating was difficult for her to do. Every time she saw one of the feathers lifting into the air, she had a flash of herself going higher and higher in the sky on the broom. It made her heart race and her palms sweat. After a while with no luck, Teecie gave up. She watched the other students. Jordan Engelmann, the Hufflepuff boy the girls had saved from a beating, was very successful. Each time he tried, his feather floated almost to the ceiling! Patty's feather floated a few inches after her eighth attempt. Paige's floated around and got stuck in a girl's hair. Teecie picked her feather up in her right hand, and flicked it off the table, onto the floor, and out of her sight.   
  
  
  
Teecie put her pink wand in the middle of her desk. Pulling her legs up onto her seat, Teecie wrapped her arms around them and rested her chin on her knees. She stared at her wand, and thought about why she wasn't any good at this. Maybe she was just too stupid for something as complex as floating things. Whatever the reason, Teecie knew she wasn't going to do it, so Professor Flitwick was better off just leaving her alone.   
  
  
  
Thankfully, Professor Flitwick said nothing to her for not participating in class. He did call her to his desk at the end of their time, and assigned her extra homework, in order for her to practice more. "Floating objects is essential to learn," had been his parting words. The rest of the day passed quickly. Dinner was nothing special, and it ended on a sour note, when Old Man Filch approached Teecie, and loudly announced to the school that it was time for her detention.  
  
  
  
Teecie could hear the laughter coming from the Slytherin table as she followed Old Man Filch out the door. Filch stopped and handed her a plunger before leaving the room. She could hear Lisette shrieking with laughter at this. Teecie looked down at the plunger in her hands. She would not let Lisette win. She'd complete this task with a smile on her face if it killed her.  
  
  
  
As the door to the Great Hall closed, Old Man Filch turned and looked down at Teecie. "Tonight, you get to unclog toilets!" He cackled evilly at her. Filch led her to the nearest bathroom, and held the door open for her. Normally the thought of putting her hand inside a toilet would have sent Teecie screaming in the opposite direction, but not tonight. Tonight, Teecie smiled at Filch, stuck her hand in the toilet, and plunged away.   
  
  
  
To keep her mind off the otherwise disgusting task, Teecie began to talk to Old Man Filch. And she didn't stop until the evening was over. She asked what his favourite foods were, and what he liked to do on the weekend. She told him all about herself and her family. She told him she'd help make him over some time to get a better image. She'd fix his hair, take him clothes shopping.  
  
  
  
Filch was fit to be tied by the time the evening was over. Try as he might, he couldn't manage to break Teecie down. Later, after he'd sent Teecie back to her house, Filch went to Professor Lupin's office and knocked on the door. Entering the room, Filch glared at Lupin. "What's the matter, Filch?" Professor Lupin asked.  
  
  
  
"I'm not having detention with that girl again! You can send her to the house elves, or take care of her yourself, for all I care! I quit!" Filch growled. After he'd said his piece, Filch turned around, and left the room, slamming the door behind him. Lupin flinched in his seat at the sound, and wondered what had happened to make Filch quit giving a student detention, his most favourite activity in the whole world.   
  
  
  
Teecie took a long shower that night, letting the hot water wash away the filth of working in toilets. After finishing and changing into her nightclothes, instead of working on her extra Charms homework, Teecie went into the common room and watched some of the third year boys playing a game of Wizard's chess. She had no idea how the game was played, but thought it looked interesting. When Paige sat down next to her, she asked Teecie if she'd done her homework. Teecie shook her head. She wondered to herself, if she intended to do it at all.  
  
  
  
The high of her great accomplishment began to wear off the next day. Things went back to normal. Teecie sat with her own classmates during meals. Most of the classes went by slowly. Professor Lupin didn't call on her once during his class. Professor Weasley handed the class' homework back and Teecie's came back with red marks all over it and a note at the bottom that said, "This work is unacceptable, please do it over again." Teecie scowled at Professor Weasley and tossed the parchment on the floor when her back was turned.  
  
  
  
Teecie had a much better time in Herbology. Her tomato plant was growing nicely. Professor Longbottom was kind. He didn't criticize her work or ignore her. She rewarded him by helping carry his books back to his office for him. She even stayed for tea with him. She told him all about how Professor Lupin had sent her flying into the air, with no instruction on how to fly at all. Although there had been one sour moment, when Professor Longbottom asked her why she had gone up in the air if she didn't know how to fly, to which Teecie had no answer. Did he mean to imply that that had been her fault? How dare he!   
  
  
  
When dinner was winding down, Professor Lupin approached the Gryffindor table and called Teecie to him. Taking her time, Teecie finished her conversation with Patty and Paige before standing up and moving towards him. Professor Lupin explained that Filch wouldn't be giving her detention anymore, and that this evening would be spent washing dishes in the kitchens with the house elves.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin led her into the kitchens. They were warm from the ovens and fires, and had a homey, comforting feeling about them. Teecie liked this place. The house elves were about the size of a hobbit, and talked cheerfully amongst themselves. She liked the sounds of their voices blending together, Teecie felt as though she could spend lots of time here.  
  
  
  
Lupin led Teecie to a sink and told her he'd come back for her in two hours. Teecie set to work scrubbing dishes and chatting happily with the house elves. Teecie loved washing dishes, it reminded her of working in the kitchen at home with her father. Every evening when Teecie had been at home, Lucius would wash the dishes, and she would dry them. They'd stand side-by-side together and talk. Teecie's heart began to ache with that memory.   
  
  
  
After an hour, one of the elves introduced herself to Teecie. "Ticia Orendes, you is sister of Renata Orendes? I is Nili. I took care of your sister when she stayed here. I is happy to meet you. Please let Nili know if there is anything you is needing." With that, Nili bowed, and went back to the fire she had been tending.  
  
  
  
Teecie had heard the tale of Reni going to stay with Uncle Sev when she was a baby. Reni was always quick to remind Lucius of that fact. She'd heard of Nili, and was excited to meet her.   
  
  
  
The rest of the evening passed quickly, and soon Professor Lupin returned to take Teecie back to her house. He was a little disappointed to see her smiling face as she called her goodbyes to the elves. He was a little unsettled when he saw the elves wave and call after her as she walked passed them. One elf even ran up to Teecie and gave her a hug before she reached him. Damn, he thought to himself, I'll have to give her the detentions myself after this. Or maybe Hermione's not busy for the next few days...  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin tried to speak to Teecie on the way back to the tower. "So, have you gotten all your homework done yet?" He asked, trying to make conversation.  
  
  
  
"No," Teecie said curtly.  
  
  
  
"Well, you still have time to do it tonight," He replied.  
  
  
  
"Maybe," Teecie said.  
  
  
  
"You know, some of the other professors have commented that you haven't been doing your homework, and what you have been doing, hasn't been very well done. You might consider working a little bit harder," Professor Lupin said quietly.  
  
  
  
"It's not really any of your business is it?" Teecie asked, glaring at him.   
  
  
  
"Actually it is. I'm the head of your house, so whatever you do or don't do is my business as long as you're here. I also have an obligation to let your parents know if you're having problems at the school," Professor Lupin said.  
  
  
  
Teecie stopped walking and put her hands on her hips. "You go ahead and tell them. See if I care," Teecie turned around and began to stomp away.  
  
  
  
"Teecie, come back here!" Professor Lupin shouted after her. Teecie ignored him and walked to the staircase. Spending time with the house elves had reminded her of how much she missed her parents. Her emotions were overwhelming by the time she began walking up the stairs. Hot tears formed in her eyes, and Teecie's throat began to feel tight. Collapsing onto the stairs, Teecie buried her head in her arms and sobbed.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin came up behind Teecie and put his hand on her shoulder. "Teecie, what's going on?" He asked quietly.   
  
  
  
Teecie continued to sob, but he heard her muffled voice, "I want Draco...I want Draco now!"  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin rubbed his throbbing temples. "Fine, I'll go see if he's in his office. Stay here," He said as he rose to leave. Teecie felt his hand slide off her shoulder and heard his footsteps fade away.  
  
  
  
After several minutes, Teecie heard the sound of a couple sets of footsteps approach. "Teecie, what's the matter?" She heard Draco say, as he stood next to her.   
  
  
  
When Teecie looked up at her brother, he saw her tear streaked face and red, swollen eyes, and sat down next to her. Draco put his arms around her and held her tightly. "I want to go home! I want my daddy!" Each word was interrupted by a sob, and by the time she'd finished, Teecie had a severe case of hiccoughs.   
  
  
  
Draco sighed. This bratty behaviour had to end. Gently lifting her chin up to have Teecie look into his eyes, he spoke. "Teecie, it's time for you to grow up and be brave. Daddy will be proud of you if you do. You want him to be proud of you, don't you?" Teecie nodded her head even though her lower lip was quivering. "Good. Now I want you to promise me something. I want you to promise me that you'll come to my office every evening and show me your homework, all right? I can go over it and help you. Will you agree to that?" Draco asked.   
  
  
  
"Yes," Teecie said. Draco held his sister while she continued to whimper and cry. When she had finally exhausted herself, Draco wiped away her tears, and kissed her cheeks. Professor Lupin put his hand on Teecie's elbow, and led her up the stairs to her tower.  
  
  
  
Hiding among the shadows, behind a pillar in the Entrance Hall, Lisette Crabbe watched the scene unfold, and wondered why one of the professors was kissing a student. And why the head of the student's house was watching it all take place without doing anything to stop it. Were the heads of Gryffindor and Slytherin houses making some type of deal with Orendes as payment? There were so many possibilities of what was happening, and Lisette decided it was her job to find out which it was. 


	10. Saving Kali

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Wicked Lee: I'm so surprised that you hate what Lupin does in this story! I love him! I think he's hilarious. There's a great deal of love and friendship between Lupin and Teecie, so he'd never do anything to be mean to her, she was pretty snotty to him the previous night after all! Here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy it!  
  
Arsinoe3: The Christmas chapters are the two after this one, so I hope you can wait just a little while longer! I hope you like this one though!  
  
Saving Kali  
  
Teecie spent her free hour the next morning working on homework. Professor Weasley had found her parchment under her desk after class and had given it to Professor Lupin. He gave it back to Teecie after the talk with Draco the night before. Teecie found it very difficult to understand how to do the homework. She thought she'd done it right the first time, and had no idea how to correct it. She'd let Draco look at it tonight.  
  
  
  
The day went well, until Charms class. Teecie was nervous because they were still floating objects. Flitwick was keeping a close eye on her; she had to try it. Putting the feather on the desk in front of her, Teecie closed her eyes, waved her wand, and whispered, "Wingardium Leviosa." After a few seconds, Teecie called out to Paige and asked if it had worked.  
  
  
  
Paige, who had been working on her own feather, looked over and gasped. Teecie opened her eyes and saw her desk floating several inches off the floor. Ironically, the feather was resting normally on it, as though nothing was happening. Losing her concentration sent the desk back to the floor with a loud thump. Professor Flitwick had seen this out of the corner of his eye, and came rushing over to the girls after the desk had landed back on the floor. "I was just trying to float the feather," Teecie explained weakly. She assumed Flitwick would be upset and probably give her detention, just like all the other professors, but he almost seemed impressed.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin hadn't had a chance to give Teecie detention somewhere else yet, so she spent another night with the house-elves. She rushed through dinner that night to get to her detention as quickly as possible. Since Hallowe'en was the next night, the elves were busy with feast preparations. Teecie spent the evening decorating pumpkin-shaped biscuits for the students. Each was iced orange with a green stem, and black facial features. Teecie lost herself in the activity. Every pumpkin had a slightly different face. She sang quietly to herself the whole time.  
  
  
  
Teecie's next stop was Draco's office in the dungeons. Draco looked over her homework and told her where she'd made mistakes and helped her correct them. She showed him the Transfiguration homework that had given her so much trouble, and he helped explain it in a way Teecie could understand better. He watched as she made all the corrections.  
  
  
  
When they were done, Draco asked Teecie if she was looking forward to the first Quidditch match of the year, which was to be held the weekend after next. Teecie'd never had much interest in sports. Kali, their sister, lived and breathed Quidditch. Lucius had helped her learn to play. Even as a little baby, he wanted Kali to be the best Quidditch player ever. He'd made a snitch mobile and put it over her crib. And when she was older, he put a snitch under her pillow, to help her dream about the game. But Teecie was not Kali. Teecie had always enjoyed playing with her dolls more than sports. Her father had never forced her to like Quidditch. He let her like what she wanted, and supported that. He'd have tea parties with her, or let her play with his hair instead.  
  
  
  
Draco explained that the first game of the year was between Slytherin and Gryffindor. Teecie wasn't sure she wanted to sit in the stands. They were awfully high up in the air. What if she fell off? Draco told her the stands were very secure, and there was no way she'd fall off. As she left his office, he told her he hoped he'd see her sitting with her classmates at the game.  
  
  
  
The next day was Hallowe'en, and the entire school enjoyed the feast. The biscuits Teecie had decorated were a hit. She loved the idea that people were enjoying something she'd helped to create.   
  
  
  
The feast passed quickly, and then it was back to the kitchens to help clean up. Teecie thought about the sneak-out her fellow housemates were planning. As much as she enjoyed working with the house elves, Teecie didn't want to get into any more trouble, at least for a while. She didn't want to risk getting caught again. She'd just get a good night's sleep instead, and hear about the fun the next day.  
  
  
  
Draco helped her with her homework, which, he pointed out, was good to do on Friday, because it meant she had the rest of the weekend free to have fun. "But Draco, only geeks do homework on Fridays. I like to do mine on Monday morning during breakfast," Teecie moaned to her brother. Draco had shaken his head and laughed out loud at that.  
  
  
  
Teecie spent the rest of her evening playing with Snowball, writing a letter to her father, and reading her Amaris book. She was sound asleep by the time the other students, including Patty and Paige, snuck out of the school.   
  
  
  
One of the older students knew all the different secret passages to get out of the school, and told them how to get out. The students had snuck out in small groups of four or five, until all had left the school. They made their way to the graveyard in Hogsmeade, and had a fun party.   
  
  
  
Teecie heard about the events of the party the next morning at breakfast. Apparently the students were being much too loud, and somebody in the village had called up at the school. At about two in the morning, Professor Lupin and Uncle Sev had showed up and busted everybody. Or almost everybody. Peter Weasley, the prefect, had refused to participate in the sneak-out. Some of the professors were very upset, because their children had been involved. Professor Weasley was Stephen's mum, and she was very angry. Teecie had been shocked an horrified to find out Stephen was her son, but decided to be a bigger person and not hold that against him. Professor Lupin kept shaking his head and narrowing his eyes whenever he looked at James or Sirius.   
  
  
  
All the students who'd participated had had points taken away from the house. When Teecie looked at the glass cases holding the points, she cringed and wondered what happened when they ran out and kept losing points. Was there such a thing as negative points?  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin called a meeting for that afternoon in the common room, and every Gryffindor was to attend. There was no excuse to not be there. He spent the time lecturing them on the importance of following the rules, and then told them the total amount of points the house had lost so far, since the beginning of the year, which was only two months ago. Three hundred points lost, in only two months! Lupin had checked, this was a new record. He did not want to see this continue. Teecie watched as he talked. There was a vein on his forehead that was pulsing. She was worried that it might burst.   
  
  
  
When Professor Lupin was done, he called Peter, Teecie, and the few other students who hadn't snuck out, aside. He told them he was glad they hadn't participated, but was disappointed that none of them had tried to stop it. Feeling as though he'd done his teacherly duty, Lupin sent them off. He felt conflicted though. How could he expect the students to work together and be a supportive team if they were always suspicious of each other ratting the other out? How could he make a student turn on another student? But how else could he get them to cooperate?   
  
  
  
Teecie could tell Professor Lupin was still very upset, and needed to be alone, so she had her afternoon tea with Professor Longbottom. She talked his ear off, and he let her. He laughed at her funny stories. She talked about her family. Neville would never get over thinking about the man Lucius was now versus the man who had tried to kill him and his classmates in the Ministry in his fifth year at school. Lucius, the hardened Death Eater, now cleaning the house, cooking the food, and raising the children. Neville almost spat his tea out when Teecie told him about the time her father had to chase his granddaughter, Lisandra, around the house to put a nappy on her. She had been shrieking with laughter, and had turned around every few seconds to make sure her granddad had still been running after her. It had taken him a while to catch up with her, because of his bad foot.   
  
  
  
Professor Longbottom asked what Teecie's mother was up to nowadays. What did she so while Teecie's father took care of the house? Teecie explained about the farm and how her mum worked on it every day. She told him how much she loved her mother, but never felt like she got to see her enough. She'd returned to teach at Hogwarts shortly after Teecie had been born, and when she came back, she spent every day on the farm. Professor Longbottom was sympathetic towards Teecie's feelings. Teecie left his office feeling more uplifted than she had been all week.   
  
  
  
Teecie's detention was only during the school week, so she had the entire evening to look forward to. She spent the time letting Robert try to teach her to play Wizard's chess. He was very polite and patient with Teecie, but she was no good at all. She never won a single game. After an hour or so, she finally gave up, and went to her dorm to play with Patty and Paige.   
  
  
  
The rest of the weekend and the week passed quickly. Teecie enjoyed having a routine. Classes, detention, homework with Draco, then sleep. She felt more comfortable doing the same things each day.   
  
  
  
The school was growing more and more excited over the upcoming Quidditch match. Teecie was growing more and more nervous about attending. She'd have to go up so high in the stands. It made her heart pound just to think about it.   
  
  
  
Finally, the morning of the match arrived. As the school was emptying out and making its way to the stands, Professor Lupin sat down next to Teecie. He felt terrible that he'd helped make her so afraid of heights. He was determined to get her over her fear, and really wanted to do so by the end of the month. Teecie's parents would be coming for Kali's first game of the year then, and they'd kill him if they found out why Teecie was too afraid to join them in the stands.  
  
  
  
"Teecie, aren't you going to come see the match? Patty and Paige were looking forward to sitting with you," Professor Lupin began.  
  
  
  
"I don't know..." Teecie said quietly.  
  
  
  
"You know, this is a perfect opportunity to work on your fear of heights. And I can explain everything that's happening," Lupin said, trying to sound excited.  
  
  
  
"But-"  
  
  
  
"Paige was hoping that the two of you could paint your nails together. She has nail polish in the Gryffindor colours, and you can paint them as you watch," Lupin hoped he had gotten through to Teecie.  
  
  
  
"I guess," She said slowly. Professor Lupin smiled, grabbed her hand, and pulled her out to the stands before she had time to change her mind.   
  
  
  
As they reached the stairs to the stands, Teecie froze. Professor Lupin told her to take a deep breath, and begin taking one step at a time. Taking a deep breath, she stepped onto the bottom stair. One by one, Teecie walked up the stairs. She held onto her professor's hand tightly the entire time. Her heart pounded, and she was sweating by the time they reached the top. Professor Lupin saw how pale she was and made her take a few more deep breaths before they went into the stands. Patty and Paige waved to Teecie and smiled. Teecie smiled weakly and moved slowly down the row towards them.   
  
  
  
As Teecie sat down next to Paige, Patty leaned over her sister and greeted Teecie. Paige hugged Teecie and told her she'd make sure nothing happened to her up here. Professor Lupin sat down on Teecie's other side. Paige took two bottles of nail polish out of her pockets and the girls settled into painting their nails.   
  
  
  
Professor Lupin tried to explain the rules of the game to Teecie, but he wasn't sure how much she understood. "What happens if the snitch goes through one of the goals?" She asked. Professor Lupin furrowed his brow and thought for a moment. What would happen? He had no idea if it was even possible. He finally told her he didn't know.   
  
  
  
After a while, Teecie and Paige began to ignore the game and focused on the players. Professor Lupin listened as they commented on the hair styles of each player. When Paige commented that the uniforms would be more flattering if they more form fitting, Carl, who'd been sitting behind them, leaned forward and joined the conversation. They'd completely redesigned the uniforms when the first points for Gryffindor were scored. The three chatting kids looked up, bewildered over what was happening. As the noise of the crowd died down, Professor Lupin leaned down and explained what had happened. As the three kids understood what happened, they cheered for their team, albeit very late. Unfortunately they cheered just as Philip Knight, a Slytherin, scored, and the rest of their side glared at them, for cheering on the enemy.   
  
  
  
Teecie blushed as she watched Philip pump his fist in the air victoriously. She'd never met the boy, but had overheard plenty of arguments about him at home. Reni had been going out with him since her second year at Hogwarts. Her father hated this boy and let Reni know this whenever he could. But Reni had told their father that she'd broken up with him last summer. But now, Teecie watched as Philip flew passed the Slytherin stands and kissed Reni before rejoining the game. She'd have to tell father about this. Teecie looked at Reni, and the two made eye contact briefly. Reni glared and shook her head at her sister before looking away again. Teecie didn't have a good feeling about this.   
  
  
  
After an hour of play, the Slytherin Seeker caught the snitch, and ended the game. The whole of Gryffindor was downcast, for they really needed this victory. Teecie thought about how upset Stephen and Sirius would be. Maybe she could comfort them. She could give them a hug. And then Sirius would take her in his arms, and kiss her, and then they'd get married. They'd have four children, two boys and two girls. With a dreamy look on her face, Teecie looked up at Professor Lupin, her future father-in-law. Lupin looked down at Teecie and wondered if she was ill. Teecie was still day dreaming as she walked to the edge to leave the stands. She was about to walk off the bleachers and plummet to her death when Lupin caught her by the back of her shirt and guided her down the stairs.  
  
  
  
Teecie spent a fitful night trying to sleep, but thoughts of Sirius kept her from falling asleep. The next morning, she decided to eat breakfast with Kali. Teecie filled her plate with scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon, and ate while watching her sister drink another protein shake. "You know, there's protein in bacon and eggs," Teecie told Kali knowingly, "And I'm sure they taste better than that junk."  
  
  
  
Teecie looked at her sister, who scowled at her and took a sip of her shake. With a swiftness she didn't realize she had, Teecie swiped the glass out of Kali's hand and took a sip. It tasted like strawberries. It reminded her of something she'd had before, but Teecie couldn't remember it at the moment. Kali grabbed the glass back and smacked her sister on the arm.   
  
  
  
Teecie rubbed her arm and was startled to see Reni appear next to her and sit down. "Hi Teecie!" She said enthusiastically. "How are you doing today?"   
  
  
  
Teecie looked warily at Reni. "What do you want?" She asked.  
  
  
  
"What, can't I visit with my baby sister and not have an ulterior motive?" Reni said, looking insulted.  
  
  
  
"No, you've never been nice to me unless you wanted something," Teecie said.  
  
  
  
"Well, I came to give you a present, but if this is the way I'm to be treated, forget it," Reni said, huffily, as she stood to leave.  
  
  
  
Teecie rolled her eyes, and said, "Wait, don't leave. What did you want to give me?"  
  
  
  
"You just want my present. You've always been so selfish that way, Teecie. You might want to work on that. But I suppose I'll give it to you anyway," Reni said, taking a small package out of her robe pocket and handing it to her sister.  
  
  
  
Teecie carefully unwrapped the paper, and saw a beautiful pink diary. It was soft, and covered in fluffy pink fur. "Ohhh," Teecie breathed, smiling at Reni.  
  
  
  
"See, now you can write down all your thoughts and hopes and dreams. You can keep it all a secret! Keeping secrets can be fun, don't you think?" Reni looked intensely at Teecie.   
  
  
  
Teecie sighed again, nodded her head, and said, "Don't worry. I won't tell daddy you're seeing that boy again. Even though he said that boy was nothing but a no-good loser with no future to speak of and a sordid past."  
  
  
  
Reni narrowed her eyes at Teecie. "Father doesn't know everything, you know. Philip's a good guy, and I love him. Now I'm telling you this because you're my sister, and you're old enough to be trusted."  
  
  
  
"Fine, I'll keep your secret," Teecie said, sounding annoyed. Reni only talked to her when she wanted something, and Teecie resented that. Reni was always so closed off, and seemed to hate everybody and everything around her. Teecie didn't like being used by her, but she'd do anything for her big sister.   
  
  
  
When Reni left, Teecie turned around to see that Kali had left. Teecie's breakfast was now stone cold, but she felt too full to eat anyway, for some reason. After returning to her dormitory, Teecie spent the rest of the morning reading her latest Amaris book.  
  
  
  
Hours later, it was lunchtime, and Teecie felt somewhat hungry. She found this rather odd, for she was usually starving by now. As she was walking to the Great Hall room, a thought hit her like a ton of bricks. Lembasa potion! That's what she'd tasted in Kali's glass. It tasted like strawberries, and left her too full to eat. Kali had been drinking that stuff since the summer holiday. But Draco said it wasn't healthy to drink only that.   
  
  
  
Running down the rest of the stairs, Teecie ran into the Great Hall where the students were eating. Going against the rules, Teecie continued running until she reached the stair case to the professor's table and made her way up them to the table. The professors weren't used to having students interrupt their meals. "Teecie, you know students aren't allowed up here! Go back to the tables until we've finished," Uncle Sev told her sternly.  
  
  
  
Ignoring him, Teecie rushed to Draco and grabbed his hand. "I have to talk to you now, Draco!"   
  
  
  
Draco looked annoyed. "What is it Teecie? This is very rude of you to interrupt me like this," He said as Teecie started pulling on his hand.  
  
  
  
"Come on! I have to tell you now! Before something bad happens," Teecie yanked on his hand until Draco stood up.  
  
  
  
Severus saw a look on Teecie's face that he wasn't used to seeing. This wasn't a tantrum or a childish issue of hers. This was important. Standing up, he told Draco to follow him, and led them to the antechamber off the corner of the room. Severus saw Teecie was reluctant to tell him what the problem was, but insisted on being a part of this. They were all family after all.  
  
  
  
Teecie took a deep breath, and Draco squeezed her hand encouragingly. She began to tell them about Kali and the Lembasa potion. Teecie explained how they'd made it in class and knew what it tasted like. She knew it was the same thing Kali was drinking. She told them how small and bony Kali had felt when she'd hugged her. She told them how defensive Kali was when she'd asked to taste the potion one time.   
  
  
  
Draco and Severus tried to assure Teecie it was probably nothing to worry about. Kali was probably just dieting before her first match of the year. Teecie explained to them that Kali had been doing this since the beginning of the summer holiday.  
  
  
  
Severus didn't want to jump to any conclusions, and told Teecie he'd investigate it. He sent Teecie off to her common room, and then sat down and discussed the situation with Draco afterwards. Teecie was so upset that they weren't going to do anything. Her sister was starving herself! She could die! Somebody had to help her. She'd watched a special about anorexia on the telly once and knew if was a very dangerous disease. People did die from it. Teecie's heart pounded as she tried to figure out what to do.  
  
  
  
Running up to her dorm, Teecie found paper and a pen, and wrote a letter to her father. Tying the letter to Snowflake's foot, she sent him off to deliver the letter.  
  
  
  
Two hours later, while Snape sat at his desk, looking through Kali's school file, when a man popped out of his fireplace and began speaking to him in a low growl. Snape cringed, and looked up to see Lucius looking at him with narrowed eyes. "Where is Kali? I would like to see my daughter now. Teecie wrote me a letter," Lucius shoved a piece of paper in Snape's face, "She says you ignored her 'cries for help' and told her she was blowing things out of proportion. Now, I'm sure she's embellishing somewhat, but I must admit I am concerned," Lucius said in a barely controlled growl as he sat down in the chair across from Snape.   
  
  
  
"I told Teecie I'd look into this. I can't just approach Kali and accuse her without having proof. She'd deny it and that would lead us nowhere. Draco's going to investigate as well. If we find anything wrong with Kali, we'll let you know. And we will deal with it," Snape said, trying to remain calm.  
  
  
  
"I want to see all three of my daughters. Now. Either you have them brought here to me, or I will go around the school calling for them until I find them," Lucius said calmly, yet standing up from his chair and leaning across the table, coming to within inches of Snape's face. Lucius narrowed his eyes and his lips were white. "Well?" He asked in an eerily calm voice.  
  
  
  
Snape took a deep breath, and slowly stood up. Throwing a handful of floo powder in the fireplace, he called Professor Weasley to him. When she arrived, he told her to collect all three of the girls, who should be in their common rooms, and escort them back to his office. Professor Weasley looked warily at Lucius before leaving to find his daughters.  
  
  
  
After about ten minutes, Professor Weasley returned with the three girls in tow. "Daddy!" Teecie screeched and ran up to her father. Lucius put his arms around his youngest daughter and hugged her tightly while kissing the top of her head. "You got my letter!" She exclaimed.  
  
  
  
Reni shot daggers at Teecie with her eyes. She'd ratted her out! How could she? She'd have to have a little talk with Teecie later on. Reni was surprised though, when her father approached her and asked how she was doing. He seemed to know nothing about Philip. Lucius leaned down to give Reni a hug, but she ducked out of his grasp before he could.  
  
  
  
Lucius sighed, and turned to Kali. "Kali, baby, how are you doing?" He asked quietly.  
  
  
  
"I'm just fine dad," Kali replied, looking at the floor.  
  
  
  
Lucius looked his daughter over carefully before speaking again. "You're looking awfully thin. Are you sure you're feeling all right? You eating enough?"  
  
  
  
Kali nodded her head, but said nothing.  
  
  
  
"How about you and I take a walk? Would you like to do that?" Lucius asked, holding his hand out for Kali to take. Together, the two of them left the room.   
  
  
  
Teecie wanted to go with them, but Uncle Sev made her stay with him instead. Now that he'd seen her up close, he realized how very thin Kali was. She wore baggy clothes to cover it up, but her face was thin and gaunt. Her eyes looked bigger than normal, and there was a yellow tone to her skin that looked different from her normal olive tone. He'd noticed how frail she'd looked. He could have snapped her like a twig.  
  
  
  
Uncle Sev sent Reni back to her common room. There was no reason for her to be there. He and Teecie sat in silence, until Lucius and Kali returned. Snape looked up into Lucius' eyes. There was a haunted, pained look in them.  
  
  
  
Before sending the girls back to their houses, Lucius gave each of them a hug. He gave Kali a very gentle hug, for he was afraid of breaking her. After hugging Teecie and sending them both from the room, Lucius grew teary eyed as he realized his 11 year old daughter was far bigger than his 13 year old.  
  
  
  
Teecie's life went on as usual after that. She heard about the special conditions that Kali was made to deal with. The special meals, the check ups with the healer, and how all her professors had been informed of Kali's problem. Teecie felt good to know that she'd helped her sister out, even though Kali no longer talked to Teecie. It upset her to see the anger and hate in her sister's eyes, but Teecie knew she'd done a good thing to tell her father, and hopefully now Kali would start to get better.   
  
Author's Note: This chapter was difficult to write because the majority of the things going on in Kali's life will be dealt with in her story. So this may feel like you were thrown into an already ongoing situation, which it really is. It was a difficult balancing act of telling enough to make sense, but leaving a lot out in order to use it in Kali's story. I hope it works, please let me know if it did or not.  
  
Foodie's Public Service Announcement: Anorexia Nervosa is a very serious and potentially deadly disease. There are many websites out there with valuable information about that and other eating disorders. If you think you or somebody you know might have an eating disorder, please research the disorder and get help, these diseases can be successfully treated if caught early enough.  
  
http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=7409  
  
http://www.anred.com  
  
Those are just 2 of the many sites out there about eating disorders. 


	11. Christmas Break At Hogwarts

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe3: I had this story under Remus and Draco, but I think I'll change it to Lucius and Draco, so thanks for asking me! I hope it will get more reviews that way! Her crush on Sirius is adorable, I'll agree with that! But it really won't last too much longer, but you'll have to wait to see how that happens! Here's the first Christmas chapter, it was so long I split them up, I hope you enjoy it!  
  
Christmas Break At Hogwarts  
  
Time passed swiftly, and soon it was Christmas break. Lucius had written letters to his daughters explaining that they'd be staying at Hogwarts this year for the holiday. Kali was too frail to come home, and he would not have the family apart at Christmas. Kali seemed to have been doing better, until she'd fainted at a Quidditch practice. It turned out she'd been hiding food in her room instead of eating it, and hadn't made much progress at all. She'd been taken off the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. She'd also been moved to a room of her own in the Hospital ward, and now had a tutor and counselor helping her out. When Lucius heard of this, he knew she wouldn't be coming home for Christmas, and so had decided to bring Christmas to her. He and their mother would be coming up to the school so they could all be together. Teecie was crushed, for she'd hoped to return home for the break. The house and property were so beautiful this time of year, with all the snow.   
  
  
  
Christmas was on Tuesday, and Teecie's parents were coming on Saturday, after classes ended on Friday. They'd be staying till classes started again after the new year. She'd have plenty of time to see them during that time. Teecie had missed her parents terribly. Neither Kali nor Reni were speaking to her anymore, so she had nobody but Draco and Uncle Sev to talk to. And they were busy with the end of the term exams. She spent time with Patty and Paige, but they weren't the same as family.  
  
  
  
Teecie had found out that Draco was staying and his family was coming up too. Teecie loved Tanith, but her nieces and nephew were a handful. Tanith was fun to talk to, and a lot of fun to go shopping with. Lisandra, Teecie's oldest niece, liked to show off how smart she was. Liss could read, Liss could count to 100, it drove Teecie insane. Melantha and Rouvin were younger and very rambunctious. Teecie knew she'd end up being stuck with them during the break.   
  
  
  
Professor Lupin was staying, and his wife and youngest son would be joining them. Teecie was excited to spend time with Sirius. She knew Professor Lupin was a lot of fun, and was looking forward to spending Christmas with him. Although, James would be there too. He'd probably follow her around like a little puppy, making moony, lovey eyes at her the whole time. Teecie had heard things about Professor Lupin's wife that made her look forward to meeting her. She knew his wife could make herself look like anybody she wanted! There was also a younger brother who'd be going to Hogwarts in a couple years, but Teecie couldn't remember his name.   
  
  
  
The Engelmanns were staying. They were Jewish, so Uncle Sev had let them floo home each night of Chanukah. Amina, a 6th year Ravenclaw, was friends and teammates with Kali, and was also dealing with anorexia as well. They'd both been caught and were being treated for it. Zacharias, was a Slytherin and Teecie'd never met him. Jordan, the youngest, was the Hufflepuff boy she and the twins had helped. Teecie didn't know this family very well, but looked forward to getting to know Jordan better.   
  
  
  
Most of the professors would be home for the holidays with their families, but there were a few who'd be staying behind. Including Matria, Uncle Sev's daughter. Teecie didn't really know her that well, and really couldn't care less if she was there or not. A few other students would be staying as well, but with so much family around, it would be a cozy, intimate Christmas.  
  
  
  
On Saturday morning, after the students returning to their homes for Christmas had left, the few students that were staying at the school were running rampant through the hallways. There was a definite feeling of anarchy and chaos as the professors remained in their offices working on grading the exams. The kids were all milling about aimlessly, when James came to the top of the main staircase with a sled in his hands. Sirius was at the bottom, having just opened the doors to the entrance. Going at a run, James jumped onto the sled and skidded down the stairs, across the floor, out the door, down the main staircase, and into the snow outside. The other students watched him with amazement on their faces. The look on his face as he reentered the castle showed it had been quite a trip.   
  
  
  
All the other students wanted turns on the sled. They cheered each other on. Teecie was a little nervous. It looked like fun, but she wasn't sure she wanted to go alone. Maybe Sirius would go with her. She was startled when James came up beside her and asked if she wanted a turn on the sled. Looking at James, she decided to suspend some of her anger for the holidays. Teecie bit her nails nervously, thinking of what to do. James could see she was worried and offered to go with her. After a few seconds of debating, Teecie took him up on his offer. James sat down on the sled and patted the space in front of him for Teecie to sit on. As Teecie sat down, James put his hands around her waist and held her tightly against him. He was so close to her he could smell her hair. It smelled like peaches. James felt his heart begin to pound.  
  
  
  
The sled teetered on the edge of the stairs for a few seconds before tipping down and starting to move. They gained speed and flew down the stairs, laughing the entire time. They sped across the floor and outside, down the stairs, and into the snow. They sledded across the snow for a while before hitting a rock and coming to a crashing halt. The two were thrown off the sled and ended up face first in the snow.   
  
  
  
As they sat up, an angry voice bellowed at them from the school. "You kids ruined my staircase! These marks will never come out!" Old Man Filch screamed and shook his fist at them. The other students had run for their lives when he'd come around. James stood up and helped Teecie to her feet. As Old Man Filch started shuffling down the stairs towards them, James grabbed Teecie's hand and they began to run away from him.  
  
  
  
He led Teecie around the school to a side entrance. Opening the door, James ran inside after Teecie, then showed her how to get into Gryffindor tower from there without being seen by Old Man Filch who had no doubt made his way back inside after them. They burst into their common room, breathless, warm from the exertion, and alone.  
  
  
  
As Teecie and James began taking off their now wet shoes and socks, there was an awkward silence between them. James kept thinking about how beautiful Teecie looked with red cheeks and kissable red lips that were parted slightly as she tried to catch her breath. Teecie looked at James and noticed for the first time how handsome he was. He did look very much like his older brother, but he was her age.  
  
  
  
Just as Teecie was going to say something to James, she heard a voice speaking inside her head. Teecie gasped, "Mummy!" and ran out the door, leaving a very confused James walking after her. Teecie ran all the way down to the Entrance Hall, where her parents were standing and talking to Uncle Sev. "Mummy, daddy!" She cried and ran up to them.  
  
  
  
Adriana smiled and gave her daughter a huge hug. "Oh, I've missed you so much!" She said to Teecie, giving her a kiss on the forehead.   
  
  
  
"My turn!" Lucius said, scooping his daughter up in a huge bear hug. "How's my baby doing?" He asked.  
  
  
  
"I'm good now!" Teecie said, kissing her father's cheek. "I've missed you!"  
  
  
  
James had been standing at the top of the staircase, when Old Man Filch came up behind him, grabbed his arm, and drug him down to the Headmaster. "Here he is! The ringleader! He's the one who was sledding down the stairs! Those marks will never come out!" Old Man Filch growled at Severus. Filch looked at Teecie, sneered, and said, "She was doing it too! They both deserve punishment!"  
  
  
  
"Oh, honestly Argus, it's Christmas! Do you have to be such a pain even now? I'll fix the stairs!" Adriana exclaimed, not even looking at the stairs as the marks disappeared.  
  
  
  
Old Man Filch glared at Adriana before walking away back to his office. The group could hear him grumbling about "black haired wenches" all the way up the stairs.  
  
  
  
As Filch's mumblings dissipated, the front door opened to reveal Draco's wife, Tanith, and their three children, Lisandra, six, Melantha, four, and Rouvin, two. The Front Hall erupted in sounds as children squealed and ran around, and grown ups greeted each other with hugs and laughter.   
  
  
  
After a couple minutes, Draco appeared from the dungeons, and walked over to greet his wife and children. "Da! How did you know we were here?" Lisandra asked him, while he held her in his arms.  
  
  
  
"Oh, a little birdie told me," Draco said, glancing at Adriana, and smiling ever so briefly before turning away from her.   
  
  
  
As if the Hall wasn't loud enough, Tonks and her youngest son, Peter, showed up as well. James ran to his mother and gave her a big hug. "Mum!" He exclaimed. After she hugged him back, James hugged his brother Peter as well. Just as Draco had done, Remus appeared a couple minutes later at the top of the stairs. Bounding down the steps, he held his arms out for his wife. After a while, he picked up Peter, and hugged him too.  
  
  
  
After about ten minutes of loud chattering and laughter, Adriana called all the children to her. When all six were in front of her, she instructed Teecie and James to take the little kids up to the Gryffindor common room and keep them occupied up there while the grown ups settled into their rooms and got caught up with each other.   
  
  
  
Teecie sighed, knowing there was no arguing with her mother, and took her nephew, Rouvin, in her arms and began carrying him up the stairs to her house. James followed behind with the rest of the children in tow. Lisandra held his hand tightly, and babbled to James as they walked. It took a long time to get all the children up all those sets of stairs to the common room.   
  
  
  
Teecie was so tired from carrying Rouvin all the way to their house, that the first thing she did was collapse on the sofa. Her nieces jumped on the sofa and began to talk excitedly to Teecie. Melantha bounced next to her and gently pulled on Teecie's curls to watch them spring back to their natural ringlet shape. Rouvin squirmed in her lap and began to wail. Lisandra talked to Teecie about the latest book she'd been reading. It was about a man named Sam, who didn't like green eggs or ham.  
  
  
  
James smiled and watched as the kids hassled Teecie. Peter sat nicely in a chair, and watched the spectacle as well. After a few minutes, James tapped Peter's shoulder, and they got up to help poor Teecie out. James took Lisandra's hand, and together they went to the bookshelves to find something to read. Peter took Melantha to look at the Wizard's chess set. That left Teecie to take care of the screaming Rouvin. "Mummy!" He cried, with big tears rolling down his face.   
  
  
  
"Mummy's downstairs now. You'll see her in a little while," Teecie tried to explain. Teecie bounced Rouvin on her knee until he began to smile. Setting him on the sofa, Teecie started to tickle her nephew until he was shrieking with laughter. After she stopped, he sat up and tried to tickle her back. Teecie was a good aunt and laughed hysterically even though she could barely feel it.  
  
  
  
After an hour, everybody was hungry for lunch, and no adults had come to collect them. Teecie made the executive decision to take everybody down to the Great Hall to eat. Each of the older kids took care of one of the younger kids, and it only took them about 10 minutes to get back downstairs.  
  
  
  
Both James and Teecie felt a little upset to see the adults sitting around the professor's table, eating and talking. They'd forgotten them! The three older kids helped the younger ones sit at the Gryffindor table, and when food appeared, they made plates of food for them to eat. James and Teecie talked while they ate. They noticed that both Sirius and Reni were nowhere to be seen. They should be there to help take care of the children. Why should James and Teecie get stuck with the kids?  
  
  
  
When they were done eating, Adriana came over to the table with a bag in her arms. She handed it to Teecie, explaining that it was Rouvin's things. It had nappies and a bottle for him. She told her he needed a lie down in a couple hours. Adriana kissed Teecie on the top of her head, then sent the kids back up to the Gryffindor common room.   
  
  
  
After the kids reached the common room again, James and Teecie let the younger children run around and tear the room apart. They sat side by side on the sofa in front of the fireplace and watched the flames flickering off the logs. They were both exhausted and nearly fell asleep where they were sitting. Things quieted down as the children grew tired and Peter set up a nest of blankets and pillows for them to take a nap in. When they were asleep, he joined the two sitting on the sofa, sitting on Teecie's other side.  
  
  
  
They sat silently on the sofa, and watched the fire. The next thing any of them knew, they were waking up, after a nice lie down. Teecie found herself lying against James' stomach, with Peter lying against hers. James had woken up twenty minutes earlier, but had stayed still to keep from waking Teecie. He'd felt the gentle rise and fall of her chest and listened to her gentle snore. He ran his fingers through her curly hair, and stared at the ceiling, feeling total and utter bliss.  
  
  
  
Once Teecie woke up, she looked up and saw James smiling down at her. She smiled back at him, and looked around, disoriented. Shifting Peter off of her body, she sat up and looked away from James. James sat up and took Teecie's hand. As he leaned in towards Teecie's face to kiss her, she scowled and ripped her hand out of his. Standing up, she walked over to the nest where the children were still sleeping.  
  
  
  
After the kids woke up, Teecie decided it was time to give them back to their parents. Packing them up, James, Peter, and Teecie went back downstairs with them. Nobody was around when they arrived. Sirius passed by them in the hall. He'd been hiding out in one of the classrooms to get out of babysitting. "Where are all the parents?" Teecie asked him.  
  
  
  
"In their rooms," Sirius answered.  
  
  
  
"Well, what are they doing there?" Teecie asked, feeling annoyed.  
  
  
  
Sirius chuckled quietly before responding. "They want to be alone for a while. They haven't seen each other in a long time."  
  
  
  
Teecie scowled and led the kids up to Uncle Sev's office. "Great, that's all I need now, more babies to take care of," She grumbled as she went up the stairs.  
  
  
  
"You really think they're doing that?" James asked. He found the thought of his parents doing that very disgusting.  
  
  
  
"Of course they are!" Teecie exclaimed as they reached the stone gargoyle that opened to Uncle Sev's office.  
  
  
  
"What are they doing?" Peter asked, curiously.  
  
  
  
"Nothing!" Teecie and James exclaimed in unison.  
  
  
  
Teecie remembered the password, and was about to speak when her mother called out to her. "Teecie, darling, I'm so glad I found you!" Adriana walked up the stairs and smiled at her daughter. "You've been so nice to take care of the children all day, but Tanith can take them back now. You, James, and Peter deserve a break and a reward! Lucius and I were going to walk to Hogsmeade for some shopping and supper, would you three like to join us? Tonks and Remus say it's all right to come with us."  
  
  
  
Peter was shy and wanted to stay with his parents, but James readily agreed to come with them into Hogsmeade. He grinned at Teecie, who scowled back at him. Adriana caught that exchange out of the corner of her eye, and smiled to herself while walking back down the stairs with the little kids.   
  
  
  
Teecie and James went back to their house to dress for going into Hogsmeade. They quickly made their way to the Entrance Hall where Adriana and Lucius were waiting. Adriana took Lucius' arm and together they walked out of the castle. James looked at Teecie, holding his arm out for her to take. Teecie grew huffy, "Dream on!" she exclaimed, and walked out the door, leaving James rushing to catch up with her.   
  
  
  
Lucius was less than enthused about taking James with them. "That boy kissed our baby and you have no problem with him?" He hissed at Adriana while glancing over his shoulder at the children.  
  
  
  
Adriana chuckled. "Well, you know, I seem to recall a certain somebody, who shall remain nameless, kissing me one New Year's Eve. And that kiss was far less innocent than James' was. And you know how that ended up..." Adriana's voice trailed off.  
  
  
  
"Don't you even think it!" Lucius hissed.   
  
  
  
They were interrupted by Teecie barging in between them, and taking her father's arm. "Teecie, you're being rude, leaving James back there by himself," Adriana chided her daughter.  
  
  
  
"But I wanna walk with daddy!" Teecie whined.  
  
  
  
Adriana rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll walk with James," She said, and walked back to him.   
  
  
  
James stared at Adriana, unsure of what to say to the woman who was holding onto his arm. He noticed she was considerably underdressed for the snowy weather, wearing nothing but a pair of jeans and a blouse. "Aren't you cold, Mrs. Orendes?"  
  
  
  
Adriana smiled, "No, I'm just fine, thanks. But enough about me, I want you to tell me all about yourself, James."   
  
  
  
James looked up at Adriana and was suddenly overcome with terror. His mouth went dry, and his eyes grew wide. He felt his hands begin to sweat and his heart pound. What was it with the females in Teecie's family?   
  
  
  
Adriana asked James questions and he answered them quietly. James soon found himself looking at Teecie who walked several feet in front of him. Every once in a while, Teecie would glance over her shoulder at James, as though checking to see that he was still there. Chewing his lip nervously, James grew bold suddenly, and spoke to Adriana.   
  
  
  
"Gee, Mrs. Orendes, do you and Mr. Orendes have any more girls at home like Teecie?"   
  
  
  
Lucius was close enough to hear the question, and whirled around quickly. He glared at James and was about to speak, but was quelled by the look on Adriana's face. "Now really, Mr. Orendes, what kind of behaviour is that?" She asked, trying to stifle the smile on her face.  
  
  
  
Lucius scowled and turned back around to walk with his daughter once more.  
  
  
  
The group finally arrived in Hogsmeade. They wandered in and out of several stores. Adriana wanted to get her daughters dresses for Christmas Eve, and took Teecie into a clothing shop. Lucius and James went to Honeyduke's to look around until Adriana and Teecie were finished.  
  
  
  
James tried to walk through the aisles of the store, looking for sweets to buy for his mum and Teecie, but Lucius followed him like a hawk the entire time. As James picked up a chocolate frog, he felt a heavy hand clamp down on his shoulder. He cringed as the hand squeezed him tightly.   
  
  
  
Lucius leaned down and spoke with quiet fury to James. "I see the way you look at my daughter. If I ever hear of you trying to kiss her or touch her again, I'll hunt you down. There's no place on this planet you can hide in that I can't find you. You must understand, I'm a very protective father. I have to look after my children. And I'll do whatever it takes to do that, got it?  
  
  
  
"Don't worry, Mr. Orendes, I'll never do anything to hurt your daughter. I promise. What I did was very stupid and I wish I'd never done it. I'll never do it again," James squeaked.  
  
  
  
"Malfoy!" Lucius snarled quietly. "I'm Mr. Malfoy!"  
  
  
  
James had a look of terror mixed with confusion on his face as Lucius' fingers dug in even more into his shoulder. "What? All right, Mr. Malfoy," James whispered.  
  
  
  
"Good, I'm glad we had this discussion," Lucius said, straightening up to his full, imposing height.   
  
  
  
James tried to resume his shopping, but found it difficult to concentrate with the dark threat of Lucius looming ever over him. With each step James took, he heard the tapping of Lucius' walking stick behind him.  
  
  
  
After several minutes, Adriana and Teecie joined them, with parcels in their arms. "So, have you had fun together?" Adriana asked.  
  
  
  
Lucius smiled, "We sure have. We've been getting to know each other better."  
  
  
  
Adriana looked skeptical. "Have you now?" She asked slowly, looking at James. "Lucius, why don't you and Teecie go on ahead to the Three Broomsticks, and get us a table. I'm going to have a chat of my own with James."  
  
  
  
As Lucius and Teecie left the store, Adriana turned towards James, and smiled warmly at him. "Did he give you the 'hunt you down' speech? Don't worry about him, he's really a pussycat, once you get to know him. So, have you found a present for Teecie yet? I saw something in the store window down a few stores back. If you like, I could show you," Adriana said kindly.  
  
  
  
James felt so relieved to be away from Lucius for a while, and in the company of somebody so nice, that he smiled back, nodded his head, and said, "Would you, please, Mrs. Orendes?"  
  
  
  
"I will, but please, call me Adriana," Adriana replied, gently leading James out of the store. Together, they walked to the store window Adriana had spoken of, and she pointed out a small snow globe with a tiny ballerina that danced around on a snowy dance stage. It also played different pieces of music from the Nutcracker Suite. James felt himself grow warm at the thought of presenting this treasure to Teecie. Surely she would forgive him if he gave her such a gift.  
  
  
  
Adriana remained outside while James entered the store and purchased the snow globe. The store owner wrapped it in a small box with silver paper and a big pink bow on the top. He then wrapped that in brown paper, so Teecie wouldn't see it before Christmas.  
  
  
  
While there, James found a cookbook for his mother, entitled, "How to Magically Prepare a Delicious Meal, and Not Burn Your House Down," by Ember Keegan. He'd eaten enough of his mother's meals to know this book would hopefully help her out a lot.  
  
  
  
Carrying their packages tightly, James and Adriana walked to the Three Broomsticks and found Lucius and Teecie sitting at a table. Adriana sat down next to Lucius, and James sat next to Teecie.   
  
  
  
After a few minutes of awkward silence, a barmaid took their order. When the food arrived, the four ate and chatted happily. Teecie shared her fish and chips with James, who let her have a few bites of his beef stew. At one point in time, Teecie looked over at her parents and watched as they whispered to each other. She couldn't see from where she was sitting, but she was willing to bet they were holding hands under the table.  
  
  
  
When they were finished eating, the group headed back to Hogwarts. It was dark, and getting colder, and they were glad to reach the warm school once again. James thanked Lucius and Adriana for letting him come with them, then ran off to find his own parents. Adriana went upstairs to spend some time with Kali.   
  
  
  
Hand in hand, Teecie and Lucius walked into the empty Great Hall and sat down to talk. Teecie watched as snow began to fall through the two large windows at the far end of the room. Running up to the professor's table, she drug a chair all the way across the room and set it up in front of the windows. Lucius sat down in the chair, and Teecie climbed up onto his lap. Lying back with her head against his chest, Teecie closed her eyes, and listened to the steady beating of her father's heart.   
  
  
  
An hour later, when Adriana returned to look for them, she found the two, sound asleep, in the chair. Smiling, Adriana kissed both of them on the tops of their heads. Summoning a couple of blankets to her, Adriana wrapped them up gently, and went off to talk to Severus before returning to her room for a good night's sleep. 


	12. Christmas Eve At Hogwarts

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Wicked Lee: Isn't Lucius fun now that he's nicer? I love how protective he is of his girls. Here's the other half of Christmas, I hope you enjoy!  
  
Arsinoe3: Having them fall asleep in the Great Hall is one of my most favorite parts of the whole story, I'm glad you liked it too! Here's the rest of Christmas, enjoy!  
  
Christmas Eve At Hogwarts  
  
Sunday was a mostly pleasant day, with only a few unpleasant incidents. Adriana and Reni had a yelling match. Adriana was upset that Reni had stayed in her dormitory all day the day before, and Reni was upset over having to leave her room to spend time with her parents. Teecie hated hearing her parents and sisters yelling at one another. Since everybody else was spending time with their families, Teecie retreated to the kitchens.  
  
  
  
Nili was kind and glad to see Teecie. Together, they cut out Christmas biscuits, and placed them on baking sheets. They chatted happily, and sang songs. It would be hard to say which one had the worse singing voice, for Teecie didn't have as much talent in that department as Reni did.   
  
  
  
After a couple hours, Teecie left, and went back upstairs. Things had quieted down, so Teecie joined James, Peter, and her nieces and nephew in the Great Hall for afternoon tea. James wasn't very talkative that afternoon. He'd had a somewhat traumatic morning. He'd been sitting in the Great Hall, eating his breakfast, when he'd been subjected to listening to Adriana, Tanith, and his mum talking about child birth stories as they ate at the professor's table. His mum told the other women he'd been a breach birth, and had taken 17 hours of labour to deliver. Adriana told them about Teecie taking 16 hours of labour, and how the baby had screamed for an hour straight, until falling asleep after being born. James thought it was embarrassing to listen to that sort of talk as though he hadn't even been in the room. And, as if imagining his mother and the other women in labour wasn't bad enough, James was still eating when the subject turned to marrying their kids off to each other's children. He was pleased, however, when he was matched up with Teecie. Now every time he looked at Teecie, he heard their mother's talking about their births and eventual marriage.   
  
  
  
There had been a humiliating experience for Teecie that evening. During dinner, Lucius told her he'd talked to Professor Flitwick that day, and he'd told him how talented Teecie was with the Floating charm. When Adriana heard this, she was very excited about that. She made Teecie go up to her dorm, get her wand, and bring it back to show them her talent. Teecie was still very nervous about this charm, and hated being put on the spot, but wanted to please her mother. As Teecie sat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, she felt every eye in the room upon her, waiting to see what she would do. Teecie put a fork in the middle of the table, said, "Wingardium Leviosa," while swishing and flicking her wand, but nothing happened.   
  
  
  
Teecie felt her cheeks burning over her failure. Closing her eyes, she tried it once again, but nothing happened. Hearing somebody laughing, Teecie opened her eyes and saw Sirius looking at her and chuckling. Teecie's eyes filled with tears as she quickly stood up from the table and ran from the room. She didn't stop until she'd reached her dormitory.   
  
  
  
James had been sitting across from Sirius when this occurred, and when he'd seen how upset Teecie was, had reached across the table and punched Sirius in the jaw. It didn't do much damage, but Sirius put a hand to his chin and looked at his brother in bewilderment. James stood up from the bench and began yelling at Sirius for making Teecie cry. As he lunged at Sirius again, Remus caught him from behind and pulled him out of the room. Sirius, Tonks, Lucius, and Adriana were left open-mouthed with wonder over this.   
  
  
  
Remus had talked sternly to James about controlling his temper, and sent him up to his common room to calm down for a while. James paced the floor of the common room, kicking the chair legs angrily as he passed them. He knew Teecie was in her room, probably crying her eyes out, but he couldn't go to her. Boys weren't allowed in the girl's dormitories. He wanted more than anything, to comfort her, to tell her not to be sad that his stupid brother had laughed at her. Sirius was an idiot, and not worth getting upset over.   
  
  
  
After a while, Teecie emerged from her dormitory. James could see her face was all red from crying. Teecie glared at James as he stood up and walked over to her. "What do you want?" She asked shrilly.   
  
  
  
"I wanted to see if you were all right," James replied in a whisper.  
  
  
  
"Why? So you could go tell Sirius that I was crying and have a good laugh over it?" Teecie folded her arms.  
  
  
  
"No, I wanted to make sure you weren't crying," James said patiently. He walked over to Teecie and put his arm around her shoulders.  
  
  
  
Teecie was fuming by now, and pushed James away from her so hard he fell to the floor. "Don't touch me James Lupin! I hate you and your brother! Every time I turn around, you're there. In my face, in my way, and I'm sick of it!"   
  
  
  
James looked up at Teecie from where he'd pushed himself up to a sitting position. He was heartbroken, and could feel tears springing to his eyes. He blinked hard to keep his tears from falling. Slowly standing up, James looked down at his feet before speaking quietly. "Don't worry, you don't want me around, I won't be. I'll never speak to you or bother you again," James turned around and left the common room without a backward glance.  
  
  
  
Teecie watched as James left the room, and burst into tears. She was so confused and upset over everything in her life, and all Teecie wanted was to go back home with her parents. She was safe there and life wasn't confusing at home.  
  
  
  
As Teecie tried to compose herself, she left the common room to find her mother. She was surprised to see her mother standing in the hallway, waiting for Teecie. Adriana held her arms out for her daughter and Teecie began to cry again as her mother held her safely in her arms.   
  
  
  
Several floors below, James sat on the steps forlornly. He couldn't go downstairs and face his family after this. He couldn't go back to his house and face Teecie. He was stuck where he was. Suddenly, terror overtook James as he heard the familiar tapping of Lucius' walking stick. It was growing louder as he walked up the stairs to James. Lucius made eye contact with James, and he knew it was too late to run somewhere and hide.  
  
  
  
Lucius stood at the bottom of the stairs, leaning against the wall, not looking at James. Taking a deep breath, Lucius folded his arms, looked into the air, and spoke. "You'll want to tread carefully with the Orendes women. Every one of them has a bad temper. If you say one wrong word, they'll hand you your ass on a platter, but for some reason, you keep coming back for more. Trust me, I know," Lucius paused before going on again, "But she's worth it, so don't give up." With that, Lucius turned around, and walked back down the stairs. James listened as the tapping of the walking stick grew fainter.   
  
  
  
James was shocked by this blessing of Lucius. He was still sitting on the stairs, reliving the scene, when Adriana came down the staircase and sat beside him. "You know, girls your age can be sort of funny. Sometimes it's best to give them space. Let them come to you when they want to. You might have better luck trying that," Adriana smiled, stood up, and continued to walk down the stairs.   
  
  
  
Teecie had left her mother's comforting arms, and returned to her dormitory. She spent some quality time with Snowball, read some of her Amaris book, and fell asleep early, with her clothes still on.  
  
  
  
The next morning, Teecie woke up early, and realized with horror, that she hadn't gotten her family anything for Christmas! It was Christmas Eve, what would she do? Maybe somebody was going to Hogsmeade today, and she could go with them. Or maybe she could go by herself, it's not as though she'd never been there before.   
  
  
  
During breakfast, Teecie discreetly asked around and found out nobody was planning on a trip to Hogsmeade that day. There was nothing else to do, but walk there by herself. After eating, Teecie ran to her dorm, packed her purse, wrote a quick note for her parents, and left for Hogsmeade.  
  
  
  
It was cold, so Teecie walked as fast as she could, and reached the town in record time, only 25 minutes! Luckily many of the stores were open on Christmas Eve Day, so Teecie walked into the first one she saw.   
  
  
  
She found the perfect gift for her father. Bath salts for him to put in his foot bath. Each night at home, Lucius soaked his bad foot in a foot bath. It helped stop some of the pain. These bath salts were said to have healing abilities, and hopefully, would make his foot better.  
  
  
  
It took a little more time to find a good gift for her mother. Finally, she found a beautiful necklace. It was a petite gold chain with a single peach-coloured pearl. She also found a small matching ring to give to Kali. For Reni she bought a book about snakes, her favourite animal.  
  
  
  
As she was leaving the store, Teecie saw something that caught her eye. A small lion figurine, in Gryffindor colours, sat on a shelf, waiting to be given to somebody. Teecie didn't understand, but followed the impulse to buy it for James.   
  
  
  
Back at the school, Lucius had found Teecie's note explaining that she had gone to Hogsmeade. He was pretty upset. James had been passing by in the hallway, having just come from Professor Black's office, when he heard Lucius shouting at the headmaster, that there needed to be better detection charms set up for kids who ran away. Lucius hadn't seen him, so James ran outside to wait for Teecie. He had to help get her out of trouble.  
  
  
  
Teecie had stopped at the Three Broomsticks for a nice warm butterbeer before heading back to the school. She was almost back at the school when she saw James running up to her. "Your dad's awfully angry that you went to Hogsmeade. He's been yelling at Professor Snape about it," James said in a rush.  
  
  
  
"But I had to go get Christmas presents," Teecie explained.  
  
  
  
"Well, your dad's still upset. I came to make it look like we went together. Hopefully you'll get into less trouble if he thinks we went together," James said, taking a few of the packages out of Teecie's arms, and leading her back to the school.   
  
  
  
As they entered the school, Lucius was sitting in a chair facing the door, in the middle of the Entrance Hall, waiting for Teecie's return. He was tapping his walking stick on the floor, and pursing his lips, which were white with anger. As Lucius saw them come inside, he stood up, walked over to them, and placed his hands on his hips. "So, Ticia, remind me again how old you are? Because I was under the impression that you were 11, which is two years too young to be going into Hogsmeade on your own. Did I miscalculate somewhere?" Lucius frowned at his daughter. This was the calm fury that many people feared from Lucius. He always spoke calmly when he was extremely angry.  
  
  
  
Teecie handed James the rest of her packages, and walked up to her father. Putting her arms around his waist and looking up at him, Teecie put on her best sad face and said, "I'm sorry I made you upset daddy. I just had to go get you and mummy Christmas presents and nobody else was going to town. I didn't know I shouldn't go alone. I won't do it again," Furrowing her brow, whipping up some tears, and pouting her lips, Teecie continued, "You'll forgive me, won't you daddy?"  
  
  
  
Lucius hugged his daughter tightly. "Oh, baby, don't cry. I didn't mean to make you cry. But you just can't run off to town like that. Something could happen, you could be lying in a ditch somewhere and I'd not know where you were," Lucius wiped his daughter's tears up, "But I suppose if James was with you, you probably weren't in much danger of being hurt."   
  
  
  
Lucius turned to James, "Thank you for taking care of my daughter, James. She really does need looking after sometimes. Well, you two run along now." Lucius kissed the top of Teecie's head and ruffled James' hair before walking away from them.  
  
  
  
As Lucius walked towards the Great Hall, he passed by Draco, who'd walked up from his office in time to witness the entire scene. Draco couldn't believe how soft his father had grown over the years. It was truly pathetic. Lucius would never have let him get away with anything like that. It was times like those, that the little amount of respect Draco had left for his father, threatened to dissipate completely.   
  
  
  
As Teecie and James were coming to their tower, James smiled and said, "Well, I guess it's a good thing I heard your dad yelling, eh?"  
  
  
  
"I could have gotten out of that without your help. Don't start thinking we're friends now because of that!" Teecie said, ripping the packages out of James' arms, speaking the password, and walking into the tower. James sighed, rolled his eyes, and walked in after her.   
  
  
  
Teecie took her packages to her room and set them out on her table. Looking at the small box that contained the lion figurine, Teecie turned towards her dorm door and debated over whether to give it to James or not. He had been kind to her, to help her like that. She would have gotten into a lot more trouble if James hadn't been there. Sighing and clutching the package to her chest, Teecie walked out the door, and into the common room.  
  
  
  
James was sitting on the sofa by the fire, reading a book, when Teecie approached him. Teecie tossed the package onto James' lap, and said, "Happy Christmas," before folding her arms and looking away from him.   
  
  
  
James unwrapped the package, and held up the lion figurine. "Hey, thanks!" He exclaimed. Standing up, James looked at Teecie carefully. "I have something for you too...I could go get it, if you want..." He said quietly.  
  
  
  
Teecie turned around and looked at James. "All right," She said slowly. James smiled, then ran out of the room to his dorm. He returned a few minutes later with the box in his hands.  
  
  
  
James handed the box to Teecie, and watched as she carefully removed the pink bow and silver wrapping. Taking the snow globe out of the box, Teecie shook it and watched as the ballerina began to dance to the Sugar Plum Dance. Snow fell all around the small dancer as she pirouetted across the stage. Teecie squealed with delight over the beautiful gift. "Oh James, it's so beautiful! I love it, thank you!" With that, Teecie forgot herself and put her arms around James' shoulders and hugged him. James put his hands on Teecie's waist and hugged her back. After a few seconds, Teecie began to pull away, and the two made eye contact briefly. He had the most amazing hazel eyes. Teecie felt the blood rushing in her ears and began to feel lightheaded. She felt his hands on her waist and every part of her that was in his hold, tingled and felt alive with electricity. Taking a step back from James, Teecie took a deep breath and spoke. "Yes, well, thank you very much, James," Teecie tried be become as business-like as possible. "I'll just go put this in my room," She said as she walked towards the door to her dorm.  
  
  
  
Teecie retreated to her dormitory and threw herself down on her bed when she got there. What was going on? What was wrong with her? James was just a stupid boy, and she was not in love with him. Teecie thought about talking to her mother, who seemed to know an awful lot about love, but didn't know where she was at the moment. Instead, Teecie read the rest of her Amaris book and played with Snowball until she felt better.  
  
  
  
Soon, it was time to get ready for dinner. Teecie put on her dress. It was a lovely rose colour, that complimented her red hair. Ending at her knees, the dress hugged Teecie's body, and was tied in the back. Turning sideways, Teecie admired herself in the mirror. Bending backwards slightly, Teecie realized, for the first time, that she didn't have much to show off in that dress. Frowning, Teecie hoped she'd start growing soon.  
  
  
  
Next Teecie put on a pair of sea foam green stockings and rose shoes, with just the hint of a heel. Teecie was thrilled to finally be wearing high heels! Her father was so old-fashioned that he hadn't allowed her to wear any until this year. Teecie had cried to her mother for years to wear high heels, but for some reason, her mother had agreed with her father.   
  
  
  
Next, Teecie went to work on her hair. She pulled it all back into a pony tail, high up at the back of her head, so that the curls cascaded down to her shoulders. The last step was adorning herself in jewelry. Little gold hoop earrings, a gold ring, a matching bracelet, and necklace.   
  
  
  
Teecie looked in the mirror, and decided she looked very beautiful. As she once again felt dismayed at the lack of goods to show off, the mirror spoke comforting words to her. "Don't worry dear. You'll grow up soon enough. Girls always do, you know," the feminine voice of the mirror said.  
  
  
  
Leaving the room and walking into the common room, Teecie was relieved to see that James was no longer there. Leaving the tower, Teecie walked down to the Great Hall, where the Christmas Eve festivities were to take place. Lucius smiled from one of the chairs set up at the large table in the room. The normal tables had been replaced with one smaller table for the holiday. Teecie sat down next to him, and they waited for the rest of their family to show up.   
  
  
  
After several minutes, Adriana and Kali arrived. It was the first time in over a month that Teecie had seen Kali. Kali wore a blue version of Teecie's dress, but it was smaller than hers. Adriana kept her arm around Kali's elbow for support. Kali looked very frail and thin still, and it filled Teecie's heart with sorrow to see her like that.  
  
  
  
Reni came into the room by herself a few minutes later. She and Adriana had yelled at each other for the past two days about attending this family event. Reni was not wearing the lovely green dress her mother had bought for her, but instead wore black jeans, a black halter top, and black lipstick. She had a belly button ring and as she turned to sit down, Teecie could see a green snake tattoo on the small of her back.  
  
  
  
Teecie looked on as Reni watched for her father's reaction. Lucius' eyes smoldered and his lips were drawn tight. Standing up slowly, leaning heavily on his walking stick, he spoke, "What kind of an outfit is that? Can't you ever dress normally? It's Christmas Eve! Can't you stop being selfish for one night? Go back to your room and change into the dress your mother bought for you. Now! And you'd better look like a normal human being when you return!"  
  
  
  
"I like this outfit. I think it's fitting. If I leave, I'm not coming back," Reni shouted. As Lucius took a step closer to Reni, Draco, who'd been sitting a few seats away, stood up and advanced towards his father to hold him back if he went after Reni. Draco had seen what Lucius was capable of doing in anger and was going to make sure his sister wasn't touched.  
  
  
  
Remus and Tonks sat with looks of shock on their faces over this exchange. Remus grabbed a goblet of eggnog and took a large mouthful. He seemed fascinated with the design of the goblet and kept looking at it to stay as far from the fight as possible. James looked at the floor. He looked concerned for the situation, yet he was really thinking about how tight and itchy his tie was and wondering when he could take it off. Uncle Sev looked on with sadness on his face. He liked to think he would have allowed Reni to wear whatever she wanted. He knew he'd never have any fights with his goddaughter if he was the one in charge.  
  
  
  
Adriana stood up at this point in time, walked over to Reni, grabbed her arm and pulled Reni out of the room. Teecie could hear her mother screaming at Reni as she dragged her daughter down to the dungeons. Teecie sighed and looked at her father. Lucius had sat back down again, and looked pale and crestfallen. Ten minutes later, Reni and Adriana reappeared. Reni wore the green dress Adriana had bought her, and Adriana maintained her vice-like grip on her daughter's arm.  
  
  
  
As Reni sat down, Sirius leaned over to call out to her, "Hey, I love your piercing! Where'd you have it done? Hogsmeade?" Tonks looked at her eldest son, with a look of disbelief, leaned over across from him and proceeded to slap him upside the head. Sirius clapped a hand to his head, and said, "Ow, mum! What did you do that for?" Next to Tonks, Remus shook his head and folded his arms, sighing.  
  
  
  
The meal proceeded smoothly after that. The adults talked calmly to each other, while the children talked to one another. Teecie watched as Kali ate a bowl of chicken broth with vegetables in it. Kali was sitting between both parents, who were watching her carefully to make sure she actually ate it. Kali looked as though she might throw up with every bite she took.  
  
  
  
Reni sat by Uncle Sev, and they chatted quietly together. Teecie sat in between Peter and Lisandra. James sat on the other side of Peter. Every once in a while, Teecie or James would lean forward and catch a look at the other before going back to their meal.   
  
  
  
Non family members dotted the table as well. Zacharias Engelmann, sat next to Draco and the two talked about potions. Amina Engelmann, sat on the other side of Adriana, and ate the same broth Kali did. Adriana made sure to keep an eye on her as well. Jordan Engelmann sat on the other side of Amina and stayed quiet through the entire meal, as he was obviously quite worried about his sister. A few other students Teecie didn't know sat and talked to the people around them.  
  
  
  
After dinner, the men sat in chairs sipping brandy, the women sat by the fire talking, and the children ran around, excitedly. After several minutes, Sirius was shooed away from the men and came to sit with Reni. It seemed this was not his year for his first brandy. Teecie watched as Reni pulled a small green flask out of the pocket of her dress, take a sip, and hand it to Sirius, who proceeded to take a few gulps. She wondered what was inside of the flask.   
  
  
  
Teecie wandered around and listened to the conversations. Lucius and Remus were having a lively debate about their houses. Slytherin versus Gryffindor, the age old rivalry. Lucius thought he made a good point about how Gryffindor had so few points this year, until Remus topped him by saying the majority of the points lost had been due to Teecie. Teecie quickly moved on after that.  
  
  
  
Over by the fire, Tonks and Adriana were planning on getting together in London to go shopping some time in January. It seemed as though Tonks and Adriana had become fast friends in the few days that they'd gotten to know each other.   
  
  
  
The younger children were chasing one another around the many Christmas trees set up around the Great Hall. Peter, having inherited his mother's lack of coordination, ran too close to one of the trees, and sent it crashing down to the floor. The room became silent as everybody looked over at Peter. Peter's face burned red, his eyes wide with shock, and he turned and fled from the room. Tonks stood up and rushed after her son. As she left the room, her shoe fell off her foot, flew through the air, and hit James in the head.  
  
  
  
Teecie looked over at the chair James was sitting in, and laughed. James rolled his eyes, and said, "I'm used to it!" as he rubbed his head. Teecie looked at James. He was handsome in a midnight blue shirt and black slacks. He wore a matching blue tie around his neck that he'd pulled loose and was slightly askew. Sitting down in the chair next to James, the two sat silently for several minutes, each stealing looks at the other once in a while. At one point in time, they made eye contact. Both blushed and looked at the floor. Taking a deep breath, Teecie asked James what he wanted for Christmas this year. They got to talking about presents, and soon the two talked happily about nothing in particular.   
  
  
  
In the middle of a lively conversation about their Defense Against the Dark Arts class, James and Teecie were interrupted by the screams of the little children and the laughter of the men in their corner. Father Christmas had come into the Great Hall to pay a visit. Teecie watched as her mother set a chair by the fire and called the children to her. One by one, Teecie's nieces and nephew took turns on Father Christmas' lap. They were very excited to see him, except for Rouvin, who began to cry and reached out for his mother to take him in her arms for comfort.   
  
  
  
Teecie and James whispered to each other that Father Christmas looked suspiciously like their headmaster. Teecie grinned at James before standing up and running over to the fireplace. After the children were done, Teecie jumped on Father Christmas' lap. "And what's your name, little girl?" He asked Teecie. Teecie began to laugh so hard she couldn't answer. "Have you been a good girl this year?" He asked. Teecie continued to laugh. "Well let me leave you with one thought, little girl, if you tell anybody at school about this, you will not last to see your second year here. Understand?" Father Christmas spoke in velvet tones. He tried to be stern, but found it difficult through Teecie's laughter.  
  
  
  
After Father Christmas stood Teecie back on her feet and sent her back to her chair with a pat on her backside, Teecie walked over to James. She and James laughed so hard they had tears in their eyes. She finally calmed down in time to see Kali take a turn on Father Christmas' lap. Kali looked like one of the smaller children, for on top of being so thin, she was also very short. Teecie was actually taller than her.   
  
  
  
Sirius was a good sport and took a turn after Kali. He spent a lot of time telling Father Christmas all the things he wanted for Christmas. Father Christmas began to slump down under Sirius' weight, for he was a rather tall and muscular boy.  
  
  
  
Adriana dragged Reni over next. Reni protested over the injustice of having to do something this immature. Adriana pushed Reni onto Father Christmas' lap, and he gave her a hug. They spent a few minutes talking to one another quietly, before he sent her off back to the sofa again.   
  
  
  
Then Adriana took a turn on Father Christmas' lap. She quietly assured him she'd been a very bad girl all year long. It was Father Christmas' turn to start laughing uncontrollably. Sev still couldn't get over how much power she still had in his life. Only Adriana would have been able to get him to do this. Kissing him on the cheek, Adriana stood up, and walked over to Lucius and put her arms around him. Lucius looked about ready to kill Father Christmas, but became distracted when Adriana kissed him.  
  
  
  
Before leaving the room, Father Christmas announced to the children that he wouldn't be leaving any presents until the children were asleep. All the children began to get ready for bed. James, Teecie, and Sirius ran up to their common room, joined by Peter, to go to their dorms. Sirius had a brilliant idea that sounded like a lot of fun. He told everybody to get all the pillows and blankets they could find in their rooms, and bring them back down to the common room. Several minutes later, all the children returned, heavily laden with blankets and pillows, and wearing their nightclothes.   
  
  
  
Sirius built a huge nest for them to sleep in by the fireplace. As Peter and James were settling in, he pulled Teecie aside to speak with her privately. "Hey Teecie, look, I'm really sorry I laughed at you yesterday. I didn't realize it would hurt your feelings. Will you be friends with me again?"  
  
  
  
Teecie smiled, and nodded her head. Sirius grinned at Teecie and led her back to the nest. Teecie lay in between Peter and Sirius, while James lay on the other side of Sirius. All four snuggled up closely together to stay warm. Peter had his arm around Teecie's waist, and Teecie had hers around Sirius'. She felt a hand lying over hers and assumed it was Sirius', but it was James'. They fell asleep, hand in hand, and slept peacefully through the entire night, while snow fell silently around the castle. 


	13. The Secret Admirer

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Wicked Lee: I'm so glad you enjoyed that chapter. I had a lot of fun writing it. Here's the next chapter, I hope you like it too!  
  
The Secret Admirer  
  
Christmas and New Year's passed pleasantly at Hogwarts, however, it was soon over and all the parents who'd come up to visit left again for their own homes. Teecie had cried and clung tightly to her parents, and begged them to take her with them. Lucius had taken her aside and talked to her. He told her that this was a good thing, and that he and Adriana knew what was best for her. He asked Teecie to trust him, and keep trying hard in school. Teecie had reluctantly agreed to do this, and held Uncle Sev's hand as her parents left the school.  
  
  
  
Students returned for classes later that evening. Classes began again the next morning. Patty and Paige had much to tell Teecie about their Christmas break at home. All the Weasleys had gotten together at the Burrow, which was a very large house, and visited for the holidays. It had been relatively calm, except for one big fight between Peter and their father, Percy. It had grown to involve their grandfather, Arthur, as well. Peter had told his father that he intended to not enter into the Ministry, but wanted to pursue a career in the music business. Percy's yells had grown so loud that Arthur joined in to quiet his son down, but had ended up yelling at Peter as well.  
  
  
  
Teecie was amazed, Peter seemed like such a quiet boy, not the type to get into fights with people. Patty said she'd later heard her father muttering about some girl that Peter was in love with. She didn't know who the girl was though, and they were left wondering when the boys caught up with them at the breakfast table.  
  
  
  
The eight children talked excitedly about their holidays and what they'd gotten for Christmas. Daniel was excited over his new Burning Branch 1.5 model broomstick, the very latest model. Kern had gotten a collection of DVD's with classics like the Matrix Trilogy, and the original Star Wars Trilogy. Paige had gotten a gold bracelet from her parents and showed it off to the group. Teecie had loved all of her presents from her family, but liked James' snow globe the most, but she couldn't say that since he was sitting across from her.  
  
  
  
Soon Teecie's days were filled with classes that kept her occupied from dawn till dusk. Her evenings that were not spent in detention were spent with Draco, going over her homework. Her Saturday afternoons were spent with Professor Lupin in his office. She loved having tea with him. And he with her. Seeing as her presence brought her teachers such joy, Teecie decided to share her time with her other professors, and spent Sunday afternoon tea with Professor Longbottom.  
  
  
  
One Saturday, Teecie didn't know what to do with herself. There was a Quidditch match going on, but she didn't want to go out in the snow. She couldn't go to Professor Lupin because it was his werewolf time. After playing with Snowball for a while, Teecie opened her school books and tried out a few spells, just to see if they worked. She started a fire, then froze it. It was amazing to look at the flames encased in ice, and know she had done it all by herself.  
  
  
  
After trying out several different objects, Teecie used the Floating charm to lift Snowball into the air. No matter what she did, there was no way to make Snowball fly around, he only floated in mid air, drifting around a bit. Teecie wondered if she'd ever be good enough to float herself in the air.   
  
  
  
Teecie opened her dorm room door from her bed, then shut it again without moving. She made different coloured sparks shoot out from the tip of her wand. Teecie wanted to make pink sparks, but could only create red and green coloured ones. She decided to speak to Professor Flitwick about developing pink sparks the next time she saw him. Maybe after the Quidditch match was over, and he was back in his office, that afternoon.  
  
  
  
Teecie really enjoyed working on the charms. They were fun. Most of the classes she took were fun. Potions class was fun, and most of the ones they did in class were pretty basic, but far too easy. Maybe she and Draco could try some more difficult ones together sometime. Defense Against the Dark Arts was a blast because Professor Lupin was the greatest teacher in the world. He let them see all sorts of cool monsters, even though he didn't let them try spells on the majority of them. Teecie had a feeling most of the fun began in the second year. Herbology was always nice. Teecie loved working with her hands, and creating life out of seeds and dirt. There was a sense of power in being able to grow things that she really loved.  
  
  
  
Transfigurations Class, however, was a different story. Teecie had many difficulties in that class. She was always exhausted by the time she was done there, and rarely made much progress. Professor Weasley was very particular about homework assignments and essays. She was also very fond of homework assignments and essays. Teecie spent many mornings during breakfast doing the work for that class. Professor Weasley seemed to pick on her a lot. She made her answer questions in class, and gave Teecie detention when her homework was not to the professor's liking.   
  
  
  
After the match finished, the students filed back into the common room. Teecie went down there to hear how the game had turned out. Slytherin had won, unfortunately. Slytherin house was now in high spirits. Teecie and the twins left the room to go down to lunch. They ran into a few Slytherin students on their way into the Great Hall. Zeren, a first year boy, stuck his foot out as Paige was walking by, and tripped her. Paige didn't fall, but stumbled a bit before regaining her footing. Patty whirled around and advanced upon Zeren with a speed and determination he'd not been expecting.   
  
  
  
Slowly, the hallway filled with more students, squaring off with one another. Daniel and Anthony looked as though they might try to kill each other. Teecie put her arm around Paige, and got in between her and Lisette as she came towards them. Richelle swept in and grabbed Paige by the hair, dragging her away from Teecie. She could hear Paige screeching as she was being separated from her. Teecie was unsure of whether to face Lisette or go after Paige, but the decision was made for her when Lisette grabbed Teecie by the shirt collar and pulled her to within millimetres of her face. In a threatening snarl, Lisette spoke, "Ticia Orendes, the girl who gets all her teacher's attention. The girl who kissed Professor Black. I bet that's not all you do with him! You think you're better than me? You're just a loser! A quitter! You run away from everything that scares you! You're pathetic! You should be in Hufflepuff! Your sisters are pathetic too! One's a whore and one's a skeleton! Even she's a quitter! She's still alive!"  
  
  
  
Teecie couldn't fight back very easily, because of the way Lisette was holding onto her. Teecie's arms were held against her body, and even if she'd had her wand with her, she wouldn't have been able to use it. She kicked at Lisette's shins, but it did nothing. Teecie got an idea, but knew it would be painful. Craning her neck as far back as she could, Teecie rushed forward, and slammed her forehead into Lisette's, sending both of them falling backwards, away from each other.  
  
  
  
Teecie's head whirled, and she felt terribly dizzy. Making her way to her knees, Teecie crawled over to where Lisette was lying on the ground and leaned over her. "Don't you ever say anything about my family again! Or I'll make it my mission in life to see that you suffer every day that you're here! You don't want to make me angry, Lisette! Got it?" Teecie hissed in Lisette's ear. Looking up, Teecie could see the scene unfolding before her. James had joined Daniel in the fight, and both were going after Anthony in a tag-team effort. Richelle had slapped Paige and was now trying to tear the gold bracelet she prized from her wrist. Patty had Zeren in a headlock and was trying to wrestle him to the ground. Others had joined as well. Jordan Engelmann was going up against Marius, and holding his own. A few Ravenclaws had joined the brawl as well. The hallway was filled with fighting students, and suddenly a shout was heard, and everybody froze in the positions they were currently in.   
  
  
  
"I don't believe this! Fighting, at this school! What is the meaning of this?" Professor Weasley's voice called out from among them as she walked around the students. Draco and Uncle Sev walked along side her with looks of shock and anger on their faces.   
  
  
  
"Who's responsible for this? Who started this?" Draco called out, with a harsh voice.   
  
  
  
Uncle Sev walked over to where Teecie and Lisette were on the floor, and glared down at them. "Were you behind this, Teecie? You've certainly done foolish things before, it wouldn't surprise me if you did this too," He spoke coldly, yet quietly so only she and Lisette could hear him.  
  
  
  
Teecie couldn't believe she was being blamed for this. She hadn't started it! Unfortunately, she was so nauseous, and dizzy, that she couldn't argue back. She just sat there, looking at Uncle Sev, saying nothing.  
  
  
  
"It's my fault Professor Snape!" Patty called out to him. Professor Snape turned and walked towards Patty.  
  
  
  
"You started this, Miss Weasley?" Professor Snape asked quietly.  
  
  
  
"Yes, Zeren tripped Paige and I had to stop him from doing that! He's a stupid jerk and he should get detention too!" Patty said, folding her arms and looking challengingly at Professor Snape.  
  
  
  
Professor Snape turned to Zeren. "Zeren, come here," He called out to him. Zeren walked over to him and Professor Snape took both he and Patty by their shoulders and began to lead them up to his office. As they walked slowly, Patty reached behind Professor Snape and punched Zeren in his ribs. Zeren reached back and punched Patty on her funny bone, turning her entire arm instantly numb. Professor Snape tightened his grip on both kids and snarled at them to stop what they were doing or the consequences would be most unpleasant. They walked quietly up to the office after that.  
  
  
  
"All right, everybody else go back to your houses!" Draco shouted to all the rest of the students. He rounded up the remaining Slytherins and escorted them back down to the dungeons. Professor Weasley took the Gryffindor students up to their tower, while the few Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students involved scurried off to their respective houses.  
  
  
  
As Teecie and the others returned to their tower, Professor Weasley told them to go to their dormitories. Food would be provided for them there, but they were to remain there for the rest of the day as punishment for fighting.  
  
  
  
After a while, Patty rejoined the girls in their room. She told them how she now had two weeks of detention, and had lost their house 60 points. Zeren had received the same punishment. The girls thought the punishment Patty had gotten was far too severe for the situation. She'd been protecting Paige! She should be commended!  
  
  
  
A couple hours passed, and the girls had grown bored. They'd tried spells, read books, played with Snowball, played with their dolls, and now were tired of everything. As if in answer to their boredom, an owl fluttered at their window, with a letter attached to its leg. Letting the owl in and opening the letter, they read what it said:   
  
Hey Girls,  
  
We're bored, how about you? Do you think Professor Weasley would really know if we left our dorms?   
  
-The Boys  
  
The girls debated whether or not leaving their rooms without permission was an advisable thing to do, and decided it was not. But now they could write letters to one another, and keep in touch and pass the time that way. Paige had the neatest handwriting and wrote a response:  
  
Hey Boys,  
  
We don't want to get into any more trouble today, so we're staying put. But we can write to each other if you want.  
  
-The Girls  
  
  
  
Carl sent Paige a drawing of his latest Quidditch robe designs. He wanted to know if the gold for the Gryffindor uniforms would be better shiny or matte. Paige wrote back that opaque was definitely the better choice.   
  
  
  
Patty wrote to Daniel and they discussed the Quidditch match that day. Even though they both hated Slytherin so much, they did have to respect some of their moves. They were a tough team to beat. Now that Kali was no longer playing as seeker for Ravenclaw, they could be beaten. They were worried that Slytherin might win the House Cup this year.   
  
  
  
Kern sent Teecie a letter that wasn't written in English. At first it looked like a bunch of scratches and dots, and all three girls were confused, until Teecie realized what it was. Running over to her bookshelf, Teecie took a thick book down and flipped to the back pages. Settling down on her bed, she translated the letter:  
  
Hello Teecie!  
  
I'm writing in Elvish script. We can write to each other and nobody else will know what we are saying! Fun isn't it? Write something back in Elvish, if you understand what this says, all right?  
  
-Kern  
  
Teecie took a long time writing the runes from the pages of the book onto her paper. Soon the two were discussing their favourite characters in the books and movies. Teecie liked having somebody else around with an appreciation for the wonderful things Muggles created.  
  
  
  
One of the boys wrote to Paige, and she became very quiet afterwards, and stole glances at Teecie, yet would say nothing to her about the contents of the letter. Paige and her correspondent wrote back and forth for quite a while, yet she refused to say who it was or what the letters were about.  
  
  
  
The rest of the afternoon passed quickly, and soon Sunday arrived. The children were released from their imprisonment and enjoyed a day of freedom before they had to go back to their classes the next day. Teecie had her afternoon tea with Professor Longbottom. Professor Longbottom told her all about his first year of school, and how poorly he did in Transfigurations class when Teecie bemoaned to him about that class.   
  
  
  
After tea, Teecie went to Professor Flitwick's office and was happy to see he was there. She told him about wanting to create pink sparks from her wand, and soon they were deep in discussion, trying to figure out how to do that. Professor Flitwick was glad Teecie had an interest in at least one aspect of magic, and wanted to help foster that in any way he could.   
  
  
  
When Professor Flitwick suggested she look a few books up in the library, Teecie told him she'd been there once and didn't know how to use the library. Flitwick looked confused, so Teecie explained that without a computer, she had no idea how to look something up. When Flitwick explained that she was supposed to look in different books, Teecie looked as though he'd suggested something truly awful. The look of horror on her face was priceless. He had to keep from laughing when Teecie begrudgingly asked if the books had indexes or lists of contents, or anything to make the research process easier. Flitwick assured her that most books had indexes and there was also a librarian to help as well.  
  
  
  
Before Teecie left his office, Professor Flitwick asked her if she'd like to join the Charms club. They met once a week to work on fun experiments and projects, and he thought she'd be perfect for the club. Teecie said she'd love that and planned on attending the next meeting.  
  
  
  
Teecie spent a couple hours perusing the library and flipped through a few books. She didn't have any luck finding information about creating pink sparks, but did find a few helpful hexes to try on the next Slytherin to annoy her. The librarian, Madam Pince, told her she was allowed to check some of the books out, so she took the book of hexes back to her room with her, to practice.   
  
  
  
The next morning, Teecie found a letter at the foot of her bed. Opening it, she saw that there was no indication of who it was from. She blushed while reading it to herself:  
  
My Dearest Ticia,  
  
You are the most beautiful girl in the world. My every thought each day is of you. My every dream each night is of you. Your hair is the colour of the sunset, and your eyes are like pools of chocolate. I want to swim in those pools forever. I want to watch that sunset for the rest of my life.   
  
Love Forever,  
  
Your Secret Admirer   
  
Patty had read the letter over Teecie's shoulders, and began to tease her. "Oooh, Teecie's got a boyfriend, Teecie's got a boyfriend! Are you going to invite me to your wedding? How many children do you plan on having?"  
  
  
  
"Patty, leave her alone!" Paige called out. "What does the letter say?" Teecie showed it to her, and when Paige had finished reading it, she smiled and said, "That's so romantic Teecie! Do you have any idea who it's from?"  
  
  
  
"It could be anybody, I suppose," Teecie said slowly. "Unless...you don't think it could be from Sirius or Stephen do you?" Teecie smiled and stared dreamily at the letter. Stephen was definitely the shyer of the two boys and would be more likely to write something like that.  
  
  
  
"I don't know, it might be somebody more our age," Paige suggested.   
  
  
  
"Like any boy our age would be capable of writing such beautiful poetry?" Teecie scoffed.  
  
  
  
A few days passed uneventfully, until breakfast time one morning. Teecie received a small package when the owl posts arrived. Beautiful gold barrettes that would look wonderful in Teecie's hair lay in a small white box, with a note saying they were from her "Secret Admirer". The boys around Teecie, teased her fiercely for having a secret admirer who showered her in gifts.  
  
  
  
"Do you think it was a Gryffindor who sent it?" Robert Bones asked, curiously.  
  
  
  
"Maybe it was Anthony! Or Zeren!" Daniel laughed.  
  
  
  
"He'd have to be a total nutter to have a crush on you!" James teased, yet not looking at Teecie. The rest of the boys joined in with the laughter.   
  
  
  
"Yeah, James, a complete and total nutter!" Teecie said, sticking her tongue out at him.   
  
  
  
Paige giggled, picked the barrettes up, and put them in Teecie's hair for her. "There, you look beautiful!" She pronounced. Teecie smiled, and noticed James stealing a glance at her, and flushing.  
  
  
  
Teecie stood up and walked over to where Sirius and Stephen were eating with their friends. "Do you like my new barrettes?" She asked them, showing off her new hair pieces to the boys.  
  
  
  
"They're nice," Stephen said before turning back to his friends.  
  
  
  
"Yeah, they're nice," Sirius echoed, looking at Teecie with slight confusion on his face. Why did she care what he thought about her barrettes?  
  
  
  
Teecie saw that these two clearly had no idea what was going on. Neither of them was her secret admirer. Who could it be then? As she thought about who it was, a horrible idea crossed Teecie's mind. What if it was really Lisette playing some cruel prank? Maybe the barrettes were charmed to do something horrible to her, like burn her hair or make it fall out. Looking over at the Slytherin table, Teecie saw that nobody was looking in her direction or seemed remotely interested in her today.  
  
  
  
Walking back to her seat, Teecie continued to eat, yet looked warily at the boys sitting and talking around her. Her gaze always returned to James. It couldn't be him, could it? Teecie wasn't sure how that made her feel. It wouldn't be so horrible, would it? Teecie liked James, but she wasn't sure yet if she liked him liked him.  
  
  
  
Teecie spent her time in class that day thinking about who her secret admirer was. She was useless in all her classes. Professor Lupin called on her twice to answer a question, but she just sat there, looking dreamily at the ceiling, with her hand in the air. When he finally got her attention, Teecie asked him what the question was. Professor Lupin looked strangely at her, then moved on to the next student.   
  
  
  
Teecie ruined her potion in Draco's class. That was a first for her. She hadn't been paying attention and let it stay on the flame for too long. It wasn't until blue smoke billowed around her table, making Teecie cough and feel light headed, that she jumped up and tried to fix it. Draco had to come over and douse her cauldron with water.  
  
  
  
At lunch, Paige asked Teecie if she'd come up with any ideas for who her secret admirer was. Teecie blushed and whispered, "I think it might be James."  
  
  
  
Paige leaned in and whispered back, "Do you want it to be James?"  
  
  
  
"I don't know. He's nice, and handsome, but...I don't know," Teecie said shyly.  
  
  
  
Teecie's afternoon classes went pretty much the same as the morning classes had. Instead of turning her matchstick into a sewing needle during Transfigurations, she accidentally turned it into a cooked noodle. It just lay there, limp, on her desk. Professor Weasley looked at Teecie, sighed, and told her she'd have to keep practicing.  
  
  
  
Herbology went somewhat more smoothly. Professor Longbottom seemed to have been previously informed to not allow Teecie to do anything dangerous, and called on different students for demonstrations and questions.   
  
  
  
At dinner that evening, Teecie dared to sit next to James. James carefully avoided speaking to her or looking at her. How could she find out if he was her secret admirer? "James, do you think Daniel could be my secret admirer? He's so sweet, he'd do something like that, don't you think?" Teecie asked James quietly.  
  
  
  
James turned bright red and looked angrily at Teecie for a few seconds before putting on a forced smile. "You want it to be Daniel?" He asked, trying to be polite.   
  
  
  
"Well, he is a nice boy. But it's not like I know it's him for sure. I suppose it could be somebody else," Teecie said, looking away from James and taking a sip of pumpkin juice.  
  
  
  
The evening passed pleasantly. Detention with Professor Weasley was spent trying the assignment from the afternoon. Professor Weasley just couldn't understand it, each time Teecie tried to turn the match into a needle, it turned into a noodle. After the third failed attempt, she told Teecie to try turning it into a noodle, just to see what would happen. Hoping it would turn into a needle, Professor Weasley was disappointed to see it turn into a piece of thread. At least it was closer to sewing items than a noodle.   
  
  
  
When she met with Draco to go over her homework, Teecie wasn't sure he was as happy to know that she had a secret admirer as he should be. "Is that the reason you were so negligent in class today? You had your mind wrapped around some boy instead of the potion? You need to keep your private life outside of your school life. I'd hate to have to tell father that you don't pay attention in class," Draco said, trying to sound threatening.  
  
  
  
"Who do you think my secret admirer is?" Teecie asked him, ignoring his threat.  
  
  
  
"I don't know and I don't care!" Draco said, sounding exasperated, "Besides, you'll be over him in a few weeks anyway!"   
  
  
  
"I might not! It might be true love! I think I know who it is. But I don't know for sure yet," Teecie said.   
  
  
  
"Oh, gee, will you please let me know as soon as you find out?" Draco asked sarcastically. Teecie took leave of her brother after that. He obviously wasn't mature enough to talk about these types of things.   
  
  
  
The next day, Teecie spent all of her meals, and her free time with Daniel. James made sure he stayed close to them. This was his day for messing up in each class. He tripped and fell on his face coming into their history class. In Charms class, James dropped his wand and hit his head when he picked it up from under his desk. He spent his day thinking of his next move for Teecie.  
  
  
  
That Saturday, Teecie woke up to find a box at the foot of her bed. Thinking it was from her father, she was surprised to open it and find only a note inside. Unfolding the parchment, Teecie read the poem written on it:  
  
Ticia  
  
T- True love fills my heart.  
  
I- I have never seen anyone more beautiful than you.  
  
C- Can't help but hope you'll love me too.  
  
I- I love you more than I love my lucky red shirt, the one I wore when I beat my father in Wizard's chess for the first time.  
  
A- All I do is think of you.  
  
As she went down to breakfast, Teecie saw that all the first year Gryffindor boys were all wearing red shirts, and blushed almost as deep as the material. Kern and Robert looked at Teecie and began to laugh. Daniel and Carl were talking to each other and didn't notice her. James looked at Teecie, flushed, and turned away from her as she sat down next to Patty.  
  
  
  
Teecie spent the afternoon with Professor Lupin. She told him all about her secret admirer and the beautiful letters he'd sent her. "You don't know who he is, do you?" She asked at one point in time.  
  
  
  
"Oh, I sure hope not," He muttered into his tea cup.  
  
  
  
On Sunday, Professor Longbottom was lucky enough to hear all about the latest letter Teecie had received that morning. She read it to him and sighed over how very romantic it was. Professor Longbottom tried to maintain a straight face, but had to commend the secret admirer for managing to find words to rhyme with "Ticia", "Orendes", and "Gryffindor".   
  
  
  
Professor Longbottom sent Teecie off with the parting words, "You know who'd love to hear that poem? Professor Snape. Why don't you go read that to him!" He laughed to himself as Teecie skipped off towards Uncle Sev's office to share her poem with him. 


	14. Teecie's Birthday

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe3: I had a feeling you'd enjoy Snape in that Christmas chapter! I never thought of Hermione as being like Snape, but after you said that it totally makes sense. Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy!  
  
Wicked Lee: I'm so glad you liked the last chapter. I had lots of fun writing it, especially the end with Neville. I figure he had to take a lot of crap from Snape as a student, it's time for him to get him back! Here's the next one, let me know what you think!  
  
Teecie's Birthday  
  
Valentine's Day was now only two days away. Teecie was excited because it was also her birthday. She'd be turning 12, and Carl and Paige had promised to throw her a party in their common room that evening. She had been upset when her parents wrote to say they wouldn't be coming up to see her, but promised to send her presents to the school.   
  
Adriana thought the less time Teecie spent at home or with her parents the better for fostering more independence in her youngest daughter. Teecie felt better though when Draco had promised to spend some time with her that evening instead.   
  
Teecie's secret admirer had sent more letters each day. Sometimes more than once a day. She'd been surprised at lunch one day with a poem and a small box of chocolates that had arrived by owl. They had been the best chocolates she'd ever had. Wizard chocolate came in many different flavours. The first one had been flavoured with cinnamon and lavender, and had melted in her mouth.   
  
James had watched her eat the chocolate. She'd had a small fleck of chocolate on her upper lip that he wanted to kiss away for her. He hoped he could pull all of this off without her getting angry with him. He had meant every word he'd written to her over the last few weeks, and hoped she would come to feel the same way for him.   
  
  
  
James was trying to think of what to get Teecie for Valentine's Day and her birthday. He was eternally grateful to Paige who'd been helping him out this whole time. She'd think of something perfect for him to get Teecie.  
  
  
  
The next morning, James sent her a letter with a rosebud attached to it. He was thrilled to see the flower in Teecie's hair at breakfast. In the letter he'd told her to write back to him if she was interested. If she left a letter at the foot of her bed, he'd get it and send her one from him in return.   
  
  
  
That evening, Teecie carefully composed a letter to her secret admirer. It was difficult, because, how could she talk to a boy she didn't know? Or think she might know, but wasn't completely sure? She ended up telling him she liked reading his poems and hoped she could meet him some day. Leaving it at the end of her bed, Teecie fell asleep dreaming about whoever her secret admirer really was.  
  
  
  
The next morning, there was a reply to her letter on the foot of her bed. Her admirer told Teecie that he was glad she liked the poetry, but he couldn't reveal himself to her yet. He'd reveal himself when the time was right.   
  
  
  
Valentine's Day dawned a grim, snowy day. It was freezing and snow was falling. There were presents at the foot of Teecie's bed from her parents, Draco, and Uncle Sev. Her parents got her a couple cute outfits, some more Amaris books, and her favourite nail polish and lip gloss. Draco gave her a book that encompassed both of Teecie's greatest interests in magic: Herbology and Potions. It was a book of flowers and herbs, and their uses in various potions. There were beautiful photographs of flowers whose blossoms opened up in the day, closed up at night, and gave off their wonderful scents. Uncle Sev gave her a cookbook of bread recipes. Each recipe was very complex, with at least ten ingredients and many intricate steps for every one. There was a note attached that said she could use the kitchens to try some of these out, as long as he got to sample them.  
  
  
  
Breakfast was hectic with all the kids sending cards and gifts to one another. There was a long influx of owls as the cards were all delivered to the students. Teecie received a singer from her secret admirer that played music when it was opened. It was like a howler, only it was music. The entire school quieted down and listened to the song:  
  
It's a little bit funny this feeling inside  
  
I'm not one of those who can easily hide  
  
I don't have much money but boy if I did  
  
I'd buy a big house where we both could live  
  
If I was a sculptor, but then again, no  
  
Or a man who makes potions in a traveling show  
  
I know it's not much but it's the best I can do  
  
My gift is my song and this one's for you...  
  
The song went on for a while after that. It was beautiful, and Teecie's heart fluttered while listening. Up at the professor's table, Professor Lupin and Draco sat in their seats, with looks of horror on their faces. Remus knew James was the secret admirer. He had no proof, but he knew it was his son. Draco "knew" this as well. Both men glanced at one another. They were contemplating the idea of being related one day.  
  
  
  
Across the room, Lisette looked at Teecie and decided it was time to plan her next move to knock Teecie down a peg or two. Perhaps she'd send Marius or Anthony to do whatever they would to her. It was time to step up efforts against her. Who did she think she was anyway, getting all that attention?  
  
  
  
Classes that day passed like any other day. None of the professors acted as if it was a special day at all. Professor Lupin gave a lecture about the best ways to defend oneself against grindylows. At the end of the class, he assigned them a long essay that was due at the end of the week.  
  
  
  
Draco assigned them a complex potion that kept the students busy the entire time. Teecie didn't have enough time to finish hers, and stayed half way through lunch in order to finish it. As she was carrying her vial carefully to the Great Hall to show Draco, Marius came up behind her and snatched the vial out of her hands.   
  
  
  
"Give it back!" Teecie screeched. Marius laughed and began to walk away with the vial. "That's mine!" She screamed. When Marius ignored her, Teecie whipped her wand out of her robes, pointed it at him, and said, "Locomotor Mortis," and watched as Marius' legs seemed to fuse together. He halted to a stop, unable to walk any longer. As his arms flailed around, trying to keep his balance, Teecie walked up to him, swiped the vial back, and pushed him hard on the back. Marius toppled over and fell on his face on the floor. Walking up to Marius and kneeling down to him, Teecie said quietly, "You'll learn not to mess with me, Towler. And don't you dare ever touch my stuff again. Got it?" Standing up, Teecie left Marius on the floor, and went into the Great Hall to eat and turn her potion in to Draco.  
  
  
  
Professor Weasley assigned an essay for the end of the week that was even longer than Professor Lupin's. As class was ending and the students were filing out to go to Herbology, Professor Weasley called Teecie to her desk. Teecie groaned, assuming she was going to be given detention for something, but was surprised when she reached the desk to have the professor wish her a happy birthday. Teecie looked warily at her, unsure of how to respond. Surely there was something more behind that. Some news of a horrible mark received for her last essay or telling her she had detention. If Professor Weasley thought she could ruin Teecie's day, she had another thing coming. She wouldn't let anything ruin her birthday. Biting her lip and tilting her head back to look at Professor Weasley, Teecie thanked her curtly, then turned and left the room.   
  
  
  
Herbology was fun as usual. Teecie looked around for James and didn't see him. She hoped he wouldn't get in trouble for skipping class, which he undoubtedly was. Teecie watered his pea plant at the same time as she watered her tomato plant.  
  
  
  
At dinner that evening, Sirius came up to Teecie. He took her by the hand and made her stand on the table. The entire Gryffindor table sang "Happy Birthday" to her and applauded when it was over. This seemed to be a Gryffindor tradition, for they did this at least once a week for somebody's birthday. Teecie loved the attention.   
  
  
  
James came in halfway through the meal, sat down, and ate enough food to last him a few days. Teecie wondered what he'd been doing to work up such an appetite. He sat next to her, wolfing down bite after bite of roast beef, and not speaking to her. "So, where were you this afternoon? I watered your plant for you," Teecie said.  
  
  
  
James looked at her with a mouth full of food and wide eyes. Finishing his bite, he said, "Well, I can't tell you now where I was, but you'll find out soon enough. Thanks for watering my plant." While they were eating, James put a small parcel on the table next to Teecie's hand. Nobody else had noticed. Teecie saw the parcel, and carefully tore the paper off. In it was a music box. When she opened it up, the image of a Lothlorien leaf encircled by the One Ring popped out of it and floated above the surface of the box. Music from the Lord of the Rings movies played. How had James found this in the Wizarding world? They didn't watch movies! It had the music from all three movies, and the songs too!   
  
  
  
"Oh James," Teecie whispered breathlessly, "It's beautiful. Thank you so much." Reaching under the table, she grabbed James' hand and gave it a squeeze. James thought he might faint or melt away into a puddle on the floor as Teecie kept her hand on his through the rest of the meal and gazed at her music box. James almost did melt away as they walked back to their common room, and Teecie told him he'd have to come over to her house sometime to watch all of those movies. She knew he'd love them.  
  
  
  
After Teecie dropped off her music box in her dormitory, she left again to go over her homework with Draco. She told him about all the wonderful gifts she'd gotten that day, including the music box from James. Draco said nothing but looked at his sister with a raised eyebrow. Teecie didn't notice but went on to tell him how cruel the professors were to give out essays that were all due at the same time.   
  
  
  
As she was leaving, Teecie asked Draco if she could ever try any more difficult potions, just for fun sometime. Maybe some weekend or after classes one evening. Draco considered this and told her she should join the Potions club that met on Thursday evenings after dinner and that perhaps she'd be willing to tutor a student or two in her own class as well. Draco had never realized his sister had that much interest in potions or he would have had her join the club much sooner. Teecie smiled and agreed to this before closing his door behind her.   
  
  
  
When Teecie returned to the common room, she was surprised to see the whole house there. "Happy Birthday!" They all cried. There were all sorts of good things to eat and drink. Nili had baked a chocolate cake iced in Gryffindor colours, and James had spent his afternoon in Hogsmeade purchasing butterbeer and sweets for the party. Soon there was music and students were dancing with each other. Teecie danced with Stephen, Sirius, Daniel, Kern, and Peter. She was going to slow dance with James, but grew shy suddenly when she thought of him putting his hands on her. Her heart fluttered so much it took her breath away and instead she danced with Carl.   
  
  
  
It was in the middle of this dance that Professor Lupin showed up to shut down the party. It was late and the kids had school the next day. Remus pulled James aside to talk with him. He informed James that he knew he'd missed his Herbology class that afternoon. "Did you skip class to go to Hogsmeade for the party provisions?" Remus asked his son.  
  
  
  
"Um, er..." James said, looking at his feet.  
  
  
  
Sirius, who had overheard, took pity on his little brother and stepped in. "I got them pop, at the last trip to town. We planned ahead for the party," He said, smiling at his father.  
  
  
  
"Oh, well, that was very nice of you, son," Remus said, putting his arm around Sirius' shoulders before turning back to James, "But that still doesn't explain why you missed class this afternoon, James." Remus looked at him with raised eyebrows.  
  
  
  
"Well, I...well, I...didn't feel well. I decided to go lie down in my dormitory. But I feel much better now," James said slowly. Remus looked at his son carefully. He could always tell when somebody was lying. He could smell it. But Remus always felt he had an unfair advantage over people because of his heightened senses. He thought it was a violation of their privacy. So the question was: to bust or not to bust.  
  
  
  
Remus put his other arm around James' shoulders and he squeezed both of his sons tightly in his arms. "I'm so glad to have sons who care for one another enough to lie for each other. Sirius, you did very well making that up to get your brother out of trouble. But you only succeeded in getting yourself in trouble as well. James, you did go into Hogsmeade, and for that you must be punished. Both of you will spend this weekend writing an essay for me. It will be entitled, 'Why I Must Not Lie To My Father'. Three rolls of parchment, to be turned into me, at dinner on Sunday. Well boys, this has been a very fun evening, hasn't it? But I'm beat, I'm going to bed, and so should you," Remus kissed his sons on the tops of their head before releasing them and turning to leave from the room. He chuckled to himself. I love being a father, Remus thought to himself. Even better than busting them for doing something wrong, was the looks on their faces after he'd punished them. Both boys looked dismayed and horrified at the length of the essays they had to write. It was the best!   
  
  
  
Teecie stayed to help clean up. As they cleared the chairs and tables of bottles, Patty asked if she'd had a good birthday. Teecie smiled as she thought to herself about the beautiful music box up in her dormitory. She informed Patty that it had been the best birthday ever.   
  
  
  
References: Song lyrics from "Your Song" by Elton John. 


	15. Club Hopping

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Wicked Lee: I'm glad you approve of how Teecie's turning out! I don't know if I'd call Remus sadistic, I think he's first and foremost, a Marauder. He is, was, and ever shall be a Marauder, which means his approach to things like pranks and lying is going to be different from a normal parent. Never take him too seriously.  
  
Arsinoe3: Teecie is growing up a bit isn't she! I'm glad you approve of Remus' parenting. I think he loves being a father more than anything else in the world, so that's how I approach him in that department. And I know Sev's one of your favorites, so I put him in here just for you! Enjoy!  
  
Club Hopping  
  
Teecie had heard about all the many different clubs offered at school, but had always had so much detention she'd never had a chance to try most of them out. Some of them sounded like a lot of fun and she wanted to see what they were like. It might be a good way to make more friends. She was a part of the Charms club already, but there were lots more to choose from.  
  
  
  
Charms club was a lot of fun. Teecie really liked spending more time with Professor Flitwick. Most of the people in it were great, with the exception of one member. Marius Towler was in it too, and Teecie hadn't been too happy to see him. But he hadn't been too happy to see her either, seeing as their groups of friends were such rivals. That week, after being inspired by Teecie's request, Professor Flitwick had the students work on developing multi-coloured sparks that would shoot out of their wands. It was difficult work, and none of them had been successful by the end of her first meeting, so they had decided to keep trying until they did it.   
  
  
  
Teecie went to the Potions club meeting that next Thursday night after dinner. For once she'd behaved herself in all her classes and managed to not have detention and could therefore attend. She was surprised to see her sister, Reni there. She didn't think Reni liked anything social. Teecie was dismayed to find Lisette, Zeren, and Raul Dolohov, all Slytherins, there as well. The only other Gryffindor she knew was Alice Longbottom, who was a year older than her.   
  
  
  
As Teecie walked past Lisette and Zeren, she heard Lisette whisper something about "letting the trash in," and blushed as she found a seat at the back of the classroom. When Draco entered the room, he looked around and called out to Teecie to join the rest of the students up front. He told her to sit by Reni.   
  
  
  
That evening they tried the Carficresco Potion. It was supposed to make a person's nails grow longer. Teecie and Reni worked together, for the first time in their lives, but things went smoothly and by the end of the evening, both girls had lovely long nails ready to be painted. Teecie had had a lot of fun creating that potion with her sister and having her brother there. She hardly noticed the whispered comments coming from Lisette's table, but did watch as Reni leaned over to them at one point in time during the evening when Draco was working on ingredients in the back of the room, grabbed Zeren by the collar and told him if they didn't stop picking on her sister, she'd make a permanent shrinking potion and put it somewhere he really wouldn't want. Neither Zeren nor Lisette spoke unkindly towards Teecie for the rest of the evening.   
  
  
  
A few days later, Draco kept Teecie after class and introduced her to Reynard Bagman, a Slytherin in her class that she was to tutor. Teecie wasn't very happy about working with a Slytherin and he didn't seem to thrilled to be working with a Gryffindor either. The next day, after classes, Teecie met Reynard in the dungeons and the two studied potions together for a couple hours. They decided to meet each week for a couple hours to go over assignments and review what was done in class. When Teecie found out Reynard didn't have a partner in class, she invited him to work with her and the twins. He wasn't too keen on that, so she suggested just herself, and he was all right with that. Teecie knew the twins could work by themselves and would understand that she was helping somebody out.   
  
  
  
Teecie turned out to be a patient teacher with Reynard. She felt there was something fragile about him and didn't want to hurt his feelings. He improved somewhat under her tutelage. After several weeks, Teecie asked him to join the Potions club to help him get even more experience and improvement.   
  
  
  
The next week, Teecie tried the Herbology club. Reni was also in that club, so they were spending lots of time together now. Professor Longbottom was a lot of fun to be around and showed them how to preserve herbs properly by putting them in bunches, and hanging them from the ceiling to dry out. He told them this could be done with both medicinal and culinary herbs. Teecie thought the bunches they created looked very beautiful.   
  
  
  
The week after that, Teecie added the Runes club to her list. Kern was in that club, and they had fun writing messages to one another. It was fun to have somebody she liked from her year in one of the clubs. Most of the ones she went to had older students in them, so it was a nice change to know somebody already in her house and year. She had seen but never met Luna Creevey, the club leader, before. Professor Creevey, who kept her wand tucked behind her ear and wore a pair of earrings in the shape of eggplants, had large silver gray eyes and long blonde hair. She spoke in a light and reedy voice when she welcomed Teecie to the class. She had an odd air about her that Teecie found intriguing.   
  
  
  
Teecie found herself behaving more in all of her classes because she wanted to stay out of detention in order to go to club meetings. She put more effort into her homework and essays and found her marks actually improving.   
  
  
  
Patty and Paige had already been involved in clubs, though none of the same ones Teecie was in. Patty tried to get Teecie to join the Animal Appreciation club, but Teecie wasn't so sure she wanted to touch dirty animals. Paige wanted her to join the Divination club, but Teecie felt she had no need to know about the future. It would get here soon enough, so why not just think about now instead?   
  
  
  
On Saturday morning, after she had read her latest romantic love letter from her secret admirer, Teecie took her bread book from Uncle Sev and went down to the kitchens to try out a recipe for Cheddar cheese and poppy seed bagels, and was surprised to find other students there. A man Teecie had seen but not met before was leading them in a cooking lesson. He had red hair, and lots of freckles. There was a long scar on one of his arms that looked like a burn. He had to be Charlie Weasley, the Care of Magical Creatures professor. He was one of Patty and Paige's many uncles. They'd talked a lot about him, so Teecie practically felt like she knew him.  
  
  
  
Walking over to the small group of girls, Teecie looked over at Charlie and listened as he explained that they'd be making rice pilaf with chicken that day. It sounded delicious, so Teecie moved closer to the group and listened as he told them about making the dish while in Romania. Charlie noticed Teecie, smiled, and asked her if she'd like to join them for their club meeting today. Teecie grinned and said yes. She never knew there was a cooking club! What fun! Blithe Diggory, a Hufflepuff, showed Teecie where the aprons were, and soon she was chopping onions for the pilaf.   
  
  
  
With tears streaming down her face, Teecie talked to Charlie. She told him about herself and a little about her family. She explained how much she loved cooking with her father when she was home. Charlie told her about his mother and what a wonderful cook she was. He still looked forward to coming home to family gatherings for her delicious meals.   
  
  
  
When all of the ingredients had been cut up or measured out, it was time to cook. Since Blithe was the oldest and tallest of the girls, she was the lucky one who got to stir the mixture on the stove. Teecie dumped the onions into the pan and they fried them in olive oil. Next, Ivy Stimpson added chopped celery. After those were soft, Candace Howe added the diced chicken. Next came the rice. All of that was stirred together in the pot until the rice turned brown. Charlie added chicken broth and spices, and then Blithe put the lid on the pot and carefully put it in the oven. The rice cooked while the girls cleaned up the kitchen and set a small table for all of them to sit at to share their meal together.   
  
  
  
When it was ready, Charlie took it out of the oven and divided it among all of the plates. He and the girls sat around the table and talked about what they liked or didn't like about the dish. Teecie liked the unusual spices. She'd never tasted such a combination. She'd been uncertain over using cinnamon with chicken and rice, but it really worked!   
  
  
  
Teecie was too full for lunch, so she went back to her dormitory and worked on homework. After a couple hours, she took a break and wrote to her parents and told them about all the fun clubs she'd joined. She also wrote out the rice pilaf recipe for her father to try sometime. She knew he'd like it.   
  
  
  
Later, at dinner, Teecie received a letter from her father. He was happy for her to have found some fun activities that seemed to be keeping her out of trouble. But he also told her he hoped they wouldn't affect her school performance. He told her school must always come first. Her father also told her to keep an eye on Reni for him since he couldn't be there to do it.  
  
  
  
A couple weeks passed quickly and Teecie was swept up in her clubs and schoolwork. She still found time for tea with Professor Lupin on Saturday afternoons, and tea with Professor Longbottom on Sundays.   
  
  
  
One of the best results of joining the clubs was fostering a better relationship with Reni. They'd never been that close, but found they enjoyed the time they spent together. They sat together during the Potions and Herbology club meetings. Reni told her she no longer believed that Teecie had told their father about her seeing Philip again.   
  
  
  
Things were going so well between Teecie and Reni that one day in mid March, when she'd heard Reni fighting with her boyfriend Philip from all the was across the Great Hall, she felt the need to help her sister out. Teecie stood up, ready to run to her sister's aid as Reni and Philip were screaming at one another. Teecie had made it halfway to the Slytherin table when Draco showed up and broke up the fight. Draco took Philip down to the dungeons to calm down, while he sent Reni up to Uncle Sev's office. Teecie went back to her seat and finished her meal, but felt out of sorts for the rest of the day after that.  
  
  
  
The last Saturday in March, Teecie was surprised to see James show up for the next Cooking club meeting. He was the only boy, and looked as though he felt out of place. Charlie was excited to see a boy join the club and kept him close to his side. Teecie thought James looked very cute in his frilly red apron.   
  
  
  
The club was making breakfast for lunch. While Teecie worked on a ham and cheese omelet, James was attempting to make pancakes. As he stirred the batter, he brushed his hand across his face, leaving a smudge of flour on his nose. Teecie laughed and James asked what she was laughing at. "Come over here," Teecie said, giggling. James walked over to her, holding his bowl and stirring while he moved. Teecie reached her hand out and wiped the flour off his nose. "You had flour all over your nose, it was really cute!" Teecie said, smiling.  
  
  
  
"Oh yeah? Well you have batter on your nose!" James lifted his spoon and put a small dot of pancake batter on her nose. He started laughing.   
  
  
  
Teecie gasped and started laughing again. "Well, you have egg on your nose!" She picked up the whisk she'd been stirring the eggs with and attempted to brush some on James' nose, but he ducked out of the way before she could. James ran around the table and Teecie chased after him. Finally catching up to him, Teecie grabbed his arm and pulled him to her side. Putting James in a headlock, she took the whisk and tapped it on his nose gently before releasing him. As they both stood still, trying to catch their breath, they heard loud laughter.   
  
  
  
Looking up, they saw Charlie laughing at them. "See James, I told you cooking could be fun! When you're ready, I'll show you how to cook the pancakes," with that, Charlie walked away from them with a knowing smile on his face.   
  
  
  
As James walked after Charlie to learn to cook the pancakes, Teecie walked back to her space at the table and grated cheese and diced ham for the omelet. She was too far away to hear the conversation James and Charlie were having. "So she's why you joined the club! That's cool. We'll have to find you something special to make for her. 'Cuz a guy's gotta be able to cook for his girl. It's essential to a good relationship. You just stick with me, and we'll find the perfect thing for you to make," Charlie said as they watched the bubbles in the pancake batter on the griddle pop.   
  
  
  
Teecie was too short to use the omelet pan properly. She could stir the eggs, but needed Charlie to flip them over in the pan. After she added the ham and cheese, he helped her fold the omelet and slide it out onto a warm plate.   
  
  
  
The students sat around the table and shared the fruits of their labour. Blithe had made hash browns with onions and bell peppers in them. Ivy Stimpson had made a fruit salad. Candace Howe had made homemade hot chocolate. There was also bacon, sausages, and cinnamon rolls, not to mention the pancakes and omelet. There was no way they'd be able to eat all the food, so Teecie asked if they could invite Uncle Sev to eat with them.  
  
  
  
Charlie thought that was a fun idea and went to the fireplace to call the headmaster down to the kitchens. Several minutes later, Uncle Sev entered the kitchens and Teecie led him to the head of the table. He was very impressed with the food the students had prepared. He told them it all looked and smelled delicious. The students explained to him what went into each dish and how it was made as they ate. Uncle Sev tried everything and told them it was the best breakfast he'd ever eaten after he'd finished. Charlie sent all the kids off to clean up the very messy kitchen while he and Uncle Sev sat, drank coffee, and watched them.   
  
  
  
The students chatted happily while they cleaned the kitchens up. After washing and drying the dishes, they wiped down all the counters and swept the floor. Teecie crept back over to the table and stood next to Uncle Sev. As he stood up to leave, Teecie put her arm through his and walked out of the kitchens with him. "Did you like my omelet best Uncle Sev?" She asked him.  
  
  
  
"I liked everything equally," Uncle Sev responded diplomatically.  
  
  
  
"But if you had to choose something that was your favourite..."  
  
  
  
Sighing, Uncle Sev rolled his eyes and said, "I suppose I'd choose the omelet."  
  
  
  
Teecie beamed up at Uncle Sev, who looked down at her and smiled back.   
  
  
  
That afternoon, at tea with Professor Lupin in his office, Teecie told him all about how much fun she'd had cooking with James earlier that morning. Professor Lupin smiled and listened to her as she chatted away incessantly for an hour. He was so happy to hear she was enjoying school and the clubs and seemed to have finally adjusted to life at Hogwarts. Looking at her now, he could hardly recognize Teecie as the girl he'd ambushed halfway to Hogsmeade two days after school had started. Sure she still had a long way to go, but she was getting there, and Lupin had every belief that she'd get there just fine. 


	16. The End of the Year

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe3: I'm glad you liked the clubs, they were fun to create. This is the last chapter of Teecie's first year, and I should warn you, it's a little traumatic. But all I can say now is, don't worry too much, everything is going to be all right.   
  
The End of the Year  
  
Author's Note: The chapter contains an act of violence. Because of this and the upcoming chapters, I've decided to up the rating to PG-13. Also, this chapter has a reference to ElfFlame's story Dragon's Tears. It's an amazing story that's also a part of the True Revenge series, so if you haven't been reading along with that one, I strongly encourage you to start reading it.   
  
The end of the first year was looming ever closer. Teecie couldn't believe the time had flown by so quickly. It was a lazy Sunday afternoon in the middle of April, and Teecie and the twins were sitting on their beds revising their notes for their final exams in a month and a half. Teecie had received a rose and a poem from her secret admirer earlier that day at breakfast, and had only recently started studying. She'd spent most of the day to that point, lying on her bed, smelling her rose and reading all the letters from her admirer. Paige had finally made her start revising after lunch. The girls had to do the best they could in their exams and it was never too early to start studying.  
  
  
  
At tea time, Teecie went to Professor Longbottom's office and had her tea with him. As she walked out of his office and wandered around the hallways for a while before returning to her dormitory, she sound Reni walking towards the dungeons. Reni seemed to be in a daze and was clutching a hand to her mouth. "Reni, what's the matter?" Teecie asked, rushing over to her sister and putting her arm through hers.  
  
  
  
Reni leaned against her sister, and looked away from her. Teecie had just enough time to see blood dripping from Reni's hand. "It's nothing really. I got my foot caught in one of the trick stairs and fell. I hit my lip against one of the stairs. It started bleeding, but it's not so bad," Reni said in a low voice. "I just need to go back to my dorm and clean up."  
  
  
  
"Oh, that's terrible! I got my foot caught in one of those steps and fell too. They're no fun!" Teecie said sympathetically, helping her sister walk down the stairs to the dungeons. When they'd made it to the entrance to the Slytherin common room, Reni thanked her sister and told her she'd be all right from there.  
  
  
  
Teecie went back up to the tower and watched Robert play wizard's chess with Daniel. Robert was the best chess player in their year, maybe in all of Gryffindor. He was a popular member of the school's Chess club. Teecie still couldn't play well, but found it fascinating to watch. After a while, though, she went back to her dormitory and continued to study her notes.  
  
  
  
Teecie wanted to check up on her sister that next morning at breakfast, but she wasn't there. She didn't show up for breakfast for the rest of the week either. She did see her at lunches, dinners, and club meetings though. Now that Reni seemed more accepting of Teecie, Teecie had made it a habit of eating with her at the Slytherin table. She loved to see the look on Lisette's face as she watched her from the same table. Lisette always looked as though she wanted to hit Teecie.   
  
  
  
Reni always looked exhausted whenever Teecie saw her, no matter what time of the day it was. She also never seemed to eat much at meals, so Teecie began to worry that she may have been developing anorexia like Kali. But she never noticed any weight loss, so Teecie felt that was a good sign. Reni probably just had some sort of bug or something. One time Teecie suggested she go see Master Wilkes, the school healer, but Reni told her firmly that she was fine and didn't need to see anybody about anything.  
  
  
  
The next week passed slowly, for the professors seemed to be cramming all the essays they possibly could for their students to work on. Teecie had to write an essay about the many uses of the Dark Arts for Professor Lupin. She had to write another one on the properties of a set of potions the class had been working on for the past month. Teecie had to compare and contrast them. Professor Weasley had assigned a three roll of parchment essay on their latest endeavor: turning cotton balls into candy floss. It was a very difficult, but delicious task that Teecie had yet to master.  
  
  
  
Club meetings offered a respite and refuge from schoolwork that Teecie needed desperately. She, Reynard, and Reni worked together on the experiments Draco let them perform. They were allowed to make their own potions and take notes of what happened when certain ingredients interacted with other ingredients. During one meeting, when Teecie had added daisy roots to the cauldron, and Reynard had added a small amount of shrivelfig, a huge cloud of purple smoke billowed out of the cauldron. It smelled like grapes and made the three students start to laugh uncontrollably. Reni laughed until she clutched at her stomach to try and calm down. She had to run out of the room to get away from the fumes to stop laughing. Draco wouldn't let Reynard or Teecie taste the potion, even though it smelled delicious. Teecie bet it would have made her laugh even more if she'd drunk the potion.  
  
  
  
In Charms club, Teecie had finally managed to create pink sparks from her wand. It had taken a month of meetings to do so, but she'd never been more proud of herself than when she finally saw the pink sparks fly out of her wand and into the air. Professor Flitwick had clapped his hands and congratulated her. Now the club was working on juggling small items in the air. Teecie had fun juggling an apple, a feather pen, and one of her bangles in the air.  
  
  
  
Herbology club was fun. They had plotted a garden for that summer's vegetable crops. There was going to be corn, squash, beans, tomatoes, peas, carrots, peppers, and onions. Professor Longbottom promised the students that the garden would be well tended over the holiday when they were gone.  
  
  
  
Cooking club was always a lot of fun. Teecie loved to see what James would make each week. James wasn't a very good cook. The only things he made well were breakfast foods. He could make wonderful French toast, Belgian waffles, Australian toaster biscuits, and fried Canadian bacon, but was a complete dunce at everything else he tried to make. Teecie didn't know how James could burn pasta while it was boiling in the water, but somehow he managed to do so. He'd tried to make a cake once, and used olive oil instead of vegetable oil. After he'd slammed to pan down on the counter for a minute to get all the bubbles out, James popped it in the oven. It had been about an inch thick when he'd taken it out of the oven. Teecie loved watching him mess up. He always tried very hard, but it was very amusing to see him fail miserably.   
  
  
  
One Saturday in mid May, at tea with Professor Lupin, the professor kept looking awkwardly at Teecie, as though he wanted to say something but couldn't bring himself to. He asked her how her sisters were doing. This surprised Teecie, for he'd never asked about them before. She didn't visit Kali that often. And Reni was in his classes still, he saw her all the time. Teecie noticed an odd look on his face when she told him that Reni seemed to be doing fine, even though she was tired a lot.  
  
  
  
The next week, there was another screaming match between Reni and Philip at dinnertime. Teecie was sitting next to Reni at the time, and was quite alarmed. Reni lunged at Philip, trying to tear his eyes out while Philip pushed her away from him. He called Reni a horrible name and stomped away before things could grow worse. Teecie was so scared she started to cry, she didn't even care that Lisette would see her and probably think she was a baby. Reni turned around and hugged Teecie, telling her it was all right and that everything was OK now. Uncle Sev came over to the table and pulled the two girls aside.   
  
  
  
"What was that all about? You know there's no fighting in the school," Uncle Sev said as he took the girls outside the Great Hall.   
  
  
  
Teecie sniffled, yet didn't speak. Reni looked as though she might explode. "He can't treat me like that! Not after all I've done for us! Not after all I did for him! How dare he? I love him! He was supposed to love me, he was supposed to stay! Now what am I supposed to do?" Teecie didn't know what Reni was talking about, and felt as though she had stepped into the middle of something she knew nothing about.   
  
  
  
Uncle Sev looked carefully at Reni, his eyes growing wide. "Uh, er...Teecie, why don't you run along now. Go back and finish your meal with the twins. Reni and I need to talk in my office for a while," Uncle Sev grabbed Reni's arm and began walking with her towards the staircase. Teecie frowned after them. Why couldn't she go too? What was going on?  
  
  
  
Over the next week, Teecie saw less of Reni than she'd become accustomed to. Reni wasn't in the Potions club meeting, so she and Reynard worked by themselves. Friday night at dinner, Reni came over to Teecie and pulled her outside the Great Hall. "Teecie, you've been really great to be with this year. I never really thought of you as an actual person before you came to Hogwarts. But I think you're ready for this, and I'd like you to have it. I won't be needing it anymore," With that, Reni pulled the green flask that Teecie had seen her and Sirius drinking from at Christmastime, out of her robes and put it in Teecie's hand. "Use it well, it helped me through many a tough time here," Reni said, smiling fondly and wistfully at the flask.  
  
  
  
The next day, Teecie proudly showed her present to Professor Lupin. The professor asked to look at it more closely. Opening the flask and taking a small sip, Lupin's eyes grew wide and he whispered, "Firewhisky," to himself. "Uh, Teecie, you don't mind if I dump this out, do you? A girl your age shouldn't be drinking this." Teecie told him she didn't care, so Lupin walked to the window, opened it, and poured the last of the liquid down onto the lawn below. "You could put water in this," He suggested as he handed it back to her.  
  
  
  
The next few weeks were spent studying and going to and from club meetings. Teecie was exhausted most of the time, for she had to stay up late at night to get all her work done.   
  
  
  
Teecie was glad to see that Philip and Reni seemed to have made up. Though they always went back and forth. A few days after they made up from their last fight, they'd argue about something and then a few days later they'd be better. Teecie thought it must be exhausting to be Reni.  
  
  
  
It was during one of these good times between Reni and Philip that Teecie had an experience that she'd remember for the rest of her life. She was perusing the shelves of the library, looking for a book about hexes for a Defense Against the Dark Arts essay she had to write. It was rather late in the evening and the entire library was almost empty. As she walked down one aisle, the curtain over the window at the end rustled. Teecie heard soft giggles and whispers coming from the other side of the curtain, and saw that it was bulging out from the wall, as though there were people behind it. Standing where she was, Teecie watched as a girl with black hair emerged from the curtain. She'd never met the girl before. A few seconds later, Philip, Reni's boyfriend, came out from the other side of the curtain. He kissed the girl and she put her hands around his neck and embraced him lovingly. The girl turned and walked passed Teecie as she left the library. Philip looked after her and saw Teecie standing there. He'd never spoken to her, but knew who Teecie was since she ate lunch with Reni so often.  
  
  
  
Philip sauntered over to Teecie and stood uncomfortably close to her. "Hey, you're Reni's kid sister aren't you? You know, that was nothing, so you don't need to tell her. She's cool with it," Philip said smoothly.  
  
  
  
"But you kissed another girl. Why would Reni be OK with that?" Teecie asked, not believing Philip.  
  
  
  
"Listen, this is none of your business, so stay out of it! Got it?" Philip leaned over Teecie, placing both of his arms on either side of Teecie's head, leaning against the shelf behind her.   
  
  
  
"But it's Reni's business. She has the right to know," Teecie replied in barely more than a whisper.  
  
  
  
Philip ran one of his hands over Teecie's cheek. "You're a cute girl, and I've heard how smart you are...Why can't we just keep this as a secret between you and me?" Philip said, tracing a fingertip over Teecie's mouth.  
  
  
  
Teecie's heart began to race as she felt very threatened by this boy. "Don't touch me. I have to tell Reni, she's my sister, she has the right to know."  
  
  
  
Philip's eyes narrowed and his lips drew taught in fury. "The little brat has a big mouth I see! You're not gonna tell Reni anything!" With that, he lowered the hand that had been touching her face, to her neck. Wrapping his fingers around Teecie's neck, he began to squeeze. Teecie's eyes grew wide in shock as Philip choked her. He was very strong, and even though she hit her fists against him and kicked his legs, it did nothing to get him to release her. Teecie could see a glint in his eyes that told her he was thoroughly enjoying this. Trying to breathe, but not getting any air, Teecie flailed her arms around, knocking books on the shelf to the floor in a noisy clatter. Philip dug his fingers more deeply into Teecie's throat, and she felt herself being lifted off the floor until she was barely touching it anymore.  
  
  
  
Teecie had no idea how much time had passed, but saw dark spots begin to appear before her eyes. After a few more seconds, she heard shouting as the whole room grew black, and she knew no more after that.   
  
  
  
Teecie floated in the darkness. It was warm and comfortable and she felt no fear. It seemed like an eternity, yet in reality had been no more than a couple of minutes. Teecie felt hands touching her face, tipping her head back. She felt a mouth pressed to hers, and life being breathed back into her body. After the second breath, Teecie gasped, and her eyes fluttered open to reveal a beautiful boy who looked down at her with grave concern upon his face.  
  
  
  
Every time Teecie tried to breathe, her body was overcome with coughing, making it difficult to catch her breath. When she could think again, Teecie saw Sirius kneeling next to her, holding her hand. As she turned her head, she saw Philip lying on the floor, with Professor Weasley standing over him, her wand pointed at his head. "Are you all right, Teecie?" She asked, with a look of worry on her face.  
  
  
  
Teecie nodded her head and tried to speak, but had another coughing fit instead. When she finally stopped, she managed to whisper, "Yes, I think so," in a hoarse whisper. As she sat up, she heard rushed footsteps approaching the group. Uncle Sev, and Professor Lupin quickly walked down the aisle to where she was sitting.  
  
  
  
"What happened?" Uncle Sev asked, clearly shocked to see the scene. Professor Weasley and Sirius explained the situation from when they had entered the scene, but it was up to Teecie to tell them what had led up to it. It took a while with many coughing fits, for her to explain what had happened.  
  
  
  
When she had finally finished, Uncle Sev knelt down and hugged her. Professor Lupin suggested that Sirius take Teecie up to see Master Wilkes. Sirius put his arm around Teecie's shoulders and helped her to her feet. Teecie was very weak and shaky, and collapsed after a couple steps. Sirius picked her up and carried Teecie all the way up to the healer.  
  
  
  
Master Wilkes was a very kind man, with gentle hands. He examined Teecie's neck, and told her the bruises would fade after he took care of her. He brewed a soothing potion for her to drink that helped stop her coughing, faded the bruises, and made her throat feel numb. Sirius held her hand the entire time. He told her about how he'd been studying for his OWLS in the library when Professor Weasley walked passed him and asked how his studying was going. They'd heard the sound of books crashing and had walked over to investigate and saw Teecie fall to the ground. Sirius had run over to Teecie while Professor Weasley took care of Philip.  
  
  
  
After a while, the Professors Lupin and Weasley came into the healing ward to check in on Teecie. When she asked where Uncle Sev was, Professor Weasley told her he was "taking care" of Philip.   
  
  
  
When Master Wilkes gave Teecie a clean bill of health, Sirius held onto her and helped her walk up to their tower. The professors walked closely behind them, making sure they were all right. Since Sirius couldn't go into the girls dormitories, Professor Weasley helped Teecie up to her room. As Teecie leaned against her, she looked up at Professor Weasley, smiled weakly, and said, "Thank you for saving my life."  
  
  
  
Professor Weasley smiled back and gave Teecie's shoulder a squeeze. "It was my pleasure," She replied. Professor Weasley helped Teecie into bed, and tucked her in so tightly it seemed she was afraid Teecie might fall out in the night. Teecie was so exhausted from her upsetting experience, that she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.  
  
  
  
The next morning, Teecie's throat felt raw again and her voice was quite hoarse. When Patty asked if she had a cold, Teecie quietly explained what had happened to her the night before. The twins sat on her bed, wide-mouthed with shock as they hung onto her every word. They promised to keep this a secret, because Teecie didn't want everybody in the school to know.  
  
  
  
But as they walked to the Great Hall, it seemed as though the story had been leaked out already. Students she'd never met asked Teecie if she was all right. When she reached the Great Hall, James ran up to Teecie and threw his arms around her. "Teecie, I was so worried! Sirius told me everything! Man, if I'd been there..." James looked fondly at Teecie while she smiled at him.  
  
  
  
While they were sitting and eating their breakfasts- Teecie was gingerly eating a bowl of porridge, Lisette and her crowd of friends walked up to Teecie. "So, Orendes, I heard what happened last night. Knight should have finished what he started if you ask me. Too bad Professor Weasley and his brother," Lisette jerked a thumb in James' direction, "Stopped him, or this school would be a much happier place this morning," Lisette hissed.   
  
  
  
Teecie said nothing, and didn't even give Lisette the satisfaction of turning around. As Lisette stormed away after getting no response, Teecie took her wand from her robes, pointed it over her shoulder, and said, "Wingardium Leviosa," and turned around to watch Lisette's robes and skirt lift up above her head, blinding her and baring her lower half to the world. Teecie's heart soared as she heard Lisette screaming and stumbling around. Richelle, and a couple other Slytherin girls closed in around her and attempted to get Lisette's clothes back down where they should be.   
  
  
  
After the girls had gotten Lisette to her table, Teecie had gone back to eating her porridge and was interrupted by the sound of loud screams coming from the Entrance Hall. She could tell it was Reni. Getting up and walking to the doorway of the Great Hall, she and most of the school, witnessed Philip Knight's expulsion from Hogwarts. Uncle Sev was walking him to the front door and Reni was screaming at him for expelling Philip. She seemed to go back and forth between being angry with Philip for what he'd done, and being upset with Uncle Sev.   
  
  
  
Teecie wanted to run over to Reni to comfort her, but as she made a move towards her, James grabbed her arm and pulled her back, not letting her go. "She's too angry, she might hurt you," He explained.  
  
  
  
After a minute, James and Teecie were pushed aside as Draco made his way through the crowd. He approached Reni, took her arm and began leading her down to his office in the dungeons. Reni looked as though she might cry now, "I can't do this anymore, Dragon," Teecie heard her sister say quietly as they walked passed her.   
  
  
  
Seeing Reni so distraught made Teecie upset. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she felt alone. Draco was taking care of Reni, and Uncle Sev was too busy throwing Philip out to comfort her. Who could she go to? Turning around, Teecie began walking back into the Great Hall. Professor Longbottom was standing up at the professor's table. He looked unsure of whether to go watch the spectacle or not, yet when he saw Teecie with tears flowing down her face, left the table and walked over to her. Neither spoke a word, but Teecie threw herself against him and cried her heart out. Professor Longbottom patted her head and stood there, until she was done. When she had calmed down, he put his finger under her chin and lifted her face to look into his eyes. "Teecie, I know you're upset, but you should know that none of this is your fault. Do you understand?"   
  
  
  
Teecie slowly nodded her head. Professor Longbottom took a handkerchief out of his pocket. He wiped away her tears and then gave it to her to blow her nose. "That's a good girl. Now you finish your breakfast. You need to regain your strength after last night's ordeal." Professor Longbottom led Teecie back to her seat and made her finish her porridge. "You make one of the boys carry your book bag for you today, you should conserve your energy," He said while walking back to his seat at the professor's table.  
  
  
  
When the show had finally died down and the students went back to their meals, Teecie was in better spirits. When the group was getting ready to leave, Teecie called James over to her and placed her book bag in his arms. "Carry this for me will you? I'm not suppose to carry it for a while," Teecie said, looking coyly at James.   
  
  
  
James grinned at Teecie and hoisted her bag in his hands, "Sure! I can carry it for you all day if you want! Of course I'll have to sit next to you the whole time."  
  
  
  
"I don't mind if you don't," Teecie said, smiling at James.  
  
  
  
"I don't mind at all!" James exclaimed. He walked several steps behind Teecie since he was so heavily laden with book bags. He was in heaven, taking care of her, sitting next to her.   
  
  
  
James insisted on helping Teecie in their potions class, preparing all the ingredients and mixing them for her. He wouldn't let her do anything strenuous during Herbology, putting dirt in both of their pots. When classes ended for the day, James helped her get cozy on one of the sofas in the common room. He ran around the room, collecting blankets and pillows for Teecie. He put one pillow under her legs and looked around for a large pillow for her back. Kern was lying on the floor, on a huge pillow, reading a book when James came up and ripped the pillow out from under him. "Thanks, mate," James said as he walked back over to Teecie and put it behind her.  
  
  
  
James ran all the way down to the kitchens for a glass of lemonade and a plateful of biscuits for Teecie. Nili was quite concerned and made sure Teecie had lots of sweets for James to give her.   
  
  
  
James didn't want Teecie to strain her eyes, so he made her close them while he read their text books to her. He sat at her feet and read for hours. Teecie insisted on going to the Great Hall for dinner, even though James wanted to bring a plate of food up to her instead. He did allow her to read the letter from her parents that arrived that evening in private. Uncle Sev had told Teecie to let him speak to her parents about this. He'd written to them that morning when he'd finished expelling Philip. The letter said her parents hoped she was all right but knew she was being taken care of, as was the situation.   
  
  
  
Teecie enjoyed the attention he gave her, but was beginning to feel smothered by James. The next morning, when he tried to carry her books again, Teecie told James she was better and didn't need his help anymore. When he tried to put food on a plate for her, Teecie finally yelled at him to leave her alone. James backed off after that and gave her the space she needed.  
  
  
  
Life went mostly back to normal after that. The only main difference was that Reni had dropped out of her clubs and seemed to spend all of her time in her dormitory, sleeping and moping around.  
  
  
  
The last month passed quickly with final examinations at the end. Teecie did well in Potions and Herbology, and average in all the rest with the exception of Transfigurations which she barely passed. Teecie vowed to study harder and improve next year in that class, now that she didn't hate Professor Weasley anymore. Because how could she hate a person who'd saved her life?   
  
  
  
The end of the term feast came and went and Gryffindor house lost miserably to Ravenclaw, but nobody seemed to care. The year was finally over and they all had two glorious months to relax and be lazy and have fun. Teecie was looking forward to watching the telly at home and reading under the olive tree on the hill. She wanted to swim in the pond and help her father cook meals again. She missed all of those things desperately and loved the idea of spending two whole months catching up with all of that.   
  
  
  
Patty and Paige promised to write to her all the time to stay in touch. Teecie thought it would be fun to floo each other to talk face to face once in a while. The twins invited Teecie to the Burrow for a week during their annual family reunion in August. "Nobody will notice one more person!" Patty had exclaimed excitedly.  
  
  
  
Finally the day came for all the students to board the train for home. Teecie had stayed up late the night before packing both her trunks. Carrying Snowball in his basket in her lap, Teecie sat in the seat of a compartment of Hogwarts Express with Reni lying across the seat, sleeping with her head against Teecie's leg on one side, and Kali leaning against Teecie's other side. Patty and Paige sat across from Teecie and they talked quietly the entire trip home. James poked his head in for a chat once in a while, but didn't stay for long each time. Thankfully Lisette didn't come in. Teecie wouldn't miss seeing her over the holiday.  
  
  
  
Finally the train pulled into King's Cross station in London. As the girls walked off the train, they looked around for a few seconds before spotting their parents. "Mummy, daddy!" Teecie shrieked, and ran up to them, giving them huge hugs. Lucius and Adriana hugged and kissed each of the girls in turn. Lucius was on a roll and forgot how many kids he had, he'd just finished kissing Paige on the top of her head when he realized she wasn't one of his. The group laughed as Teecie introduced Patty and Paige to her parents.   
  
  
  
The twins couldn't find their parents in the huge crowd of people. Lucius and Adriana insisted on staying with them until their parents found them. As James and Sirius got off the train, they made their way over to them to say goodbye for the holiday. Teecie gave Sirius a huge hug and a big kiss on the cheek. She'd never properly thanked him for saving her life. As she embraced James, Teecie felt light-headed like she always did whenever they were so close. Yet instead of being scared of it, she felt sad that it would be two whole months until she saw him again.  
  
  
  
After the twins' parents found them and took them, Lucius and Adriana called out to their girls to come with them to where they'd parked Flynn, their car. James and Sirius were waiting around for their mother and waved after Teecie. Just as Teecie started to walk after her parents, she quickly turned around, ran up to James, put her hands on his shoulders, and kissed his cheek. Smiling, Teecie turned around and ran back to her parents, leaving James standing in the busy train station with a hand clapped to his cheek.  
  
  
  
Teecie felt so excited to finally be home again. She'd missed her room, her bed, the entire house. That first night back in her old bed was glorious, she had a lie in for hours. She planned on spending the first few days in front of the telly, catching up with her favourite shows. She'd spend the next few weeks after that reading all her favourite books under the olive tree on the hill.  
  
  
  
The first few days flew by quickly, and the family was soon sitting down to their first Sunday dinner together in a year. Teecie was all set to start reading Anne of Green Gables the next day under the olive tree. As they sat and ate a roast chicken and mashed potato dinner together, Reni stood up. Everybody was silent as they looked up at her, expectantly. Reni took a few deep breaths and looked her parents defiantly in the eye. "I have an announcement to make," She started, "I'm pregnant, and I'm not going back to Hogwarts next year." With that, Reni sat back down and went back to her meal as though nothing had happened.   
  
  
  
The entire family sat in stunned silence, which was broken after a minute when Lucius dropped his fork out of his hand onto his plate. In an ominously quiet voice, he told Kali and Teecie to go to their rooms. Without being told twice, they went. As Teecie left the room she could see her mother sitting in her chair, tight-lipped, fingers digging into the corner of the table as though imagining it was Reni's throat. Teecie brushed a hand against her own throat, and walked into her room. The sounds of screaming and shouting filled the house from that point in the evening and continued until the wee hours of the dawn. Teecie got no sleep, but did get to see a lovely sunrise that next morning.  
  
  
  
The next morning, Adriana came into Teecie's room and told her to repack her school trunks. And that is how Teecie came to spend her summer holiday at Black Manor with her brother. 


	17. Summer of the Dragon: At the Manor1

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe3: It is going to be tough for Reni to deal with the pregnancy, but everything will turn out all right in the end, I promise! Hermione is sort of like Snape in this story, but she and Teecie will end up on better terms than he and Harry are at right now. They might even end up friends, who knows! This is the first of three summer holiday chapters, I hope you enjoy!  
  
BlueDress16: I'm glad to hear you're reading and enjoying this story. It's been a lot of fun to write. Yes, Lucius has been reformed. This story is a part of a series of stories my friend, ElfFlame, and I have been writing. They chronicle the Malfoy family over pretty much their entire lives! If you're interested, the titles of the stories are: True Revenge, by ElfFlame, Dark Descent, by Foodie, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, by Foodie, and Dragon's Tears, by ElfFlame. That's the order they should be read in, and we'd love to hear what you think of them! Happy reading!  
  
Summer of the Dragon: At the Manor-1  
  
Teecie had been exiled by her family. She was being forced to spend the remainder of her summer holiday at Black Manor with Draco, Tanith, and her nieces and nephew. Her parents had explained to Teecie that with Reni being pregnant and Kali needing lots of attention for her recovery, there would be lots of time when Teecie wouldn't have anybody to take care of her. If she went to stay with Draco, she'd have lots of people to play with and to take care of her.  
  
  
  
Lucius had taken her to Black Manor later that next day. Teecie hadn't even unpacked both of her school trunks and so repacking had been an easy task. She wouldn't be taking Snowball or Snowflake with her this time, and was sure she'd be lonely. Teecie had cried in Flynn the entire ride over to Black Manor. She'd begged and pleaded with her father to let her stay at home. "I'll be good, I promise! I'll stay out of the way! I can cook and clean so you and mummy can pay more attention to Reni and Kali. Don't make me go, please!"  
  
  
  
Lucius had gotten no sleep the night before and was in no mood to deal with the whining of his youngest daughter. "Teecie, for the last time, no! You're going to Black Manor and that's final!" He yelled at her, pounding on the steering wheel with the last word. Teecie looked at her father with tears in her eyes and shock on her face. He'd never yelled at her before. Lucius never raised his voice against his girls, except under extreme stress. And he always gave her whatever she wanted when she cried to him. Did this mean he hated her now? That he didn't want her to live at the property anymore and was dumping her with Draco? Teecie had stopped talking and chewed her fingernails nervously after that.  
  
  
  
Lucius had magically lifted her trunks and floated them to the front steps of Black Manor when they'd arrived at Draco's house. A man in a formal-looking black uniform opened the door. "Master Malfoy, and Miss Orendes, welcome. Master Black is expecting you. Won't you please come in," With that, the man bowed and bid them entrance to the Manor. Teecie had never seen anybody act like this and wasn't sure what to do. Lucius took her hand and led her inside the Manor, with the trunks following behind them.   
  
  
  
Teecie whispered loudly to her father as they were being led into the drawing room to wait for Draco, "Daddy, is he a waiter?"  
  
  
  
Lucius grimaced and hoped the butler had not heard that. "He's the butler," He hissed at his daughter. Perhaps the time at Black Manor would do Teecie more good than he'd realized. The butler closed the door to the drawing room, shutting the two of them in the room. Lucius told Teecie to sit down in a chair near him and not to touch anything. Teecie sat in the green plush chair and stared at her feet for several minutes until the door opened again and Draco entered the room.  
  
  
  
"Father, Teecie, it's good to see you. We're so looking forward to seeing Teecie this holiday. I have Nancy preparing a room for you, Teecie. Cecil will take your trunks to the room as soon as it's ready," Draco said, sitting down in a chair. He continued to speak, but Teecie paid no attention to him. She just sat in the chair and stared at her feet, feeling numb and uncaring of what he had to say.   
  
  
  
After several minutes, a woman appeared with a tray of tea, small sandwiches, and biscuits. After being served a cup of tea, Teecie leaned forward and took a handful of sandwiches and biscuits. Sitting back in her chair, she lined the food up on the arms of the chair and started eating the food from biggest to smallest. When Lucius saw this, he frowned, picked up a napkin and handed it to her, telling Teecie to put the food on that, not the furniture.   
  
  
  
When the tea was finished, Lucius stood up to leave. Teecie jumped up and ran over to her father, clinging tightly to him. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes, silently pleading with him to take her back home. "This is the best thing for you," He said quietly, kissing her forehead, hugging her, and walking away. Teecie turned and watched her father limp out the door of the drawing room.  
  
  
  
As Draco walked Lucius out of the Manor, Tanith came into the room and hugged Teecie. "Teecie, how are you? I'm so excited you'll be staying with us! Why don't I show you where you'll be staying," Tanith said kindly, taking Teecie by the hand and leading her out the door and down the hallway to one of the many rooms in the Manor. As Tanith opened the door, she said, "I hope you like it," and led Teecie inside. It was a large room with a lovely dusty rose carpet and green and cream coloured wallpaper with roses that matched the carpet. There was a bathroom and many large windows to let in the sunlight. In front of the windows was a writing desk and chair; and the four poster bed with dusty rose bed sheets stood in the centre of the room. There was a large wardrobe for all her clothes and a cupboard for her books and dolls. It was much larger than her bedroom at home, yet had a colder, starker feeling about it.   
  
  
  
"Matilda should be coming down with the children in a couple of minutes, would you like to go see them?" Tanith asked, when Teecie had finished looking around. She led Teecie back out to the hallway where the noisy sounds of children running down the stairs could be heard. After a minute, the children and a woman whom Teecie assumed was Matilda, appeared. The children were all very excited to see Teecie and they each gave her a big hug.   
  
  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Ticia," Matilda said upon being introduced to Teecie. Teecie wasn't sure about Matilda. She seemed snooty and looked down upon her with what Teecie interpreted to be as disapproval on her face. Matilda was probably no older than her early 30's, yet acted like she was much older. She didn't make Teecie feel very welcome or wanted, and Teecie decided to stay away from her as much as possible. After a while, when the kids were hopping up and down and shouting all at once, Matilda ushered them back upstairs to calm them down.  
  
  
  
Tanith gave Teecie a tour of the Manor and introduced her to the rest of the staff. Teecie had been to Black Manor before, but never for more than a couple of days at a time. She'd never seen half of the rooms before and had never met the staff. Teecie wasn't sure how she felt about being waited upon. There was a luxurious feeling about it, yet it made her uncomfortable to have people that were older than her waiting on her and answering her every beck and call. Surely most of the stuff she could do herself. She could draw her own bath and clean her own room and make her own dinner.   
  
  
  
Tanith told her that dinner would be served in a few hours and that she was welcome to go outside and walk around or explore the Manor or go back to her room. "This is your home now for the next two months. I hope you'll feel at home here," She said to Teecie, smiling warmly.  
  
  
  
Teecie went back to her room and started unpacking her trunks. She filled the wardrobe with her clothes and her cupboard with all her books and dolls. Teecie put the music box and snow globe James had given her on the writing desk. The snow globe, Teecie had discovered, changed with the seasons. In the spring, the snowflakes had turned to flower buds. When summer had started, they'd turned into apple blossoms. The music changed as well. The ballerina danced to different pieces of seasonal music whenever Teecie shook the snow globe.  
  
  
  
Teecie opened the music box and watched as the Lothlorien leaf encircled with the One Ring appeared. She let the familiar music carry her away to a place far from Black Manor. Teecie lay on her bed, with her eyes closed, and imagined herself off on adventures. She never told anybody about these adventures she dreamed about. They seemed so unlike her, yet Teecie still dreamt of them. She wanted to learn to sword fight and ride horses at a gallop and sail the seven seas and be a pirate. She wanted to ride a camel through the blazing hot desert and drive a tank down enemy lines before opening fire on them. Teecie knew none of these things would ever really happen, but they were fun to think about, especially when the world around her was in such an uproar.   
  
  
  
Teecie's favourite adventure was the one where she became a pirate for Captain Hook on the Jolly Roger and they sailed around the world together. When they got to port in New York City, they ran into Captain Jack Sparrow and the Black Pearl. He fell madly in love with her and wanted her to be one of his crew members and his wife. But Captain Hook wanted her to stay with him and continue pillaging and plundering every city they went to. So he challenged Captain Jack Sparrow to a duel. Sometimes Sparrow won and sometimes Hook won, it depended on Teecie's mood at the time.   
  
  
  
Sometimes Teecie thought about writing stories of these adventures. Stories about a girl who went around the world and did extraordinary things and met wonderfully interesting people.  
  
  
  
Teecie was wrapped up in her daydream when a knock sounded at one of her doors. Sitting up and going to her desk and closing the music box, Teecie walked to the door and opened it. Tanith stood on the other side in the dining room. Teecie didn't realize her room was right next door. She stepped out of her room and took a seat at the table.  
  
  
  
Draco and his family were gathered around the large dining room table. Draco and Tanith sat at the ends with the children sitting in between them. Teecie's seat was next to Rouvin, with her nieces across from her. Tanith had gotten Edith, the cook, to make spaghetti, Teecie's favourite meal, in honour of her first day at the Manor. It was delicious. There was a lovely green salad with Italian dressing and garlic bread as well. And they had homemade chocolate ice cream for pudding afterwards. The food was wonderful, but there were so many forks and spoons that Teecie didn't know what to do with. Mel and Liss laughed at her when she obviously picked up the wrong one for her salad. Why did people need so many forks? It was silly.  
  
  
  
When they had finished, Draco took her for a walk around the rose garden. He talked to Teecie about her family and how it was very good she was here, with him. Draco told her most of her parent's time over the holiday would be spent taking one or both of the girls back and forth to the doctor. It would be a very stressful time for them and they couldn't have an extra body running around underfoot.   
  
  
  
Draco told her about life at the Manor. The children received music lessons three days a week, and he wanted Teecie to try out the piano, and perhaps voice lessons. He would be checking with her each week to make sure she was doing her homework assignments.   
  
  
  
At 12 years of age, Teecie was a bit old for a nanny, so she would be responsible for going to bed at a decent time and taking her own baths. Draco also said that he would be introducing her to several students who attended Hogwarts that were from good families. It was time for her to foster better connections if she ever expected to marry into a higher class family. Teecie wondered if he'd be arranging a marriage for her as well and started feeling very angry over this. He couldn't control her life like this. Just when Teecie was wondering what kind of a dowry Draco would get from her father for her, how many cows she must be worth, Draco ended his part of the conversation and looked at her expectantly. It must be her turn to tell him how much she loved all of these ideas.   
  
  
  
Teecie took a deep breath, smiled feebly, and said, "I'm sure I'll have a wonderful time here, Draco. Thank you for letting me stay." She felt exactly the opposite of this though, but tried to hide that from her brother. Draco gave Teecie a hug, and sent her back to her room, since it was getting late.  
  
  
  
Teecie was exhausted and fell asleep immediately. She slept in well into the next morning and finally woke up in time for a late breakfast. She did like having a bathroom of her own, right in her own room. It was a rather warm day out, so Teecie dressed in a pair of blue shorts and a matching tank top. She pulled her hair into a pony tail to keep it off her neck. Like her mum, Teecie normally went barefoot around the house, so it never occurred to her to put shoes on at the Manor which was supposed to be her home now.   
  
  
  
Teecie could hear her footsteps against the hardwood floor, echoing in the long hallway as she walked to the kitchen. As she entered the room, she saw a kitchen that resembled the ones at Hogwarts. There were no electrical appliances anywhere. She walked to a counter and began opening all the drawers, looking around to see where everything was kept. Eventually Teecie found a bowl and a spoon, but couldn't find any milk or cereal anywhere. Walking over to a woman who was busy preparing food for lunch, Teecie asked her where the food she needed was. The woman, Edith, looked shocked to see a girl in her kitchen and shooed her out to the breakfast nook, where Teecie found breakfast still set up for her.  
  
  
  
Everybody else had eaten and left for whatever they were doing for the day. Draco was in his laboratory working on potions, Tanith was at a tea party with her friends, and the children were being taken care of by Matilda. Teecie sat at the table, by herself, eating bacon, eggs, toast, and orange juice, and wondered what she would do for the day. It was a beautiful day out and she should explore the yard.   
  
  
  
After finishing her food, Teecie thought about bringing her plate into the kitchen to be washed, but thought better of it, and left the room. Upon returning to her room, she packed her pink handbag with a feather pen, the diary Reni had given her, a book, some sweets, and a water bottle. She found her sandals, put them on, and went outside.  
  
  
  
There wasn't much more than the rose garden. It was a really small back yard, seeing as they were in the middle of the city. Teecie felt fenced in, trapped. Black Manor was very large, yet she felt it was closing in around her, as though it would swallow her whole. There was a hard wrought-iron bench in the middle of the garden, where she and Draco had sat and talked the night before. The only saving grace was the large oak tree in the corner of the yard.  
  
  
  
Teecie took her sandals off, and climbed up the tree, carrying her bag in her teeth. When she'd reached branches that were strong enough to hold her, she was at least 25 feet off the ground. There was one branch that was set in just the right angle to act as a chair, so Teecie made herself comfortable. It wasn't until she looked down at the ground that she saw how high up she was. Her heart pounded as her fear of heights took over. "Help!" She tried to call, but it came out in a strained whisper. "Help," She croaked. "Help!" She finally managed to call out in an audible voice.   
  
  
  
After a few more calls for help, a man appeared at the foot of the tree. "Well, well, well, what have we here? Some type of large cat caught up the tree?" He asked, smiling kindly up at Teecie.  
  
  
  
"Please get me down! I'm afraid of heights!" Teecie cried out to him.  
  
  
  
"Sure I'll get you down. Don't you worry about a thing," the man spoke soothingly, with a lilt to his voice that Teecie found very pleasant. He took a wand out of his back pocket, pointed it at Teecie, said, "Wingardium Leviosa," and Teecie felt herself being lifted out of the tree. She'd never felt like this before. Not even on the broom. She felt completely weightless, as though she could float away if a strong breeze blew through the yard. The man skillfully brought Teecie back down to the ground.  
  
  
  
Teecie looked up at him. He had a kind, weather-worn face with smiling green eyes. His dirty blonde hair hung down to his shoulders. He held a strong, calloused hand out to Teecie. "You must be Miss Ticia. I was told you'd be here today. My name's Lindon," He said, shaking Teecie's hand as she put her small one in his.  
  
  
  
"Thank you Mr. Lindon, for getting me out of the tree," Teecie said, smiling at him.  
  
  
  
"Now what would you be doing so far up a tree if you're afraid of heights, if you don't mind my asking," Lindon said, his eyes twinkling.  
  
  
  
"Well, I forgot until I got up there that I was afraid," Teecie said, blushing.   
  
  
  
"I can see how that is an easy thing to forget," Lindon said.  
  
  
  
"Well, thank you once again, Mr. Lindon," Teecie said.  
  
  
  
"Lindon," He replied.  
  
  
  
"What?"  
  
  
  
"It's just Lindon," He said, smiling down at her.  
  
  
  
Teecie left Lindon to his work and went back inside the Manor. She walked to the library and sat down in a leather armchair. Taking her pen and diary, Teecie began to write. Instead of writing what was happening in her life, she wrote what she wanted to be doing. A couple hours must have passed, for Teecie had just written the story of her adventures in the camel caravan in the deserts of Saudi Arabia, where Indiana Jones and Aladdin were both trying to get her to join their endeavors, when Cecil, the butler, came in and told her it was lunchtime.  
  
  
  
When Teecie reached the breakfast nook, she saw Matilda eating with the children. Lunch was an elegant meal of French onion soup, with melted Swiss cheese on the top, served in sourdough bread bowls. Teecie ate her food in silence, for she and Matilda had nothing to say to one another. Lisandra and Melantha chatted with Matilda, while she made sure they didn't spill any food. Teecie watched as Mel made Matilda pour her a glass of milk. At least she said thank you when Matilda had done so. When the kids had finished and Matilda had taken them back upstairs, Teecie finished her soup, and stacked up the plates, bowls, and silverware together in one corner of the table before leaving to go to her room.  
  
  
  
Once back in her room, Teecie started writing letters to all her Gryffindor classmates. She went into more detail as to why she was staying with Draco to Patty and Paige, she didn't want the boys to know about Reni being pregnant. When she'd finished writing those letters, she wrote one to her secret admirer. She told him she hoped he'd remember her over the summer and that she looked forward to hearing from him soon. Next she wrote letters to all her professors, Sirius, Uncle Sev, and her parents. The last letter Teecie wrote was to Reynard Bagman. They'd become friends over the school year and she was interested in how he would be spending his holiday.  
  
  
  
Cecil showed her where the owls were kept and Teecie sent them off to deliver her letters. She hoped some of them would write back to her soon.  
  
  
  
That night at dinner, Teecie was eating her chicken cordon bleu when the first owl returned with letters from Patty and Paige. Teecie was very excited to hear from them. They were very sad for her for being sent away from her family and reminded her of the week she'd promised to spend with them in August.  
  
  
  
Teecie told Draco about the trip to the Burrow and how much she was looking forward to it. Draco looked at her with raised eyebrows. Like he was going to send his sister to the Weasley's. He told her he'd see about letting her go.   
  
  
  
During their pudding of angel food cake with strawberries, Draco informed Teecie that he'd hired a woman to come over and give her lessons in how to act like a proper lady in society. He wanted her to act as well as she could for when he brought people over for her to meet. Teecie was upset, for she liked the way she was and didn't want to change. Why was everything she did wrong? He also told her that the next day, he'd be taking her into Diagon Alley to buy her some proper clothing to wear while she was at the Manor.  
  
  
  
Teecie went back to her room that night feeling very angry about this. She was trapped in this prison of a Manor and would be fitted for her appropriate garb the next day. 


	18. Summer of the Dragon: At the Manor2

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe3: I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. This one's much longer and more eventful, and lets both Draco and Teecie experience some new things. I can't wait to hear what you think of it!  
  
Wicked Lee: Glad to see you back! I wondered where you'd gone! I know Draco likes to try and be Teecie's father and that isn't really going to change any time soon. But this chapter has some things that they go through that might have him rethinking that! I can't wait to see what you think!  
  
Summer of the Dragon: At the Manor-2  
  
Author's Note: This chapter contains a small reference to the chapter, Bribing Teecie in Dragon's Tears. If you haven't read and reviewed ElfFlame's story yet, I suggest you do, because she's still threatening to not post any more chapters till she gets more reviews! Besides, it's a great story!  
  
I had so much fun writing this chapter, I hope it comes across in the reading. Please let me know if you enjoyed it or not, and what did or didn't work for you. I'd love to know what everybody thinks!  
  
The next morning after breakfast, Draco made Teecie change into her school robes before Leland, the chauffer, drove them in an enchanted car to Diagon Alley. He took her to Madam Malkin's Robe shop and assisted in designing several dresses for her.   
  
The first pieces of clothing Teecie had to try on were petticoats. She didn't think those actually existed anymore and was shocked to find out that they did. After petticoats came other undergarments, like bras. Draco decided it was time for Teecie to be wearing such things as she was starting to develop. Draco trusted all of those items to Madam Malkin and gave Teecie her privacy for that part of the clothes-making process.  
  
  
  
When she was sufficiently clothed for Draco to see her again, he came into the room and helped design the dresses along with Madam Malkin. He chose velvet and silk in green, gold, and gray. He wanted long sleeved and ankle-length dresses. Each one was to have crinoline under the skirt to make them puff out somewhat, without needing a hoop. They had at least 20 buttons down the back that would require another person to button for her.   
  
  
  
Shoes were next on the list. Black patent leather slippers were fitted for Teecie's feet and several pairs were made. Draco sat back and looked Teecie over carefully before giving his final approval. "Well, what do you think, Teecie?" He asked.  
  
  
  
"I think I've died and gone to Slytherin-Little House on the Prairie hell," Teecie muttered.  
  
  
  
"What?" Draco asked.  
  
  
  
"They're definitely...very...upper class," Teecie said tactfully, trying not to say anything to upset Draco or Madam Malkin who had worked very hard on those atrocious outfits. Teecie thought she might die when Draco announced it was time to leave and she would be wearing the green dress outside.  
  
  
  
They stopped at a toy store to buy some fun things for Teecie to play with. Draco wanted to buy the Purely Practical Potion set for her, but Teecie wanted the Magical Fun Oven. It baked cakes, muffins, and bread with magic in a small oven that Teecie could play with in her room. Draco wanted to break her of those domestic habits. He'd never approved of her joining the Cooking club at school. So the potion set it was.  
  
  
  
Draco took Teecie to Flourish and Blott's book shop next and loaded her up with classical books in which Teecie assumed nobody had any adventures at all. The next stop was Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.   
  
  
  
Draco had just sat down at a table and ordered an ice cream sundae while Teecie was walking up and down the rows of ice cream, trying to decide which one she wanted. After she finally ordered a double fudge walnut ice cream cone and was heading back to the table, she was intercepted by none other than Lisette Crabbe and some type of nanny or caretaker. Teecie halted where she was, and watched as Lisette walked over to Draco. "Hello, Professor Black," She said politely, while sitting down next to him, "What a pleasant surprise to see you here."  
  
  
  
"Uh, yes, it's...pleasant to see you as well, Miss Crabbe," Draco said, trying not to look over at Teecie. Teecie walked to the far end of the store and sat at a table, in a chair facing the wall. She'd just die if Lisette saw her dressed like this.  
  
  
  
Teecie ate her ice cream cone in silence while stealing glances over her shoulder to see if Lisette had left yet, but it seemed as though she intended to stay the rest of the day there with Draco. When Teecie got thirsty and stood up to ask the man behind the counter for a glass of water, Lisette stood up to leave, turned around, and saw Teecie. Both girls' eyes grew large as they saw one another. Lisette looked carefully at Teecie's clothes. "Orendes? Is that you?" Lisette asked.  
  
  
  
Teecie rolled her eyes and nodded her head.  
  
  
  
"I could hardly recognize you in those...clothes," Lisette said, wrinkling her nose in distaste.  
  
  
  
"Yes, it's me. And what brings you here, Lisette?" Teecie asked, folding her arms and narrowing her eyes.  
  
  
  
"Well, you know, shopping. It's what I like to spend my days doing. Seeing as my family has all the money we could possibly need and then some. And what are you doing here? Unattended?" Lisette asked, folding her arms as well.   
  
  
  
"I'm just hanging out for the day here," Teecie said, looking up at the ceiling.  
  
  
  
"Your parents let you come here by yourself?" Lisette asked, skeptically.  
  
  
  
"Oh yes, they let me do whatever I want. I just woke up this morning with an urge to come to Diagon Alley so I took the car and it drove me here. I didn't bother asking, I just did it. They won't care though, sometimes it seems as if they aren't even around this holiday," Teecie said, staring intensely at her fingernails.  
  
  
  
"Or maybe they just try to ignore you because you annoy them so much. I can completely understand where they're coming from. If I was your parent I'd have probably given you up for adoption or left you on a rock for the wolves to eat by now," Lisette said, scowling at Teecie.   
  
  
  
Things were going to get worse, but Lisette's nanny told her it was time to go and Lisette turned to leave. As she walked out the door, Lisette turned around, sneered at Teecie and said, "I so look forward to seeing you in school, Orendes. Will you be wearing that hideous dress?" She sneered and walked over to Draco, "See you in September, Professor Black!" With that, Lisette left the store.  
  
  
  
Teecie sighed heavily, watched for a minute to make sure Lisette was gone, and sat down by Draco. "Can we go home now, please?" Teecie asked quietly, looking at the floor. Her shoulders slumped and she kicked her shoes on the chair leg.  
  
  
  
Draco frowned and looked at the door where Lisette had been standing. Taking his sister's hand in his, he gave her an encouraging squeeze and said, "Don't let her get you down, kiddo. She just acts like that because she's jealous of you. Don't pay any attention to her when she gets that way. Are you sure you want to leave?"   
  
  
  
"What else is there to do? Although, you know what would make me feel much better? The Magical Fun oven," Teecie sighed wistfully, pouted her lips, and looked up at Draco with big eyes.  
  
  
  
Draco debated over what to do. He hated the idea of giving her that bloody oven, yet it was his fault Lisette had teased Teecie and upset her so much. Tapping his foot impatiently, Draco gradually stood up, still holding Teecie's hand, and led her out the door, back to the toy store.   
  
  
  
Teecie returned to Black Manor that afternoon with the Magical Fun oven in her arms and a big smile on her face.  
  
  
  
The next day was Teecie's first music lesson. Roo and Mel were a little too young to start playing instruments, but were there to be around the music and get immersed in the sounds. Liss had a beautiful voice and liked to sing to an audience. She was also very good on the piano. Teecie had a horrid singing voice and had never even touched a piano before. Her nieces and nephew giggled when she sang what the teacher told her to. Teecie blushed a deep red, and felt heat rush through her entire body as she stood, humiliated, before her young family members.   
  
  
  
Teecie decided when the lesson was over, that it had been her final music lesson. She made sure to tell Draco this at dinner that evening when he asked her how the lesson had gone. "The teacher looked like she wanted to throw up while I was singing! I'm not going back," Teecie said firmly.  
  
  
  
"I'm sure you're just exaggerating, Teecie. I'm sure your singing wasn't that bad. All it takes is some practice," Draco said calmly.  
  
  
  
"She was terrible da!" Mel piped up helpfully.  
  
  
  
"Yeah da, just awful!" Liss joined in.  
  
  
  
Little Roo said nothing, but stuck his tongue out and blew Teecie a raspberry before giggling into his glass of milk.  
  
  
  
Draco put his foot down and insisted that she continue with the lessons. He told her that the next day her lessons with Emily Geary, from Emily Geary's Finishing School for Young Witches, would begin. Madam Geary would be teaching her the proper etiquette that all young ladies of good breeding should have. Teecie spent the rest of dinner silently thinking about how to get out of all of this.   
  
  
  
The next morning, Teecie received letters from Carl, Kern, and her secret admirer. Draco seemed less than thrilled that his little sister was getting more mail than he was. And if he'd known they were all from boys, he'd have been even less enthused.  
  
  
  
Madam Geary met with Teecie in the dining room later that morning. She gave Teecie lessons in the proper way to sit, "Proper ladies always cross their ankles when they sit down," She drilled into Teecie. Madam Geary also taught Teecie the correct way to curtsey, something she'd never done before. Teecie had never felt so stupid in her entire life. Dressed in a horrible green and gold dress, and crossing her ankles. She couldn't help thinking that Captain Jack Sparrow would never fall in love with a woman who crossed her ankles.   
  
  
  
Madam Geary was not mean, and Teecie didn't hate the lesson or her when it was all over for the day. That afternoon at lunch, Teecie received letters from Daniel, Sirius, and Robert. The letters she got from them kept her going each day. Her life was not much fun right now, and she needed to hear from these people to make her feel better.  
  
  
  
The next morning, while Teecie read her letters from Patty and James, Draco told her she was not to write to the boys in her class anymore. He didn't like the idea of Teecie talking to so many boys, he felt it gave them the wrong impression of her. The only boy he didn't mind her writing to was Reynard. He was a Slytherin from a good family and Teecie should try to foster a connection with him. Draco thought, with delight, that he might even be able to arrange a marriage if things went well enough. This so upset Teecie that she burst into tears and ran from the breakfast nook back to her bedroom. Tanith narrowed her eyes and glared at her husband, shaking her head.  
  
  
  
Draco was overwhelmed by Teecie during the next week. He had no idea what was going on. When he had asked her how her music lessons were going one morning, Teecie had started crying again and sat at the table blubbering into her toast and marmalade. One evening at dinner, Draco told Teecie that he wanted her to wear her gray dress to tea the next afternoon because he had a friend coming over to visit. Teecie began screaming at Draco, telling him he couldn't control her life and stormed out of the room. She locked herself in her bedroom and didn't come back out for a couple days except for meals.  
  
  
  
After Teecie had finally emerged from her bedroom and sat at the dinner table with the family, Draco asked her when she wanted to have somebody come over to meet and make friends with. Teecie stabbed a huge piece of roast beef and crammed it into her mouth. She chewed slowly for a long time, glaring at her brother. After swallowing, Teecie stood up, growled at Draco and left the room.  
  
  
  
Draco looked helplessly at Tanith. Tanith looked at her husband with amusement. She gently told him that he should talk to Teecie. Sit down with her and try to have a conversation about her behaviour. Let her know it wasn't acceptable. Draco sighed and resigned himself to dealing with this, because he knew Teecie would be interesting to deal with.   
  
  
  
After dinner, Draco walked to Teecie's room and paused for a moment. "Too bad I don't have any "tinkies" with me," He thought to himself before knocking on the door. "Teecie, can I come in?" He called out. After a minute with no answer, he used a simple unlocking spell to open the door, and walked into her room. "Teecie? We need to talk," He said quietly while walking to her bed where Teecie was lying. "The way you've been acting lately has been very inappropriate. What's been going on?" He asked.  
  
  
  
Teecie started to cry. "Why are you being so mean to me, Draco?"  
  
  
  
Draco looked around the room to try and find something to make her stop crying. "What did I say? What did I do? Why does everything I do upset you? It just makes no sense!" He was very frustrated and couldn't hide his annoyance over the situation.  
  
  
  
"You think I'm crazy don't you! Why don't you just drop me off at St. Mungo's if I'm so crazy!" Teecie sobbed.  
  
  
  
"I never said you were crazy, I--"  
  
  
  
"So you're saying I'm a liar? Is that what you're saying?"  
  
  
  
"No...What? What makes you think I called you a liar?" Draco took a deep breath and thought about what was going on. Here was a 12 year old girl, irrational for the past week, starting to develop...no, it couldn't be...could it? Did girls start that so young? He thought back to his school days. Were the girls in his class going through this while he had been there? Surely not. Draco decided to err on the side of caution. Conjuring up a box of chocolates, he presented them to Teecie. "Want a chocolate?" Teecie took the box and proceeded to eat the entire thing. "How have you been feeling lately?"  
  
  
  
Teecie considered this while eating a nougat-filled chocolate. "My back's been real sore lately. Don't know why though," She answered. Draco told her he could show her a helpful potion for that. He also thought he'd have to show her the potion for cramps soon as well, but said nothing about that.   
  
  
  
After a while longer, Draco left Teecie and locked himself in his laboratory. After creating the potion for Teecie and writing out the instructions for her, he spent the rest of the evening trying to forget about his horrible experience in talking to his sister.  
  
  
  
The next morning, Teecie sent off a batch of letters to her classmates. She told the boys to continue writing the letters to her, but to send them to Patty and Paige. They would then send them on to her so that Draco would just think they were sending really long letters.   
  
  
  
The day passed uneventfully. Teecie's singing lesson went horribly as usual. The teacher shook her head in disbelief the entire time. With the potion Draco gave her, her back didn't hurt anymore and it made Teecie feel a lot better in general. But the next day, Teecie's life changed forever.   
  
  
  
She'd woken up like normal, with the exception of the great pains in her abdomen. Clutching her stomach and running to the bathroom, Teecie felt light-headed as she saw a spot of red on her underwear. What was happening to her? Was she dying? She felt like she was dying. Perhaps she was going to slowly bleed to death. And the house staff would find her poor lifeless body on the bathroom floor...  
  
  
  
Teecie wrapped herself tightly in a towel and slowly walked back to her bed. She got back in and pulled the covers around her head, closed her eyes, and waited for death to come and take her away from the pain she was enveloped in.  
  
  
  
An hour or two must have passed, and Teecie had drifted off back to sleep, when Nancy the maid came in to make the bed and was surprised to see Teecie still inside it. After seeing Teecie and not getting much of a response from her, Nancy went to Draco, since he was the only one home at the time, and reported to him of her sullen behaviour. Draco rolled his eyes, left his laboratory, and went to Teecie's room.   
  
  
  
Draco sat on Teecie's bed and looked at her. Teecie perked up, held her hand out to grab her brother's and croaked, "I'm so glad you came to see me one last time. I'll miss not seeing you anymore. I hope you'll miss me too."  
  
  
  
Draco looked slightly concerned over this. "What's the matter Teecie?" He asked, frowning.  
  
  
  
"I'm dying Draco. My stomach is killing me and I'm bleeding to death," Teecie said in little more than a whisper.  
  
  
  
Draco turned away from his sister so she wouldn't see the smile on his face. He tried to keep himself from laughing, but couldn't stop his shoulders from shaking. Teecie sat up and threw herself against his back. "Draco, don't cry! You'll always have the wonderful memories of me to keep you going," Teecie said comfortingly. Draco had to stand up and pace the floor to compose himself.  
  
  
  
Putting his hands on his hips, Draco tried to think of the best way to deal with this, seeing as this was so not his department. He cursed the fact that Tanith had chosen that day to go shopping in London. Turning around, he saw the pathetic look on Teecie's face, and knew he had to say something to allay her fears. Clearing his throat, Draco said, "Teecie, what is happening to you is a perfectly normal bodily function that all women do. It's called...'menstruation'. It's also known as your...period. You may have heard of this term before. It's when you do...this and then it stops and then the next month it comes back again. Does that make any sense?"  
  
  
  
"You mean I'm a woman now? This means I can have babies now, right?" Teecie asked, looking up at Draco. Her look of concern slowly changed to understanding and soon she smiled up at him.  
  
  
  
Draco's eyes grew wide and he backed away from Teecie, "You know what? Let's write to your mum, she would want to know about this. In fact she should come up here and be with you, this is a big day for you."  
  
  
  
"All right!" Teecie said, growing excited to know she'd live to see another day. "I'll write to her straight away! But...how can I walk around when I'm...you know...bleeding," Teecie whispered the last word.  
  
  
  
Draco backed away even further, and told her to get back into bed and that he'd write to her mum. "You stay in bed until she gets here, then we'll let her help you," He instructed before walking out of the room.  
  
  
  
In Draco's study, he wrote a letter to Adriana and sent it off by owl. When he'd finished, Draco poured himself a glass of absinthe and drained it in one swallow. Ah, sweet bliss, he thought to himself as the stress of that encounter began to fade away.  
  
  
  
A couple hours later, a woman popped out of his fireplace. Adriana. Draco had never been very close to the woman his father had chosen to live with instead of his mother. In fact he'd been resentful of her presence for much of his entire life. But after the...incident...back when his sisters were much younger, and after he'd married and had children of his own, he'd come to see he liked the person Lucius had become after being with her. They still barely spoke to one another, which is exactly how Draco liked it, but were capable of being civil to each other.   
  
  
  
Adriana took a deep breath and smiled at Draco. "Draco, I'm sorry you had to deal with this by yourself this morning. But I'm glad Teecie had somebody as reliable as you to be there for her. Do you mind if I go see her now?" She said quietly.  
  
  
  
Draco stood up and led Adriana out of the study and over to Teecie's room. Neither spoke a word to each other until they came to the door. Adriana smiled once again and said, "Thank you," before knocking on the door and going inside.  
  
  
  
The first thing Adriana did was give her daughter a hug. Teecie complained of horrible cramps so Adriana put her hand on Teecie's stomach and soothed the pain away. The two spent the rest of the morning talking. Teecie had many questions for her mother and Adriana was full of answers. Adriana showed her how to use sanitary pads properly and gave her all the basic information she'd need. She also gave Teecie a more detailed education on the birds and the bees.   
  
  
  
At the end of the morning, Adriana asked Teecie if she'd like to go shopping and eat dinner at a nice restaurant in honour of the momentous occasion. This was a big event in a young girl's life and should be celebrated. They planned on going out for the day that coming Saturday. It was enough time so that Adriana could call on Uncle Sev to stay with Reni for the day.  
  
  
  
After Adriana had apparated home, Teecie found Draco in his study and told him all about the fun she and her mum would have on Saturday. Adriana had promised to buy her a whole new wardrobe! Draco smiled and asked Teecie how she was feeling. He'd written out the potion instructions for the back pain and cramps potions and gave them to her. He also told her that she could be excused from her music and etiquette lessons for the rest of the week in order to adjust to her...condition.  
  
  
  
Teecie spent the rest of the week working on school assignments and writing to all her friends. She only told Patty and Paige about getting her period and how she and her mum would be going shopping for clothes on Saturday. Paige wrote back asking if she was all right and that it sounded like a truly horrible experience. Patty wrote back and told Teecie she didn't see why she had to get all new clothes, didn't she have enough already?   
  
  
  
On Saturday morning, after Teecie ate a hearty bacon and egg breakfast, Adriana came over to collect her for their special day. They'd be going to London and driving in Flynn. Adriana almost never used magic on her car, but decided to use it in this case to save time.   
  
  
  
Teecie was excited to spend an entire day with her mother. She never got to see Adriana as much as she'd like to, and this was a day Teecie wanted to remember forever. There were lots of wonderful stores to shop in, and they found some good clothes. Adriana bought Teecie a couple pairs of hip-hugging tight blue jeans that showed off her midriff. It wasn't anything too showy, but it was a more grown up look for her. Along with some more bras, white and black, and pairs of silk underwear, in various colours and styles, Teecie got some cute shirts that went well with the jeans. One was a plain white, tight v-necked shirt that went well with anything, another was emerald green with a star made up of rhinestones on the chest. She also got her first official pair of high heels, black patent leather that would go with all her dress clothes. They spent lots of time trying to find the best swimsuit and found a navy blue bikini which didn't show off too much, especially since Teecie didn't have that much to show off yet. Teecie felt much more grown up with all these new clothes.  
  
  
  
Adriana thought the bikini was so cute that she bought a matching one that fit her for the next time she wanted to go for a swim in the pond. She thought to herself that Lucius would enjoy seeing her in it. Although he'd probably enjoy helping her take it off after the swim in the pond even more.   
  
  
  
Teecie spent the time telling her mother about her summer so far with Draco. Adriana sympathized with the dresses Teecie had to wear, because she'd worn the same type a hundred years ago and still remembered how uncomfortable they were. She promised Teecie that at the end of the holiday, she'd help her work on the dresses and turn them into clothes to be proud of.   
  
  
  
Teecie told her mother all about her secret admirer. "I think I know who it is," She said to Adriana.  
  
  
  
"Oh?" Adriana asked, raising her eyebrows with curiosity, "Do you want to tell me? You don't have to if you don't want to."  
  
  
  
Teecie blushed, looked around the store they were in to see if anybody she knew was there, and said in a whisper, "I think it's James."  
  
  
"Ah, James. He seems like a nice boy. I like him," Adriana said, smiling. "But the question is, do you like him?"  
  
  
  
Teecie blushed even further. "I don't know. How can you tell if you like somebody?"  
  
  
  
"Well, do you enjoy spending time with him?"  
  
  
  
"Yes."  
  
  
"Does your heart feel fluttery when you're around him?"  
  
  
  
"Yes."  
  
  
"Do your palms sweat or does your stomach feel funny when he's near you?"  
  
  
  
"Yes."  
  
  
  
"Well, those are all the classic signs of liking a boy," Adriana said wisely.  
  
  
  
"Is that how you felt when you met daddy?" Teecie asked, looking up at her mother.  
  
  
  
Adriana smiled and looked as though lost in thought. "Yes, it was just like that," She answered.  
  
  
  
They continued talking about life and love over cheeseburgers and fries. Teecie told Adriana about the poems her admirer wrote and how flattering he was. Adriana told Teecie about some of the things Lucius had done to gain Adriana's affection a long time ago. Teecie laughed at hearing how, years ago, her father had driven over to the property in the middle of the night and played Elvis records for Adriana.  
  
  
  
After eating and shopping, they went to a movie. The Sound of Music was playing in a cinema that showed classic movies. Teecie loved that movie but had never seen it on the big screen before. It was such a romantic movie and the songs were so beautiful. When the movie was over, Teecie and Adriana walked hand in hand down the street until they came to a sweet shop.   
  
  
  
Adriana bought Teecie lots of sweets to help get her through the summer at Draco's, and bought a large bag of sherbet lemons, which she called "lemon drops," for herself.  
  
  
  
Since it was late, Adriana told Teecie it was time to get her back to the Manor. Teecie didn't want her perfect day to end and almost started to cry, but thought that as an adult now, she mustn't do that anymore.   
  
  
  
Once back at the Manor, Adriana helped bring in all the bags of clothes and sweets that they'd bought during the day. There was one final surprise for Teecie. Adriana had brought Teecie's CD player and had charmed it so it no longer needed batteries to work. She also brought Teecie's CD collection and a few new ones for her to listen to. One of them was from a band Teecie had never heard of before: DuJour. They were a boy band made up of five very attractive young men: Johnny, Trace, Eddie, Billy, and Kyle, that Teecie couldn't wait to hear.  
  
  
  
After Adriana left and Teecie had gone to her room, she looked over all the new clothes she'd gotten that day. She couldn't wait to put on a fashion show for Draco and Tanith. Maybe she'd wear her new bikini to go swimming in the pool the next day.   
  
  
  
The fashion show and the swimming had been put off for a few weeks since Teecie's lessons were taking up most of her time. Singing lessons were still a waste, and the teacher was beginning to see that as well. After one particularly horrible lesson, the teacher went to Draco to talk about Teecie's lack of progress. "She's even gone so far as to make up songs. I've never heard of anything more absurd than 'Doe a deer, a female deer,' that's not a proper way to learn how to sing. I'm afraid she's a hopeless case, Master Black," She'd informed Draco. Draco sighed, shook his head, and decided maybe Teecie didn't need to waste her time with the lessons anymore. She could spend more time studying potions instead.  
  
  
  
During this time, Teecie wore out her DuJour CD. She made copies of it and sent them to Patty and Paige to listen to. Paige wrote and told her she loved the music, and thought Kyle was very handsome. Kyle was quite the heartthrob, with chin-length blonde hair and green eyes. Teecie liked Billy the best. He had auburn hair and brown eyes that bore into her soul. Every line he sang, was meant just for her. Paige told Teecie that Patty listened to the CD too, but would never admit it to anybody.   
  
  
  
Adriana wrote to Teecie a week after their day out, telling her about the DuJour concert coming up in London in August. She'd be willing to get tickets for her and the twins if they wanted. Teecie thought she might die of excitement! It would be during the reunion at the Burrow, so Adriana could come over and take them to it!  
  
  
  
Finally the morning arrived when Teecie had time for a swim in the pool. After putting on her bikini and looking at herself approvingly in the mirror, she left the room. Going through the dining room and then through the kitchen, Teecie made it all the way to the drawing room before running into anybody. Sitting in the same green armchair she had sat in several weeks ago, was a man Teecie had never seen before.   
  
  
  
He had short, dark, wavy hair that was gently swept back with some type of hair gel. He wore a black business suit and Teecie noticed he had perfectly manicured fingernails. He was sipping a cup of coffee with a slightly blank look on his face and looking at the wall.   
  
  
  
The man stirred and turned to look at Teecie as she entered the room. The man stood up and stared at Teecie as though he'd never seen a girl before. "Hello," Teecie said, smiling.  
  
  
  
The man's eyebrows raised as he looked Teecie over, and he replied, "Hello."  
  
  
  
"Who are you?" Teecie asked.  
  
  
  
"Vince Crabbe, I'm a friend of Draco's. And you are?"  
  
"Teecie, Draco's sister," Teecie replied, not thinking, "Pleased to meet you Mr. Crabbe," Teecie stuck her hand out to shake his.  
  
  
  
Mr. Crabbe shook Teecie's hand with a look of amazement on his face. That was the first time he'd heard of Draco having siblings, and little half-naked ones at that.  
  
  
  
"I'm going swimming, do you want to join me? I can find a pair of Draco's swimming trunks for you," Teecie invited him politely.  
  
  
  
"Uh, that's all right, I'm not in a swimming mood today," Mr. Crabbe declined equally politely.  
  
  
  
"Oh well, maybe another time then," Teecie replied, completely oblivious to how Mr. Crabbe was staring at her. Sitting down in the chair across from him, Teecie tried to make polite small talk, and remembering her etiquette lessons, crossed her ankles, like every lady should. "So, what brings you here today, Mr. Crabbe?"  
  
  
  
"I came to call on Draco, but he seems to be taking a long time in getting here," Mr. Crabbe answered, going between looking at Teecie and staring at the ceiling. Crossing his legs and taking a large sip of coffee, he asked, "Don't you want to go for your swim now?"  
  
  
  
"Oh, but I can't leave you here all by yourself! That isn't right!" Teecie said, smiling.  
  
  
  
Mr. Crabbe cleared his throat and took another sip of coffee. He began drumming his fingers on the arm of the chair. "So..." He began, not knowing what to say next.  
  
  
  
"So, what do you do for a living Mr. Crabbe? Something interesting? Tell me all about yourself. How did you meet my brother?" Teecie asked, full of questions.  
  
  
  
Fortunately Mr. Crabbe was saved from having to answer any of the questions because Draco had finally arrived. Draco's eyes grew wide with horror as he saw his bikini-clad baby sister talking to his friend. Draco knew Vince, and if he'd put his hands on his sister at all...He'd have to talk with Teecie about this later on, but now he just had to get her out of the room. "Vince, so nice to see you," He said walking over to Teecie and taking her firmly by the arm and pulling her to her feet. "If you'll just excuse me for a few more minutes, I must get this little one back to her room where she belongs," with that, Draco gently led Teecie out of the room.   
  
  
  
Once back in Teecie's room, Draco shut the door, put a silencing charm around the room, and began to yell at her. "What were you thinking? Going outside your room in that outfit? And talking to Vince as though you were his equal? He's an adult, you're a child! Children do not speak to adults like that! I can't believe you were wearing that!" Draco's temples throbbed and he hoped he could calm down in time to visit with Vince in a few minutes. "I don't want to see you in that...outfit, outside this room ever again, got it?"  
  
  
  
"But how am I supposed to go swimming in it if I can't leave the room in it?" Teecie asked, frustrated. She didn't know what she'd done wrong. She'd been the perfect hostess. It had been Draco who'd kept poor Mr. Crabbe waiting. He'd have been all alone if it hadn't been for her act of kindness in sacrificing her swimming time to stay with him.  
  
  
  
"Put a robe on," Draco hissed through clenched teeth while walking out the door and closing it behind him.   
  
  
  
Teecie spent the rest of her day pouting in her room and not taking her bikini off. She wrote letters to her secret admirer, Stephen, and Sirius to help pass the time. That evening, Draco came back into her room and began screaming at Teecie for no apparent reason. When he finally calmed down somewhat, Teecie could make out what he was saying. She'd told Mr. Crabbe that she was Draco's sister. "Do you know what you've done? Don't you know how much danger you've put yourself in? Vince is Lisette's father! You didn't realize that? This will get out to the students at school and you could be hurt!"   
  
  
  
Teecie remembered telling Mr. Crabbe she was Draco's sister, and was horrified. How could she have done something that stupid? What would happen when Lisette found out? She already hated her so much, would that make Lisette hate her more to know she was Draco's sister? She'd been told it was dangerous to let people know that, but didn't know why. What was the big deal?   
  
  
  
Draco ended his tirade by warning her that his big dinner party was next week and as she'd be attending, she'd better be on her best behaviour and for the love of humanity keep her big, fat mouth shut!  
  
  
  
Draco had Madam Geary over every day until the party in order to civilize Teecie as much as she possibly could. He'd never been more nervous to give a party before. He would have forbidden her to attend, but Tanith had insisted, so he'd been forced to allow Teecie to come. Teecie could do so much damage if things went awry. She'd already put herself in danger for the rest of her entire school career at Hogwarts by talking to Vince.   
  
  
  
Finally, the night of the dinner party arrived. Nancy, the maid, helped Teecie dress for the party. Teecie was to wear her green dress with the gold trim, and needed help with all the buttons. After she was dressed, Nancy helped tie Teecie's hair back in a pony tail to keep it out of her face. Teecie wasn't looking forward to this party. What if she said or did the wrong thing? When she was all dressed, Teecie walked to the sitting room where drinks and hors' de oeuvres were being served.  
  
  
  
Teecie stood by herself in the doorway, looking around before entering the room. There were about ten or so guests milling around, with Tanith and Draco talking to different groups of people. Cecil and Martha wandered between the guests with trays of drinks and food for them to take. The only other person Teecie had ever seen before was Mr. Crabbe, and he was busy talking to a very tall, imposing-looking man that Teecie didn't like, just from looking at.   
  
  
  
Teecie slowly walked into the room and sat by herself in an armchair, making sure to cross her ankles like a lady. Martha came over to her and Teecie took a napkin, and a few hors' de oeuvres to eat. Cecil offered her a small glass of grape juice. Teecie smiled and took the glass, feeling quite grown-up, since it looked just like the wine the adults were drinking.   
  
  
  
Teecie was taking her first sip when she saw the tall, scary man turn to talk to an ugly, dog-faced blonde woman. The woman glanced over at Teecie, and said to the two men, "Oh look, Greg, Vince, what an adorable child. Let's go talk to it."  
  
  
  
"Uh, I think I'll stay here if you don't mind, Pansy," Mr. Crabbe replied, taking a large sip of wine and turning to look into the fireplace.  
  
  
  
Teecie watched as the ugly woman walked over towards her, with the scary man trailing behind. When they approached Teecie's chair, they stopped and stood on either side of her, looking down their noses at Teecie. "Hello, dear. I couldn't help noticing you from across the room. That's a very beautiful dress you're wearing. Isn't it beautiful, Greg?" Greg nodded his head and grunted in agreement. "Wherever did you have it made?"  
  
  
  
"Diagon Alley ma'am. By Madam Malkin, in her shop," Teecie replied politely.  
  
  
  
"I see. Well, a young girl such as yourself couldn't go all the way to Diagon Alley by yourself. You must have gone with your family," Pansy said, sitting down in the chair next to Teecie in order to look more closely at her.  
  
  
  
"I went with my nanny," Teecie replied, taking a sip of juice.  
  
  
  
Pansy looked somewhat frustrated. Trying to think of another way to find out who her parents were, Pansy patted Teecie's hair. "What lovely curly red hair you have. Doesn't she have beautiful hair, Greg? Feel her hair and tell me that's not the most stunning hair you've ever laid eyes on," She instructed. Greg frowned, stuck a meaty paw out and tousled Teecie's hair, grunted, and took a sip of his champagne. "Such red hair...It must run in the family. Does anybody else in your family have red hair?"  
  
  
  
"Some of us do. My parents are Irish," Teecie said, playing along.  
  
  
  
"Irish? What is their name, dear?" Pansy asked.  
  
  
  
"O'Rendes. They came over from Limerick years ago, before I was born," Teecie replied.  
  
  
  
"What are your parents' names?"  
  
  
  
"Luke...and Edina," Teecie answered.  
  
  
  
"Do you have brothers and sisters?"  
  
  
  
"I have 13 brothers and sisters ma'am," Teecie replied, biting into a shrimp puff.   
  
  
  
"Oh my, such a large family! What are their names? Or can you remember them all?" Pansy laughed at her own joke.  
  
  
  
"Well let me think...Marsha, Jan, Cindy, Greg, Peter, Bobby...Lisl, Friedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta, and Gretl. That's all of us, ma'am," Teecie said, thinking quickly, "I'm right in the middle."  
  
  
  
"And where are your parents and siblings now, dear?"  
  
  
  
"Back at home. My wonderful cousin Tanith knew I was always ignored at home since there were so many people, so she invited me to stay with her and her lovely family for the summer holidays, until I return to Beauxbatons in the autumn," Teecie answered, nibbling on a crudite.  
  
  
  
"That's nice, dear. And are your parents of pure lineage?" Pansy asked, leaning in closer to Teecie.  
  
  
  
"Oh yes, they're the purest! I had another brother, Jake, who turned out to be a squib. They disowned him and sent him away to live in a Muggle foster home. I think he's studying to be a dentist from the last I heard of him," Teecie said, sipping her juice.   
  
  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, Draco saw his sister being tackled by two of his former classmates. Moving over to the chair Teecie was sitting in, Draco interceded. "Pansy, Greg, it's so good to see you this evening! I do hope Teecie's not being too hard on you. She has been known to grill people until they cry!" Draco took Teecie's hand, and gently pulled her out of her chair and led her to a corner. Draco stood in front of her and talked to another one of his friends, keeping her secluded from the guests.   
  
  
  
After several more minutes, the dinner bell rang, and men began escorting the women to the dining room. Teecie was walking by herself behind Draco and Tanith, and noticed Mr. Crabbe walking alone. Even though she wasn't supposed to tell him about herself, Teecie felt sorry for him- the fact that Lisette was his daughter made her feel even more sorry for him, so she ran to his side, and slipped her arm through his. "Hello, Mr. Crabbe, now you don't have to be alone!" She said kindly.  
  
  
  
"And how are you doing this fine evening, Miss Ticia," Mr. Crabbe said, smiling down at Teecie.  
  
  
  
"Oh I'm just great! I get to drink wine! And I get to sit with all the grown ups!" Teecie beamed up at him.  
  
  
  
"So Draco tells me you're staying the entire holiday here. Are you having much fun?"  
  
  
  
Teecie looked around to see if anybody was listening before saying quietly, "Draco's really bossy. He made me wear this dress, and take singing lessons, and etiquette lessons. I don't have any time to do nothing like I'm supposed to be doing over the holiday."  
  
  
  
Mr. Crabbe laughed. "I remember him being bossy in school too. It's just who he is."  
  
  
  
When they arrived at the dining room, Draco called Teecie to him and made her sit next to him. She was still holding onto Mr. Crabbe's arm, so he sat next to her. Teecie talked to Mr. Crabbe the entire time. She didn't stop, from the soup course, minestrone, to the salad course, antipasti, the fish course, roasted mussels with fennel, which Teecie thought were really gross and pushed around on her plate. Teecie chatted to Mr. Crabbe during the main course, saltimbocca and gnocchi, through the palate cleansing dish of basil sorbet, and the pudding of zablione and melon. Mr. Crabbe enjoyed listening to her talk the entire time. He thought she would be a wonderful companion for his daughter. Lisette was not so much of a talker. Their mealtimes consisted of mostly silence and the sounds of each other chewing. After Lisette's mother had passed...Mr. Crabbe sighed to himself and thought it would be fun to hear chatter and laughter in his home once again.   
  
  
  
Teecie was allowed a glass of watered-down wine during the soup course. She really didn't like the taste of it, but didn't want to appear like a baby, and so she'd sipped it anyway. Luckily she was given only juice or milk for the rest of the evening.   
  
  
  
The people at the table started to get louder and louder as the meal progressed. Teecie found she had to lean in closer to Mr. Crabbe in order for him to hear her. By the time Teecie had finished her last bite of pudding she started to feel very drowsy. Mr. Crabbe sighed in relief as she stopped talking for the first time in two and a half hours, and watched as her eyelids began to droop. Draco had kept a close eye on her the entire time, and gently took her arm and told her it was time for bed. As Teecie stood up, she turned to Mr. Crabbe, took his hand in hers, and said, "I had a wonderful time tonight, Mr. Crabbe. Enjoy the rest of the party," before turning and leaving with Draco.   
  
  
  
Teecie was spending the night in Liss' room because her room was next to the dining room and it would be much too loud for her to sleep. As Draco held Teecie's hand on the way up to Liss' room, he asked if she'd had fun that evening. "It was lots of fun! But why do all your friends want to know about mummy and daddy? It's not like it's any of their business," Teecie replied, leaning her head against Draco's arm as they walked.  
  
  
  
"Well, that's just their way," Draco replied. He made a mental note to ask her the next day just what she and Pansy had talked about.   
  
When they reached Liss' room, Draco unbuttoned Teecie's buttons, then turned his back to let his sister change into her nightgown. When she was ready, he tucked her into the bed next to his daughter's, kissed both girls on their foreheads, and quietly shut the door before leaving and returning to the party. 


	19. Summer of the Dragon: A Week at the Burr...

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Wicked Lee: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! I tried to deal with Teecie getting her period in a humorous way because I loved the idea of sticking Draco with the task of dealing with it! I think Crabbe would have softened over the years when he left school. I think at heart he's a follower and has probably had a chance to start thinking for himself finally. And all I'll say about being concerned about Lisette is, just wait till the school year starts. You probably won't grow any fonder of her than you already are now! Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it!  
  
Arsinoe50: Yay, you caught the Von Trapp reference! I wondered if anybody would! I'm glad you liked the way I dealt with everything. This is turning out to be quite the summer for Teecie, isn't it! While Lisette isn't just a two dimensional villain, she is still a villain. I give you my permission to hate her with no remorse for what her home life is like! Here's the next chapter, I hope you like it!  
  
Summer of the Dragon: A Week at the Burrow  
  
Over a month had passed since Teecie had come to Black Manor, and now it was well into August. Teecie was excited about the Weasley family reunion at the Burrow that she'd been invited to. One morning, just as she was going to remind Draco about the reunion, Teecie received a letter along with a rose from her secret admirer. Her admirer sent her a letter every week, and each week, Draco grew more and more upset over it. Teecie was far too young for suitors. Especially ones from lower-class families. Draco reached across the table and snatched the letter from her hands. "That's it! No more letters from that boy!" Draco summoned a quill pen to the table and scribbled out a note on the back of Teecie's love letter. He reattached the letter to the owl's leg, and sent it back off to deliver it to the admirer.   
  
  
  
"That was mine!" Teecie screamed. "You can't do that!"  
  
  
  
Tanith looked at Draco with narrowed eyes. "Draco!" She admonished him, "What is wrong with you? You don't have the right to do that!"  
  
  
  
"I won't have a boy writing love letters to my sister!"  
  
  
Tanith sighed loudly and shook her head. "You were 12 once! You know what it feels like to be in love for the first time. Leave them alone!"  
  
  
  
"I have the right to protect her!"  
  
  
  
"If you're this bad with your sister, I can't wait to see how you deal with your daughters' future suitors," Tanith said, folding her arms and sitting back in her chair.  
  
  
  
Draco stood up. "That'll never happen! I'll be the one choosing their suitors! This conversation is over!" With that Draco stormed out the door of the breakfast nook, leaving Tanith and the children staring after him.  
  
  
  
Tanith looked at all the children, smiled and said, "Well kids, daddy's gone insane!" She started to laugh, and soon all the others were too.  
  
  
  
Teecie went to her room and wrote a letter to her admirer. She apologized for how stupid her brother was and how upset it had made her to think he'd be reading Draco's note soon and that it would make him sad. As she was signing the letter and folding it, Teecie got a great idea. Running to the cupboard, she fished out a tube of lipstick she'd bought a few months ago. Putting some on her lips, Teecie kissed the paper, right by her name, so it left an imprint of a kiss on it. Teecie grinned as she folded the paper again and went to find an owl to send it off with.  
  
  
  
Teecie spent the rest of the morning with Lindon, the gardener. She tried to spend as much time with him as possible on the days that he was there. Lindon knew all sorts of things about life. He was a philosopher at heart. Teecie learned all she could from him, not only about life, but gardening as well. She'd never seen anybody else who could make things grow quite the way he could. Not even Professor Longbottom. It seemed to Teecie as though Lindon's soul called to a plant's soul and made it grow faster, stronger, larger than a normal plant. The roses he tended in the garden were at least twice the size of a regular rose. Teecie loved nothing more than to sit under the oak tree with a book, reading and chatting with Lindon.  
  
  
  
Draco sat in his office, looking out the window at Teecie and Lindon. He hated to see her interact with the servants. He hated even more that she actually helped them, as though they were equals. He wondered what kind of future Teecie would have with an attitude like that. Draco often worried about his sisters and their futures. Goodness knows their parents didn't do anything about them. Reni had ruined any chance of a good marriage by getting herself pregnant and dropping out of school. And she'd been the one with the most potential too. His one Slytherin sister had gone and done something stupid and Draco hated how that made him, or rather, the family, look. It was really sad and Draco couldn't help sighing every time he thought about it.   
  
  
  
And Kali, whenever she would finally manage to recover from her illness, was so obsessed with Quidditch, while though a good thing, would probably have trouble ever finding a boy without a Quidditch uniform on-if she even looked at boys as anything other than teammates or rivals. Draco worried that she may never find a good boy to marry her.   
  
  
  
As for Teecie, she was far too young to be receiving letters from a boy she didn't even know. He knew it was James, and Draco could just see the dim future for his sister. James and Teecie, married, with 5 children running around the house. They'd probably own a restaurant or something as commonplace as that. Draco thought about James and snorted. Twelve years old and the boy was already whipped. What kind of a life would he and Teecie have together? It truly frightened Draco.   
  
  
  
But by dinnertime, Draco saw his entire family avoiding talking to and looking at him. Tanith shook her head and sipped her wine whenever he tried to talk to her. There was no other choice but for him to have a change of heart. He called Teecie to his office after dinner and told her he was sorry for yelling and sending the letter back to her admirer. Teecie hugged him and told him she forgave him. She also took the opportunity to remind Draco about the upcoming reunion at the Burrow that she was invited to attend. Draco thought for a long time before saying Teecie could go. He really didn't like the idea of letting her associate with all those Weasleys, sure they had moved up in life, with Arthur Weasley having been Minister of Magic for a while before retiring, but still, they were Weasleys! But the twins were already her best friends, so how could he keep them apart? Teecie was very excited about this, and gave her brother a big hug and kiss to thank him. The reunion was in a couple days, so Teecie started to make a list of things to pack.  
  
  
  
Teecie dug her trunk out and filled it with her books, CD's, clothes, and a few toys. The day before Teecie left for the Burrow, Adriana sent a letter telling Teecie she'd bought 5 tickets since Kali had expressed an interest in going as well. She told Teecie she'd come up in plenty of time for the concert so they could all have fun waiting in line outside the hall with all the other girls.  
  
  
  
The next day, after breakfast, Leland drove Teecie over to the Burrow and helped bring her trunk to the front porch. Patty was waiting for her, gave her a hug, and helped her bring the trunk into the house. "I'm so glad you could come!" Patty exclaimed.   
  
  
  
Paige came over to Teecie and gave her a hug as well. "We're going to have so much fun!" Between the three girls, they managed to take the trunk upstairs to the room the twins were staying in. There was a trundle bed under Paige's bed that they had set up for Teecie to sleep in. After she had settled in, the twins gave Teecie the grand tour of the Burrow. There were many floors and rooms in the house. There was a Quidditch pitch and a swimming pool outside. Even though the house was so large, it was busy and loud with various family members arriving throughout the day.   
  
  
  
Teecie saw many people she recognized, including Professor Weasley, Stephen, Professor Longbottom, and Alice. She saw Peter and Paul at some point in the day, but didn't have a chance to say hello to them. There was the rumour of Charlie being somewhere in the house, but none of the girls had yet laid eyes on him.  
  
The day was pleasant, for the most part. The only trouble came when the twins' father, Percy, saw Teecie with them, and realized, she wasn't a Weasley. Percy made the twins explain what was going on. Patty told him they'd invited Teecie to stay with them. Percy narrowed his eyes and told her she should have asked his permission first. Teecie remained silent the entire time, with Paige's arm around her shoulders for comfort. Percy made her nervous and feel less than welcome at the Burrow. Just as Percy was threatening to send an owl to Draco, an older woman, with red hair that had streaks of silver in it, walked over to the group. She was short, plump, and had a pleasant demeanor.   
  
  
  
Looking at Teecie and smiling, she asked, "What is your name dear?"  
  
  
  
Teecie curtseyed as a proper lady should, according to Madam Geary. "Ticia Orendes, ma'am, but people call me, Teecie," She replied.  
  
  
  
The woman smiled, then stole a glance at Percy and narrowed her eyes. "What an adorable and polite child. I'm Molly, the twins' grandmother. But you can call me Gran, if you like, everybody else does."  
  
  
  
Teecie smiled, "Oh I'd love that! I don't have grandparents of my own. What fun!"  
  
  
  
Molly smiled back, then turned to Percy. "Why don't you leave these poor girls alone and go find somebody else to harass?"  
  
  
  
Percy's mouth clenched shut, he folded his arms, and walked away.   
  
  
  
The girls spent the rest of the day running around and talking to all the people at the house. That evening, to help prepare dinner, the twins helped keep an eye on the younger children, along with some of their older siblings and cousins. Teecie went to the kitchen to help with the cooking. She finally found Charlie there. Together they helped roast all the turkeys, while Molly and the other women fixed the rest of the dishes.   
  
  
  
Teecie sat at one of the large dinner tables that had been set up to accommodate everybody and talked to Charlie and the twins. They ate, and laughed during the meal and then helped clean up afterwards.   
  
  
  
The first night, Teecie and the twins stayed up late in their beds talking and getting caught up with each other. They fell asleep well after two in the morning and slept in the next day.  
  
  
  
The second day, Teecie had a chance to speak to some of the kids from Hogwarts. "It's like half the school is here!" She exclaimed to Stephen as they chatted and got caught up with one another.   
  
  
  
As she sat in the garden, reading a book, Peter came over to Teecie and sat down next to her. "So, how's Reni doing lately?" He asked, looking at his feet.   
  
  
  
Teecie didn't know what to say to that. Was it her place to tell him Reni was pregnant and wouldn't be returning to school? "Uh, well, I've been staying with my brother for the holiday, so I don't really know. Sorry," She said.  
  
  
  
"I know she was really upset when Knight was expelled. I say 'good riddance', but don't tell her I said that. I just hope she's not too sad anymore," Peter said kindly. Teecie looked closely at Peter. He seemed nervous. "Do you think if I wrote to her, she'd write back?"  
  
  
  
"Well," Teecie started slowly, "When mummy took me shopping earlier this holiday, she said something about daddy killing any boy showing up on the property. I think that goes for letters too."   
  
  
  
"Oh," Peter said, looking crestfallen. "I guess I'll just see her in school then." Teecie cringed. How could she let this poor boy work himself up for something she knew wasn't going to happen?   
  
  
  
"Uh, well, I don't think she's coming back actually," Teecie said slowly.  
  
  
  
"What? Why not? What do you mean she's not coming back?" Peter asked, sounding upset.  
  
  
  
"Well, she decided she's had enough education and didn't need to take her NEWTS, so she's staying at home," Teecie said.  
  
  
  
"But then how am I- how are we-" Peter broke off. He was truly panicking now. "I have to go, thanks, Teecie," He said, standing up and trotting off back into the house.  
  
  
  
A few hours later, Paul cornered Teecie after lunch and berated her with questions about Kali. He hadn't heard from her since school ended. They were really good friends at school and Paul missed hearing from her. Teecie told Paul the same thing about Lucius killing boys that she'd told Peter earlier that day. Paul rolled his eyes. "He always says things like that. Kali's told me all about him. He gave me this 'hunt you down' speech once. It scared the hell out of me, but I got over it," He said to Teecie. "Maybe I'll risk sending her a letter anyway." With that, Paul walked out of the room, leaving Teecie by herself.  
  
  
  
The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Teecie helped Charlie cook the roasts for dinner that night. During the meal, Arthur stood up and announced that the annual Weasley Quidditch Cup would be taking place the next day. Any and all Weasleys were allowed and encouraged to play. Teecie's stomach started to feel like it was twisting in knots. She'd never gone to another Quidditch match since that first time with Professor Lupin. She didn't want to go to this one, but didn't want to explain to people why. Perhaps she could tell people she didn't feel well if they asked.   
  
  
  
Teecie had trouble falling asleep that night and truly didn't feel well come morning. Her stomach was so fluttery she couldn't eat anything. As people started walking out of the house to go to the pitch, Teecie puttered around the kitchen, cleaning up and avoiding talking to anybody. Finally she was left alone.  
  
  
  
George Weasley had hurt his arm wrestling with some of his nephews the day before and wasn't planning on playing in the match, but was headed out to watch the others play when he saw Teecie sitting alone in the kitchen, looking out the window. All the other children, and most of the adults were out playing or watching the Quidditch match. Sitting down at the table across from Teecie, George quietly asked her if anything was wrong. Teecie looked silently at George for a few moments, considering whether to tell him the truth or not. Finally she told him about not really liking Quidditch or flying and that she preferred to stay on the ground where it was nice and safe. She told him about her bad flying experience with Sirius and Professor Lupin and how she had become afraid of heights after that. George nodded his head sympathetically. That was certainly something to be afraid of. "You know, I'm a pretty good flyer. I could help you if you want to try it again. It is a scary thing to face your fears, but you might feel better once you do. You won't have that to hold you back anymore," George said kindly.  
  
  
  
"But...but what if I fall?" Teecie asked in a whisper.  
  
  
  
"Well, did you fall the first time?"  
  
  
  
"No, but...I could the next time."  
  
  
  
"How about I hold onto you really tightly, so you can't fall off. Does that work? And then I can teach you how to steer the broom. You want to try that?"  
  
  
  
"Do we have to go up really high?"  
  
  
  
"No, we can start a few feet off the ground if you like."  
  
  
  
Teecie considered this for a moment, then slowly nodded her head. George smiled, held out his hand for her to take, and led her outside the house. After he summoned his broom to them, George carefully helped Teecie onto it. Getting on behind her, he put his strong hands around her waist and held her closely to his chest. Teecie felt safe in his arms, yet trembled at the thought of going into the air again. Her heart pounded and she felt lightheaded. "OK, I'm going to push off now, but I have you, don't worry," George said soothingly as he gently kicked off from the ground. Teecie said nothing but issued a strangled cry from her throat and grabbed hold of the broom handle. George tightened his grip on her waist, "I have you, don't worry, I won't let go," he assured her. Teecie leaned back against his chest and closed her eyes. George looked down at Teecie, "Open your eyes," he instructed. She slowly opened her eyes and watched as they hovered a couple feet off the ground. George started giving her instructions on steering the broom, along with showing her at the same time. He never lost his grip on Teecie. Together they weaved around the trees of the front yard. They stopped and started. They moved up a few more feet and then back down again, so Teecie could learn all the different directions the broom could move in.   
  
  
  
As they flew around, Teecie saw a strange brown creature running around in the grass. It was horribly ugly. "Ew, what's that?" She cried out, pointing to the creature, not even realizing she'd taken one of her hands off the broom.  
  
  
  
George looked at where Teecie was pointing, smiled and said, "That's a garden gnome. You don't have any of those at your house?"  
  
  
  
"No, I've never seen one before. It looks like Mr. Potato Head!"   
  
  
  
"You want to toss it? Gnome tossing is great fun!" George steered the broom towards the gnome and sped up their pace. "Hold onto the broom with one hand and lean down and grab it with your other hand. I still have a hold of you," George instructed.  
  
  
  
Teecie leaned down and flattened her body against the broom, holding tightly with her left hand. Reaching her right hand down, she snatched up the gnome. It struggled in her hand. Sitting back up, Teecie took a close look at the little creature. The gnome was brown and gnarled and kicked at Teecie's hand as she held it by the waist. "Now they have very sharp teeth, so be careful!" George warned. "Just take it by the legs, whirl it around a few times, and let go. It'll fly away!"  
  
  
  
Teecie looked at the little creature in her hand. It looked into her eyes and squealed, pushing his tiny hand-like limb against her fingers, trying to get Teecie to release him. Teecie frowned. "I can't throw him, he's so cute! Do you think he'd make a good pet?"  
  
  
"I really don't think so, Teecie. They like to be free and live in their holes. I doubt he'd enjoy being dressed in doll clothes and put in a doll cradle, which I know is what you're thinking!"  
  
  
  
Teecie frowned and looked sadly at the little gnome. He, in turn, sank his teeth into her arm. "Ow!" She squealed. Winding her arm up, Teecie tossed the garden gnome far away from her. They watched as it sailed, arcing in the air, before coming back down to land in the weeds on the other side of the fence.  
  
  
  
"Good job!" George said enthusiastically. He flew them around a little bit more, then let Teecie take over control, but didn't tell her. She steered them around the yard for a while, then asked George to stop. When George told her she was now in control of the broom, Teecie screeched, and clutched tightly at the broom, flattening her body against it once again. George rolled his eyes, and stopped the broom so Teecie could get off. "See, that wasn't so bad now, was it?"  
  
  
  
"No, it wasn't. But I don't want to go up any higher. At least not yet," Teecie replied.  
  
  
  
"That makes sense. It's a lot to get used to. Maybe we can try some more tomorrow," George said, getting off the broom and walking back to the house with Teecie.  
  
  
  
The two practiced a little more every day until finally Teecie allowed him to take her higher up in the air, but no higher than the tree tops. It was a huge amount of progress, and George was incredibly proud of Teecie, yet he tried not to point it out, in case it made her nervous. The last thing he wanted was for her to regress and become afraid again. Hopefully there was somebody at the school who could help her continue to practice and face her fears.  
  
  
  
A couple more days passed, filled with fun and games. Teecie enjoyed playing with all those Weasley children. There were so many of them though that it was hard to keep all the names straight. Sometimes she wished they'd wear nametags.   
  
  
  
At every mealtime, Teecie would go to the kitchens and help set tables or cook the food, and then stay afterwards to help clean up. Sometimes Paige helped too, but she mostly helped with the younger children along with Patty, who hated anything that had to deal with cooking or cleaning. Sometimes Teecie wondered what kind of a wife Patty would make if she hated all of the things that went along with keeping a house.   
  
  
  
Finally the day of the concert arrived. Adriana came over to the Burrow in plenty of time to see her daughter before taking her and the twins off for the concert. Adriana had never liked being in large crowds of magical people, but had gotten better during the years she'd taught at Hogwarts. But she was quite nervous to be among so many strangers. "Mum!" Teecie had called out once she saw Adriana. Teecie had decided she was too old to say "mummy" anymore. Adriana looked taken aback. Was her baby really getting so old?  
  
  
  
Teecie took Adriana to see Molly and Arthur, but she could only find Arthur. Adriana had met both of them before at school functions. Arthur always had so many questions about Muggles for her that she never got tired of answering. It had been Arthur becoming the Minister of Magic that had allowed Adriana to start trusting the government again.   
  
  
  
Adriana told Teecie that Kali wasn't feeling good and couldn't go with them to the concert, so she had an extra ticket. Arthur had been sipping his tea, when he heard this. He perked up, "Extra ticket?" He asked.   
  
  
  
"Yes, why you want to come with us?" Adriana asked, smiling. "These types of concerts are truly a Muggle cultural spectacle not to be missed."  
  
  
  
Arthur smiled, "Well I really should escort my granddaughters after all..."  
  
  
  
"Well then it's a date! I insist you come with us!"  
  
  
  
Molly seemed less than thrilled when Arthur excitedly told her about going with Adriana to the concert. She pulled the twins aside and told them to keep an eye on their grandfather that night, to make sure he didn't stray too far. When Patty suggested they put a leash on him, Molly narrowed her eyes, glared in Adriana's direction and left the room.  
  
  
  
They drove in Flynn to the concert. Arthur asked questions the entire time. Adriana was explaining how the internet worked when they pulled into the car park and stopped the car. The girls had listened to the CD in the car and sung along with the words. As they got out, they saw a sea of girls with a few boys dotted here and there, flocking towards the hall. Paige and Teecie were hopping up and down and squealing with excitement. Patty walked with folded arms behind them, snorting at their girlishness. She'd never be that girly. Patty would never admit to liking DuJour, but she did. She thought Eddie, the bad boy, with spiky green hair and an eagle tattoo, was sort of cute.  
  
  
  
Adriana talked Arthur through the entire process, for he was looking overwhelmed at the thousands of screaming girls. She linked her arm through his to make sure they didn't get separated. Arthur watched with fascination as the boys came on the stage and started singing. They wore bright, flashy clothing and danced in perfect synch with each other. Some of the moves were suggestive and Arthur tried to cover his granddaughters' eyes, but they yelled at him, so he stopped.   
  
  
  
Some of the lyrics they sang were also suggestive and Arthur leaned over to Adriana and asked if the girls actually knew what the words of the songs meant. "I don't think so, I don't think they pay much attention to the words," Adriana replied while dancing with the girls.   
  
  
  
Arthur shook his head and stood back to watch her dance. She did have nice moves. Quickly clearing his throat, he turned back to look at the stage and watched as the boys were lifted up on harnesses and "flew" above the audience while singing at the same time. Muggles! They came up with the most interesting ways around magic.   
  
  
  
The screaming continued for the entire concert which lasted almost three hours. As the group left the concert, chatting happily about the event, Teecie thought she heard somebody calling her name. Turning around, Teecie and the twins saw a familiar face calling out and running over to them. "Carl!" Paige cried, running over to him.  
  
  
  
"Wasn't that the best concert?" Carl said, grinning. "Did you see Billy? I almost died when I saw him in that blue outfit!"  
  
  
  
"Oh I know, wasn't it just great!" Teecie exclaimed. "So, who did you come with?" She asked, looking around to see if Carl's parents were with him.  
  
  
  
Carl shrugged his shoulders. "I came alone. My mum was too busy working and my dad...Anyway, I took a taxi. I was just going to call another one to take me home," He replied.  
  
  
  
Adriana put her arm around Carl's shoulder, "Well we were all going to go out for dinner. You're welcome to join us and we can take you back home afterwards if you like," She invited.  
  
  
  
Carl smiled, "I'd love that!" He exclaimed. Paige and Teecie each took an arm and walked with Carl to the car. The four kids sang DuJour songs in the backseat all the way to the restaurant.  
  
  
  
Arthur had never eaten at a Muggle fast food restaurant before. As they walked into the McDonald's, Arthur looked around with wonder. It was a brightly lit restaurant with a large plastic statue of a clown with bright red hair. "Heh, good looking chap," Arthur said to himself. Adriana helped all the other kids order, then ordered food for herself. Arthur stared at the menu. It all looked so interesting. "How big are the Big Macs?" He asked Adriana.  
  
  
  
"Oh, they're pretty big," She said. "You can get a Coke and some fries and that'll be a great meal," Adriana suggested. Adriana got the same except had a cheeseburger instead of a Big Mac, they were too big for her.  
  
  
  
Arthur and Adriana sat at a booth by themselves, chatting about the evening and the food. Carl and the girls sat in the booth across from them, talking nonstop about the concert. Adriana sat back in her seat, and sighed. "Look at them Arthur, so sweet and young and innocent. They're all growing up so quickly. Going back to school soon. I can't believe my last baby's going to start her second year!"  
  
  
  
Arthur looked over at the twins. "It doesn't seem so long ago that my Bill was just starting his second year. How fast the time does fly," He spoke in little more than a whisper. Adriana took his hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. How fast the time did fly. Things ever changing, ever growing, ever leaving...Adriana took a large sip of her Coke and tried to bring herself out of her thoughts.  
  
  
  
After they'd finished their food, Adriana led the children out the door and back to the car. She and Arthur sang along with the kids this time as they drove Carl back to his flat. Once they'd seen Carl back safely to his flat, Adriana drove the rest of the group back to the Burrow. Teecie thanked Adriana and gave her a big hug as she left the car with Arthur and the twins.   
  
  
  
As Adriana drove home that evening, she thought about how grown up her baby was getting. She cried to herself the entire car ride back and came home to the comforting arms of Lucius, who held her until she fell asleep.   
  
  
  
Teecie and the twins barely slept that night. They were so wound up from the concert that they stayed up all night reliving each and every moment several times. They slept in well into the next morning and ate a late breakfast of toast and marmalade, the only food left by the time they'd gotten ready for the day.  
  
  
  
That afternoon, Teecie and the twins sat on the floor talking to Fred. They were telling him about the Invisi-Bell and how they put it on Mrs. Otis. He was very impressed when they told him how they evaded Professor Lupin's senses with their spells. Teecie told him about how he'd punished her for it. Fred smiled and was almost overcome with emotion to hear she had lost almost 100 points by herself. He felt such pride to hear that Patty had lost 60 points during the fight later on in the year. Fred was trying to figure out a way to have a painting of himself made and brought to the girls at school when some of the grown ups came into the room and sat down on the sofa. "And who is this?" Called a man Teecie hadn't been introduced to yet.  
  
  
  
Looking up at the long-legged red haired man, Teecie smiled and said, "I'm Teecie, who are you?"  
  
  
  
"Ron. You know my wife, Hermione. She's your Transfiguration professor," Ron said, smiling.  
  
  
  
Teecie tried hard to keep a calm demeanor. That nice man was her husband? How could he stand it?  
  
  
  
"Ah, pleased to meet you, Ron," Teecie said, smiling.  
  
  
  
Ron pointed to the dark haired man with glasses sitting next to him. "And this is Harry Potter," He introduced.  
  
  
  
"Famous Harry Potter!" Teecie said automatically in a snotty tone, as though it was a phrase she'd heard millions of times and didn't even realize she was saying it. Next to her, Paige gasped and Patty started to snicker. Ron looked at Teecie with horror on his face. Harry looked bemused, as though trying to figure out who Teecie reminded him of.  
  
  
  
"What?" Teecie asked, confused. "Pleased to meet you Mr. Potter. I'm Teecie. Say...you're that guy who beat that guy, aren't you? I read about you in my history book. Yep, there's your scar and everything," Teecie said pointing at his scar. "My mum always told me if you'd gotten off your butt earlier and done something about Voldy-whozit, her friend Albus wouldn't have died. And my brother says you're full of yourself. He says he went to school with you, so he ought to know. Are you full of yourself? He says you love to be the hero. Is that true?"   
  
  
  
"Your brother? What house was he in?" Harry asked, putting a finger under his chin and leaning against his legs towards her .  
  
  
  
"Slytherin. He almost cried when I made Gryffindor. Or so he told me afterwards. But he's great. He helps me with my homework," Teecie replied.  
  
  
  
"And how would you have a brother so much older than yourself?" Harry asked, leaning in closer to Teecie, as though scrutinizing her face.  
  
  
  
"He's my half-brother. Our father had us later than he had him," Teecie explained.  
  
  
  
"Ah...I see. And you're all redheads?" Harry asked, narrowing his eyes.  
  
  
  
"No, I'm the only one. My mummy and Kali have black hair, my daddy has white hair and Reni and Drac-uh...my brother have blonde hair," Teecie said, hoping she caught herself in time. Teecie heard Ron take a sharp breath as she spoke and noticed Harry's eyes dilate. Uh-oh, that couldn't be good.  
  
  
  
"Malfoy...You're Draco Malfoy's sister?" Harry asked, incredulously.  
  
  
  
"No," Teecie replied, smiling up at Harry. Harry sighed and sat back. "I'm Draco Black's sister."  
  
  
  
"What?" Harry cried, jumping to his feet. "But that means...Lucius is your father?" Teecie smiled and nodded. "He has more kids? They let him have more?" Harry grabbed Teecie's arm and pulled her up towards himself. "Let me get a good look at you. I can't believe it!"   
  
  
  
Teecie screamed and tried to pull away from Harry but he was too strong for her. "Let me go!" She screeched, hitting at him with her free arm.   
  
  
  
Fred stood up and pulled Harry away from Teecie, "Steady on, mate, she's just a little kid," Fred turned to the girls, who stared, open-mouthed at the scene, "Girls why don't you go outside and play for a while, all right?" Patty and Paige stood up, but looked like they didn't want to leave without Teecie.   
  
  
  
Molly, who'd been passing by the room and had heard the screaming, rushed in and saw Fred holding onto Teecie, while trying to calm Harry down. When Teecie saw Molly, she started to cry. Fred let go of her and Teecie ran into Molly's arms. "He--he--grabbed me!" She cried.  
  
  
  
Molly looked around at everybody. "What is going on? Ron? Harry?" Nobody met her eyes as she looked at them. "Fred, take these girls outside, now," She ordered. Teecie walked out the door with the twins and Fred and watched as the door to the room they'd been in was shut. She never heard what was said after that.  
  
  
  
Teecie was upset for the rest of the day and tried to stay as far away from Harry or Ron as possible. Patty and Paige had been upset as well. Harry was normally so calm and nice that seeing him grabbing their friend and being so upset frightened them. They insisted on flanking Teecie for the rest of the day, as though Harry might pop out of the cupboard and grab at their friend once again when they weren't expecting it.  
  
  
  
That evening after dinner, Professor Longbottom came over to the girls and asked if he could talk to Teecie alone. Teecie took his hand and walked outside with him. "I heard about what happened today. Are you all right?" He asked kindly.  
  
  
  
"It just scared me. I don't know why he seemed so upset when he found out who I was," Teecie replied, leaning her head against his stomach.  
  
  
  
"Well, Harry and I are pretty good friends. He was talking to me afterwards and he was really upset too that he'd gotten out of control like that. He asked me to talk to you and see if it was OK for him to apologize to you. Would that be all right with you? I can stay with you if you'd like," the professor said kindly.  
  
  
  
Teecie took a deep breath and nodded her head. Professor Longbottom called out to Harry, and Teecie watched at Harry crept out from behind a tree several feet from them and approached them. Teecie could get a better look at him now that he wasn't attacking her. He seemed laid back in his demeanor. He had kind, smiling green eyes and dark hair like her mum's. When he wasn't trying to grab her, he seemed non-threatening and really not too much to write home about. He was just average. She'd never heard much about what he'd done during the war, but apparently it had been quite impressive and important. Teecie gripped Professor Longbottom's hand tightly as Harry walked to her side and knelt down to look into her eyes. "Teecie, I am so incredibly sorry for what I did. I should have had more control. I feel terrible that I scared you and made you upset. Can you ever forgive me?" Harry asked, looking sheepishly up at Teecie.   
  
  
  
Teecie took another deep breath, bit her lip, and buried her head in Professor Longbottom's arm. "Why should I?" She asked in a muffled voice. "You scared me."  
  
  
  
"I'm so sorry that I scared you. I was so startled to find out you were Draco's sister, that I just lost control. But it'll never happen again. I promise," Harry said quietly.  
  
  
  
"Why don't you like Draco? He's the best brother in the world," Teecie said, turning her face to look at Harry.  
  
  
  
"Well...we were sort of...rivals in school. Do you have somebody at school that you don't get along well with?" Harry asked. Teecie nodded, thinking of Lisette. "Well, that's sort of the way it was for us. But it wasn't right for me to take it out on you."  
  
  
  
With that, Teecie considered what Harry had said, imagining herself in the same situation one day with one of Lisette's children. She stuck her hand out and allowed Harry to shake it, which he did while smiling and standing up again. Professor Longbottom stayed with them as they all talked and got to know one another a little better that evening.  
  
  
  
The next day was the last day of the reunion. Teecie received a letter from her secret admirer at the breakfast table. Paige squealed as Teecie told her how they had been writing to one another. This letter said that he was going to reveal himself very soon. Teecie's heart fluttered as she thought about who it was and how he would let her know.   
  
  
  
Teecie packed her trunk and hugged everybody. She'd be seeing most of the kids in school in a couple of weeks. It took a couple hours for all the pictures to be taken of the families. Teecie watched as the little kids ran around and their parents ran after them. But after a while, Molly made Teecie join in on all the pictures, having deemed her an honorary Weasley.   
  
  
  
Later that afternoon, Leland arrived at the Burrow to bring Teecie back to Black Manor. Teecie hugged Patty and Paige one final time. They promised to give her copies of the pictures once they had been developed. Teecie sat in the back of the car as it drove away from the Burrow. Teecie had had the most fun the entire holiday at this house. She hoped she'd get to go again next year. 


	20. Year Two Begins

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
BlueDress16: I'm glad you liked the concert. I've been trying to think of ways to get Arthur to a boy band concert, just to see his reaction, and this was the perfect way to do it! I'm glad you like the story, it's wonderful to read your reviews!  
  
Arsinoe50: This chapter was a lot of fun to write and I'm glad you enjoyed reading it. I tried to keep the Harry encounter as light as I possibly could, but still keep that edge of scariness to it. I'd love to hear what you think of Draco's reaction! Adriana sure does have a lot to deal with, doesn't she! It's got to be so emotionally draining and painful to see your children and know you'll be there to watch them grow and die of old age while you stay as you are. I can't imagine what that must do to her. I think it's why she remains somewhat distanced from her family. I will try to weave bits of Kali and Reni into the story when I can. I do intend to write their stories some time so I can't get too detailed here, but this chapter has a little bit about them. Anyway, here's the next chapter, and I this was also another really fun one to write! Enjoy!  
  
Wicked Lee: I'm glad you liked the chapter, and how Teecie met Harry. I just couldn't resist. With the family that she comes from, she sure was raised to have a different view of the Harry Potter we all know and love and most of the Wizarding world worships! Here's the next chapter, have fun reading!  
  
Second Year Begins  
  
  
  
The last week at Black Manor had gone quickly. Draco didn't make her meet with any students from the school, like he'd said he was going to, because he didn't trust her to keep her mouth shut. Miraculously enough though, Teecie had managed to not tell her brother about her encounter with Harry Potter. She figured if Harry's reaction had been so violent, she could only imagine Draco's if he ever found out about it.  
  
  
  
But it was during their tea on the next to the last day together that Teecie accidentally slipped and told Tanith about Harry and what he'd done to her, but that he'd apologized and they were cool now.  
  
  
  
Draco turned pale and his lips started to quiver. He gripped his teacup in one hand, his arm trembling. "He grabbed you?" He asked in a low, ominous voice. "Did he hurt you? He scared you?"  
  
  
  
Teecie looked at her brother with wide eyes. "Yes, but he-" but was cut off as Draco threw the teacup across the room. It hit the mantle of the fireplace and shattered into a million pieces. Teecie flinched and tried to remain calm, but looked at him with an open mouth.  
  
  
  
"HOW DARE HE? I should kill him!" Draco had stood up and was now pacing the floor, ranting. "Touching MY sister! Do you know where he lives?" He asked, turning to Teecie. Teecie shook her head. "Oh, that's it!" He snarled, and with that, Draco stormed out of the room and walked to his office, slamming the door behind him. He wrote a particularly nasty letter to his former schoolmate and sent it off by owl, knowing the bird would be able to find him. Feeling avenged, Draco went about his day after that, as though nothing had happened.   
  
  
  
After dinner that night, Draco received a howler from Harry Potter. Famous Harry Potter spouted words that would have made a sailor blush, and Draco was relieved to have been reading it in his office, where none of the children could hear it. Famous Harry Potter told him the situation had been resolved and had nothing to do with Draco. Then he told him where he could stuff the howler. Draco grabbed the howler as it was finishing its tirade and threw it into the fire. He smiled as it screamed at him while burning away into ashes and fluttering up the chimney.  
  
  
  
The next day was Teecie's last day at the Manor. Her father would be picking her up later that afternoon. The night before they'd had eaten a lovely roast pork and potato dinner in honour of Teecie's last evening with them. Teecie spent her final morning, after she'd finished packing her trunks, with Lindon, the gardener. He told her that his daughter, June, had received her letter from Hogwarts and would be attending this year. Teecie was very happy for him and told Lindon she'd keep an eye out for her at the sorting.   
  
  
  
Teecie went for one final swim in the pool that afternoon. She had just changed back into her skirt and blouse when Lucius showed up. Her hair was still wet when she ran to his arms. "Daddy!" She cried and buried her face in his stomach as he wrapped his arms around her tightly. When she looked up into his face, she saw kind eyes and a smile meeting her own. Looking carefully at her father, Teecie noticed he looked older. There were wrinkles by his eyes and he looked very pale. This holiday must have been very difficult on him. "Did you miss me?" She asked.  
  
  
  
"Of course I missed you! How could I not miss my baby?" Lucius asked, kissing her forehead. He noticed that she looked older as well. His baby was no longer a baby. Lucius stayed and had tea with the family. He told them all about Reni and Kali and how they were doing. When they were ready to leave, Teecie gave everybody hugs and kisses.   
  
Roo started to cry when she walked away and ran after Teecie. "Don't go!" He cried.   
  
  
  
Teecie turned and picked her nephew up. "I have to go, darling! I have to go back to school in a week," She said, kissing him on the cheek and setting him down again. "We'll see each other again at Christmas!" Tanith came over and took Roo's hand, allowing Teecie to leave. After she hugged Draco and thanked him for letting her stay at his home for such a long time, Teecie took Lucius' hand, together, they walked to the car.  
  
  
  
"So, are you going to forgive your old dad for making you stay here?" He asked, looking over at his daughter as they drove home.  
  
  
  
"I suppose so," Teecie said, leaning against his shoulder. "There were some fun moments."  
  
  
  
"What was the most fun you had?"  
  
  
  
"Hmmm. I think the dinner party was the best. I got to drink wine, but it was gross. But the food was great! I'll have to write to Edith for the recipes. You'd love them. And I met lots of Draco's friends and I didn't tell any of them who I was!" Teecie said, smiling at the memories.  
  
  
  
"Well I'm glad you had some good times," Lucius replied, tousling her hair. Lucius told Teecie about her sisters and warned her of how to act around them. "Don't say anything about their weight gain. They're both very sensitive about it. And don't ask Kali about Quidditch because she's still upset that I won't let her back on her broom yet."  
  
  
  
Teecie was nervous about making either of her sisters angry and as they drove into the driveway, her stomach fluttered. As they walked to the front porch, Adriana ran out to meet them. "Oh I'm so glad you're home! It just wasn't the same without you!" She gave her daughter a huge hug.  
  
  
  
Teecie smiled and allowed Adriana to lead her inside the house. Kali was standing in the living room waiting for her. She'd gained some weight over the holiday and had much better colouring than the last time Teecie had seen her. She didn't look as scary as she had before. Teecie felt a little more comfortable hugging Kali now that she wasn't as noticeably thin anymore.   
  
  
  
Teecie didn't see Reni until Adriana made her leave her bedroom to join the family in their first dinner together in a long time. Reni was wearing a green maternity shirt which fit around her protruding belly. She had certainly gotten very large in the last two months. Reni had been three months pregnant at the beginning of the holiday and hadn't been showing too much, but she was definitely showing now. She'd also gained weight in her face, arms, and legs too, which Teecie could see from the matching green shorts Reni was wearing. Teecie couldn't help staring for a few seconds as Reni was trying to sit down in her chair.  
  
  
  
When Reni was finally situated, Lucius started passing dishes of food around. Roast lamb with preserved lemons and parsley, and roasted potatoes, carrots, and garlic tasted delicious with the Feta cheese, tomato, and kalamata olive salad. Homemade baklava rounded out the meal, and Teecie felt content to be back home with her family.  
  
  
  
The next week was spent talking with her sisters and parents. Every afternoon, Teecie read under the olive tree on the hill, something she'd been aching to do all summer long. Every evening she was able to watch movies. This was something she hadn't been able to do but for that special day with her mum when they had gone to the cinema.   
  
  
  
The last night of August, Teecie and her family sat on their back porch, wrapped in blankets and swinging on the porch swings. They looked at the stars and made up stories about the different constellations. Teecie cuddled up against her father and rested her head against his chest. She could hear the steady beating of his heart and it made her feel safe. When he put his strong arms around her, she felt even more safe. Teecie was nervous about going back to school the next day. She'd only been back home for a week and had to turn around and leave again.  
  
  
  
Early the next morning, Lucius and Adriana woke Teecie and Kali up. Adriana had gone to Diagon Alley a few weeks back and purchased everything the girls would be needing for the school year. Teecie had never unpacked her trunks from coming home from Black Manor, so she had less packing to do. She'd put all her school robes into her second trunk and was under her bed fishing out her wand to put in one of her trunks when her father came into the room and took her trunks out to the car.   
  
  
  
After a quick breakfast of toast and juice, the four people piled into the car and left for King's Cross Station. Reni didn't want to be seen by any former classmates, and had chosen to stay at home instead. In a moment of kindness, she'd allowed Teecie to put her hand on her stomach and had felt the baby kick. Reni smiled at Teecie who was looking up at her sister with wonder in her eyes and an open mouth. She'd never felt anything like that before! Teecie wondered what it felt like from the inside, but didn't have a chance to ask Reni before they had to leave. Maybe someday she'd have a baby of her own and would know what it felt like.  
  
  
  
After the family reached the station and went through Platform 9 3/4, Teecie looked around for her friends. The first person who came over to them was Paul Weasley. He ran over to Kali and picked her up in his arms, twirling her around before setting her back down. "Oh, I've missed you so much!" He cried, daring to kiss her cheek in front of Lucius. Kali smiled and hugged him back. She said goodbye to her parents before Paul put his arm around her shoulders and they walked off to the train.  
  
  
  
The family hadn't been the only ones watching Paul and Kali. James and Sirius had been walking towards them. James had been so inspired by Paul that he'd run up to Teecie, "Oh, I missed you so much too!" he cried, grinning.  
  
  
  
"Oh, I missed you too!" Teecie cried back, opening her arms to him. James took a flying leap and jumped into Teecie's arms. Teecie laughed hysterically as she dropped James and fell on top of him.   
  
  
  
"All right you two, up you get," Adriana said, trying to stop laughing. She bent over and helped Teecie stand up before holding her hand out to James to help him stand up too. Lucius looked at the two children and shook his head in wonderment.  
  
  
  
As James and Teecie were able to look at one another face to face, Teecie was embarrassed to see that she had grown over the holiday and he had not. She was now several inches taller than him, but pretended not to notice.  
  
  
  
Patty and Paige had finally joined them, along with Peter. Teecie said goodbye to her parents and left with the group of friends for the train. Once on the train, they found the compartment Kali and Paul were sitting in and stuffed themselves inside. Kali and Paul looked as though they'd been caught doing something when they all arrived and Teecie noticed Paul wipe his mouth off. Kali's lipstick was slightly smeared, and Teecie wondered if they'd been snogging. Teecie smiled but said nothing.   
  
  
  
Several minutes later, the train took off, and the kids settled down on the benches. It was a cozy fit, with eight people in one compartment, but they managed it. Teecie sat in between James and Peter and across from Patty and Paige. Paul and Kali sat next to the twins, and Sirius stood in the doorway. The small compartment was full of chatter as several groups of kids started different conversations. Patty, Sirius, Paul, and Kali were engaged in a lively discussion about Quidditch. The rest of the kids listened to Teecie as she told them about Black Manor and her stay over the holiday there. James wanted to know if Teecie had found out anything they'd be doing this year in Potions class. "No, he didn't tell me anything, sorry," She'd told him.  
  
  
  
Peter had remained silent the entire train ride. There were too many people in the compartment to discreetly ask him what was wrong, so Teecie thought she might ask him about it later on, at the school.   
  
  
  
When the woman with the food trolley came to their compartment, the kids bought their share of sweets and ate in silence for a while. Teecie kept a close eye on Kali, making sure she ate all of her pumpkin pasty. Paul was keeping an eye on her as well.   
  
  
  
When they had finished eating, Sirius showed Teecie how to play Exploding Snap. They sat on the floor with the cards, laughing and talking to one another. James looked on with jealousy showing on his face. He wanted to show her how to play, not Sirius. He wanted to keep Teecie all to himself. The only good thing about the game was that the angle James had of Teecie showed him just how much she had developed over the summer.   
  
  
  
James sat and watched Teecie's small but existent cleavage and thought about his holiday. He and Sirius had had a fun summer holiday together. Sirius was a nice and supportive older brother-the kind of guy James could go to with any of his problems. For example, James had kept waking up in the morning and having to change his sheets and nightclothes. He was horribly embarrassed, thinking he was wetting the bed, but when he'd confided in Sirius, he told him what was happening and how to take care of it. James was eternally grateful to his brother for the advice he gave him.   
  
  
  
They'd spent days over the holiday in Sirius' room looking through his collection of This Witch magazines. There were so many beautiful women in the pictures who waved and winked and blew kisses to James as he flipped through the pages. There was one advertisement for Firewhisky that made him want to go and buy a bottle right then. The pretty blonde haired, blue eyed witch was barely clothed and told James she was crazy for a man with Firewhisky on his breath. She'd do anything for him.   
  
  
  
As James watched Teecie and his brother playing the game, he gazed at the tight jeans that showed off her belly button and the tight white V-necked tee-shirt with a black bra underneath. James started to feel warm and tingly as he looked down at Teecie. Sure hers weren't as large as the ones in the magazines he'd stared at for hours, but James still had to resist the urge to reach out and grab them. They were just...so...right there. Right in front of him.  
  
  
  
James' hands were sweating and he was wiping them off on his pants legs when Teecie suddenly turned around, sat up and leaned against his legs. Holding her handful of cards out to him, she leaned forward, with her arms on his thighs, and asked, "Which card would you get rid of?" James tried to remain composed.  
  
  
  
Take a deep breath, James told himself. He took a deep breath and almost exploded as he smelled her peach shampoo again. Teecie was so beautiful. And she was leaning against him. And he could look right down her shirt...The tingly feeling James had felt a little earlier returned with a vengeance. Oh no! "I...uh...that one," James said, his voice cracking as he sat up quickly, knocking Teecie off of him and back to the floor. "I gotta go, I'll be back later," He said quickly as he fled the room. James had never been more grateful before to be wearing his robes this early on the train.  
  
  
  
"What's wrong with him?" Teecie asked, after she'd settled back down to play with Sirius.  
  
  
  
Sirius grinned, chuckled, yet said nothing. He'd have to have another talk with James when they got to the school. Sirius continued to play Exploding Snap with Teecie for another hour before James returned. He seemed to have calmed down somewhat. After several minutes, he sat on the floor next to Teecie and joined in with the next round.   
  
  
  
The game broke up an hour later. Everybody was getting sleepy from the movement of the train. Teecie tried to read one of her Amaris books, but found her eyes drooping. The next thing she knew, she was waking up two hours later, with her head leaning against Peter's shoulder. Everybody had fallen asleep and Teecie saw that it was dark outside now. They should be arriving at Hogsmeade soon. Teecie wondered if she'd have time to head over to the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer when they arrived. She could just walk to the school from there when she was done. Maybe she'd see if James and the twins wanted to join her.   
  
  
  
Finally the train pulled into Hogsmeade. Everybody made their way off the train and into the station. Teecie was about to suggest the butterbeers when Patty and Paige started looking excited about the carriage ride over to the school. Oh well, maybe another time, she thought to herself. James trailed behind the three girls as they walked towards a carriage. There was only room for four in the carriage, so the older kids took one of their own, leaving James and the girls to go in another.   
  
  
  
James, trying to show how suave he was, hopped up deftly into the carriage, and turned around, held out his hand and helped Patty and Paige up into it. Teecie was last, and after she'd gotten into the carriage, she made a bold move and kept her hand in James'. James blushed a deep red as they sat down next to each other. Patty and Paige looked at the two and had very different reactions. Patty rolled her eyes and snorted, while Paige tried to conceal a huge grin on her face.   
  
  
  
James and Teecie rode the entire way to Hogwarts, hand in hand. As he looked at her, James knew it was time to reveal himself to Teecie as her secret admirer. But how was the best way to do it? He wanted to scream it from the rooftop of Hogwarts. He wanted to write a huge banner and unfurl it in the Great Hall for all to see. James wanted the whole world to know that he was Teecie's secret admirer. Teecie, the girl he was going to marry in a few years. His one and only true love.  
  
Teecie was shocked that she'd been brave enough to hold James' hand in the carriage. Her heart had pounded the entire time, and she'd felt light-headed, but it was wonderful. She'd loved the way her hand felt in his. It was so romantic!   
  
  
  
When the arrived at the school, James and Teecie walked side by side up to the Entrance Hall. Everybody filed into the Great Hall and sat at their tables. After about 10 minutes, the doors opened and Professor Lupin ushered in a large group of young first years. Teecie watched as they made their way to the front of the Hall. They were all so small and adorable!   
  
  
  
Teecie watched as the first years went one by one and sat on the chair, put on the hat, and were sorted into their houses. A very cute boy with dirty blonde hair and large, excited eyes, Creevey, Ashford, was sorted into Gryffindor. Ashford looked happy enough to explode as he hopped down off the chair and ran to the Gryffindor table. He sat down next to Teecie and smiled up at her. Teecie smiled back and melted. This was the cutest little boy she'd ever seen. She wanted to pinch his cheeks.  
  
  
  
Teecie's eyes were drawn back to the front as Lindon, June, was sorted into Hufflepuff. She craned her neck and watched as June, a cute girl with strawberry blonde hair and a slight build, walked over to the Hufflepuff table. Teecie made a note to introduce herself to June as soon as possible. McMillan, Stewart, a sweet-looking boy with brown hair, was also sorted into Hufflepuff. Zabini, Roxanne, a pretty blonde girl with an uptight look on her face, was sorted into Slytherin and sat next to Lisette.   
  
  
  
Teecie watched the two girls, who looked as though they knew each other. They smiled and hugged one another, then bent their heads together and whispered for several minutes. Teecie bit her lip and felt slightly nervous as Lisette and Roxanne lifted their heads and looked at her, sneered in unison, narrowed their eyes, and began to whisper to each other again.   
  
  
  
When the sorting was finished, the students quieted down and listened as Professor Snape made his welcoming speech. Besides the standards like not entering the Forbidden Forest, Snape also introduced a new professor to the staff. Professor Flitwick had retired after last year's school term, so Susan Boot had been hired to replace him. Teecie was extremely upset to hear that Flitwick had left. She'd loved him so much, how could he leave her? But she decided to give this new professor a try before deciding if she hated her or not. It seemed only fair.   
  
  
  
After Professor Snape ended his speech, food appeared, and the students started eating. Teecie and Ashford started talking to each other over meatloaf and mashed potatoes. James kept reaching for the salt that was next to Ashford. He had to reach across Teecie each time to do it. At one point in time, Ashford asked Teecie if she had a boyfriend. James almost choked on his green beans and quickly swallowed them before putting his arm around Teecie's shoulder and leaning over to talk to Ashford. "I'm James, second year. Why don't you see if the other first year girls have boyfriends?" James narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips.  
  
  
  
Teecie leaned into James' arm, "James! Don't be mean to him, he's just a kid!"   
  
  
  
James looked over at Teecie. The smell of peaches filled his mind and all of his good sense flew out of his head. Feeling light-headed as he gazed into her eyes, James slowly stood up. He took a step up onto the bench, and then another so he was standing up on the table. Teecie looked curiously at him as James took his wand out of his robes, pointed it at his throat and said, "Sonorus," and looked around. Taking a deep breath, James opened his mouth and started speaking. "I have an announcement to make," His voice was so loudly magnified that the entire school quieted down and looked over at him. "I, James Lupin, am Teecie Orendes' secret admirer... I love her! Some day we'll be married! She makes me feel tingly! I--" James looked down to see how Teecie was reacting. She had buried her head in her hands and was currently trying to crawl under the table to get away from him. When James opened his mouth once again, he was cut off as his father picked him up, clapped one of his hands over James' mouth and carried him out of the Great Hall with the other arm.   
  
  
  
Teecie was still trying to crawl under the table when James finally stopped talking. For a moment, the school was completely silent, but suddenly erupted in laughter. Everybody was looking at her. From all the way across the room, Teecie saw Lisette and Roxanne shrieking with laughter and pointing at her. Teecie turned bright red and stood up from the bench. She hadn't noticed Draco and Uncle Sev until then. They'd come over with Professor Lupin to settle the situation down. Looking over at them, Teecie began to cry. As Draco took a step towards her, Teecie turned and fled from the room. Paige and Carl looked at each other, stood up, and ran after her.  
  
  
  
Teecie ran blindly past Professor Lupin who was trying to find a place to take his son. He still had his hand over James' mouth. Finally, he took him outside to cool off a bit. "What the hell is wrong with you boy?" He shouted at James. "Do you know how much you humiliated yourself and Teecie tonight? I cannot believe you did that! It was completely inappropriate," Remus said, pacing the front steps.   
  
  
  
James sighed. "Did you see the way she looked today? She's the most beautiful girl in the world," He said in a breathless voice.  
  
  
  
"Did you hear a word I said? Have you been drinking? What is wrong with you?"   
  
  
  
"Do you think she loves me?"  
  
  
  
"Probably not right now! You're far too young to have such feelings. Look, I need you to calm down, son. Take a deep breath. All right, that's better," Remus said as his son started to settle down. "Now, do you realize everything you said in front of not just Teecie, but the entire school? Don't be surprised if you get teased for the next few weeks over this. This will take a lot to live down. And don't think she's going to thank you for this."  
  
  
  
As Remus kept trying to make his son see reason, Teecie was running up to Gryffindor tower. She ran blindly, with tears streaming down her face. How could James do this to her? If he really loved her like he said he did, he wouldn't humiliate her like he had. He'd never loved her. He'd only made her think he loved her so he could play this horrible prank on her. She'd never forgive him and would never, under any circumstances, speak to him again. Her cheeks burned as Teecie could still see Lisette and Roxanne laughing and pointing at her. She'd never be able to live this down. How could she go to her classes like normal?   
  
  
  
Just as Teecie was contemplating quitting school again, Paige and Carl caught up to her. The three of them sank to the steps. Paige and Carl held onto Teecie and let her cry her heart out. Paige patted her shoulders as Teecie buried her head in Carl's lap. Neither knew what to say. They'd never dealt with anything like this before, but knew that silence was all right in times like these.   
  
  
  
Several minutes later, Draco, Uncle Sev, and Professor Weasley appeared at the stairs. One look from Professor Snape told Paige and Carl it was time to leave. Draco sat down next to Teecie and let her cry in his lap for a couple minutes. The three adults tried to comfort Teecie by telling her everything was going to be all right and that most of the students would forget about this in a couple of days. They told her about some of their embarrassing moments while in school. Professor Weasley told her about the time a misaimed spell made her teeth grow really long. "And he," She said, pointing to Uncle Sev, "Had the nerve to say he saw nothing wrong with my teeth! I was so upset I went running away to the hospital ward. But see, I got over it, and my teeth look normal now."   
  
Draco told her about all the times Famous Harry Potter made him look bad in front of his friends. "He always beat me at Quidditch! All I wanted was to win one lousy game! Is that too much to ask for? No, I don't think so, but nooo, Famous Harry Potter wins another game!"   
  
  
  
Uncle Sev hadn't quite gotten over his worst memory and didn't want to tell that in front of such a large audience. Maybe sometime when it was just the two of them.  
  
  
  
Draco and Uncle Sev each gave Teecie a hug before Professor Weasley took her up to Gryffindor tower. Once they arrived, Daniel and Patty ran up to Teecie. "Do you want us to beat up James for you? Cuz we will if you want us to!" Daniel said, looking excited at the chance to beat his roommate up.  
  
  
  
"Daniel! Patricia! There will be no beating up other students! Got it?" Professor Weasley admonished them before saying goodnight to Teecie and leaving.  
  
  
  
Teecie said nothing to Daniel and Patty and walked to her dormitory. After changing into her nightgown and crawling into bed, Teecie tried to fall asleep but found it took her a couple hours before sleep came to her. 


	21. The Lake Party

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe3: I'm glad you liked the chapter. Growing up is pretty traumatic isn't it! I'm sure though, that Teecie will look back on these years with fondness, and laugh that she was ever so upset over certain things. Here's the next chapter, hope you like it!  
  
The Lake Party  
  
Teecie woke up the next morning with dread filling her heart. She couldn't go down to the Great Hall and face all the students. They'd laugh at her and she'd just die! After a shower that helped soothe her nerves, Teecie returned to her room to dress for the day. Wearing the typical school uniform, she looked at herself in the mirror, trying to think of ways to make it more interesting. She still had her light green nylons from Christmas. Putting those on brightened the entire ensemble. Finding a cute red paisley scarf, Teecie tied her hair back in it. Putting on her robe and fishing her wand out of her trunks, she left for the Great Hall.   
  
  
  
Patty and Paige were already there when Teecie arrived. Sure every eye in the school was upon her, Teecie threw her shoulders back, held her head high, and walked down the aisle to the twins. Several students laughed as Teecie walked to Patty and Paige. She could hear loud whispers of students talking about her and James. One Hufflepuff girl was saying that she and James were really secretly engaged. A Ravenclaw boy told his friends James had gotten her into trouble and now his father was forcing him to marry her.  
  
  
  
Once she reached the table, Teecie got her timetable and went over to the Ravenclaw table to sit with Kali. Kali always made her feel safe. Once she arrived, Kali put her arms around her and hugged her tightly. "Everything's going to be all right, Teecie," She assured her.  
  
  
  
The hall grew loud once again as James entered. Boys hooted, hollered, and applauded him. Girls giggled and whispered to each other. Teecie watched as he sat down at the Gryffindor table. From the Slytherin table right behind them, Kali and Teecie listened as Lisette started talking to her group of friends. "So, I heard that Professor Black got Teecie pregnant and that Lupin is just being a stupid Gryffindor by protecting her. You know she spent the entire summer holiday at Black's house, right? They probably did it every night! Why he would want to do that with a garlic-eating new blood like her, I don't know. But I know it's true because I saw them kissing in the Entrance Hall one time with my own eyes! And my father and Roxie's mum met her at Black's house. Right Roxie?" Roxanne must have nodded her head, for Teecie didn't hear a response, but listened with horror as the other Slytherin girls murmured and twittered to each other.   
  
  
  
Kali, usually only a fighter on the Quidditch pitch, stood up, walked to the Slytherin table, and started yelling at the girls. Soon the whole table was on their feet. Teecie and Paul stood up and ran to Kali's side and in a few seconds, everybody was screaming and yelling at one another.   
  
  
  
Kali had just shoved Richelle, who had lunged at her, away as Draco and Professor Creevey arrived at the tables to break up the fight. Kali and Lisette were still screaming at each other and the professors had to wrench them apart to get them to calm down at all. The school had quieted down just in time to hear Lisette scream, "Both of your sisters are sluts you bony witch!" as Draco was dragging her away.   
  
  
  
It took every ounce of Draco's strength to resist the temptation of strangling Lisette right then and there. Professor Snape had seen the fight brewing and heard Lisette's parting words and stood up, looking pale with anger. He balled his hands into fists and glared at the students, before speaking in a low, ominous tone that filled every person in the room with terror. "The last student out of this room, gets a month of detention with Filch. Go! Now!" He barked the last two words.  
  
  
  
The students jumped up from their seats, grabbed their book bags and fled from the room as quickly as humanly possible without trampling anybody. Kali, Paul, Teecie, and Lisette remained behind with the professors. Professor Snape marched up to the group and demanded to know what had happened. Kali was still seething with anger over Lisette and told him everything she'd said about Teecie and Draco. Professor Snape's eyes narrowed as he looked over at Lisette. Lisette felt Professor Black's fingers digging into her arms as he heard the story as well.  
  
  
  
"All right, you and you," Professor Snape said, pointing at Paul and Teecie, "Go to your classes. Miss Orendes and Miss Crabbe will stay behind." Teecie looked concerned at leaving her sister behind with Lisette, but Paul put his arm around her waist and led her out of the room. They found out later at lunch about the punishments Kali and Lisette had been given. They had to work in the kitchens for the next two weeks and Lisette had to write a four parchment essay on the importance of not slandering the school professors.   
  
  
  
Once Teecie left the Great Hall that morning, she went to her first class, Charms with Professor Boot. She wasn't sure about this new woman who was taking Professor Flitwick's place. She had straight red hair that she kept tied in a bun at the nape of her neck. She had a pleasant voice and a laugh that invited you to laugh with her. While seemingly formal, she made the class fun and interesting. By class' end, Teecie couldn't help but like her, even though she still missed Professor Flitwick.  
  
  
  
Teecie tried to ignore James during the entire class, but as he was sitting directly in front of her, it was difficult to block him out. When Professor Boot asked if there were any questions, Teecie raised her hand. "Yes, are there any charms to use on somebody to shut them up when they won't stop talking?" She asked politely. James whipped around in his seat and glared at her for a few seconds before turning back to face the front.  
  
  
  
Trying to keep a straight face, Professor Boot said, "Yes, there are silencing charms, but I think you'll have to wait a few years for that, dear."   
  
  
  
"Great, years to wait to make you shut up," Teecie muttered, as she kicked the back of James' chair. James whipped around again and looked at her with narrowed eyes. Teecie stuck her tongue out at him and looked away, ignoring him.   
  
  
  
James was just now starting to feel the humiliation of the situation. His father had grounded him for a month, and assigned him an essay about the importance of privacy. Daniel had pounded him when he arrived at his dormitory the night before, and when he went to eat breakfast in the Great Hall, he'd been laughed at. And the rumours that were being spread about him were horrible. People saying he'd gotten Teecie pregnant and that he had to marry her now. While he didn't mind those, in fact, he rather loved the idea of marrying her, as he'd proclaimed the night before, he knew it upset Teecie, and he didn't want that for her. He'd only been excited to show the world how much he loved her. And now she wouldn't speak to him, in fact, Teecie hated him. He could see the anger and hatred in her eyes when she glared at him. How could he get her to forgive him? How could he make Teecie fall in love with him, like he was with her?  
  
  
  
Charms class passed quickly and next was Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Lupin and the Slytherins. Now that they were second years, they'd be getting into bigger and scarier dark creatures. Teecie had heard bad things about some of these creatures. Boggarts, Hinkypunks, Kappas, all of them frightening in their own ways. Students whispered to one another about these creatures. "What do you think you'll see with the boggart?" One of the Slytherins whispered to his friends.  
  
  
  
"Carl's mum naked!" The other one whispered back loudly. The Slytherins started laughing and the Gryffindors turned in their seats, ready for a fight. Professor Lupin rolled his eyes and called the class back to attention, giving them a large homework assignment due the next time they met.  
  
  
  
After lunch it was Potions class with Professor Black. Teecie sat up front with Draco. Rey, her partner, sat next to her. Draco was very pleased to see how well Teecie and Rey got along with each other. He would love to see a match made between those two. Rey came from a prestigious upper class, pureblooded family that would be a big step up for his sister. Her future would be ensured and their children would enjoy the best and greatest the world had to offer. Snapping himself out of this thought, Draco called the class to order.  
  
  
  
After the introduction, the professor assigned them a simple potion to get the students used to making potions again. Teecie and Rey chatted happily while making the potion. Rey offered to beat James up for her, to which Teecie smiled but declined.   
  
  
  
As they turned in their potion at the end of class, Teecie put her arm through Rey's and asked if he'd eat dinner with her. "You can sit at my table if you want. Or we can sit with my sister Kali, at the Ravenclaw table," Teecie offered.   
  
  
  
Rey smiled and looked down at Teecie. "Sure, I'd like that," He replied as they walked to Herbology together. Walking behind them, James seethed with anger and jealousy. How could she like him? James thought to himself.   
  
  
  
The Gryffindors hadn't shared Herbology with the Slytherins before and Teecie wasn't looking forward to seeing how they'd behave around dirt and plants. They seemed to think so highly of themselves that growing things were probably considered beneath them. Teecie couldn't stand the thought of anybody disrespecting Professor Longbottom. She loved him and wouldn't allow anybody to say or do anything bad to him.   
  
  
  
The class started working on potting magical Snap Dragons, which were used in certain potions. They resembled regular snap dragons, but their leaves snapped together like human fingers, making sharp snapping noises that filled the greenhouse. Teecie listened as hers snapped in rhythm. She chuckled as she sang in her head, "They're kreepy and their kooky, mysterious and spooky, they're all together ooky, the Addams family..." Teecie thought she might be the only one who knew that show, and was surprised to hear Kern starting to whistle the tune. Smiling, Teecie joined in, and soon Carl was whistling too. The three of them snapped along with their plants at the right spots and soon the entire class was looking at them as though they'd gone insane. Professor Longbottom walked over to the three whistling and snapping students, "I love that you three are so enthusiastic today, but we need to continue the class a little more quietly, all right?" He said, quietly enough so he didn't embarrass them.   
  
  
  
As classes let out for the day, and Rey and Teecie left the greenhouse, arm in arm, he asked her what she'd been whistling during class. Teecie explained about the television show and taught him the lyrics to the theme song. Rey had never seen a telly before. "Oh, they're great! You'd love it! You'll have to come over to my house some time and watch it with me," Teecie said.  
  
  
  
"But you're not Muggleborn, why do you have a telly at your house?"  
  
  
  
"My family and I live in the Muggle world. We like Muggle things," Teecie explained.  
  
  
  
Rey looked at Teecie with slight disapproval on his face. Why she would like anything Muggle was beyond him. But she was his friend, so he'd forgive her. As they stood in the hall talking, James walked past them, glaring the entire time. Teecie tightened her grip on Rey's arm and looked away from James. After a few more minutes of chatting, they left for their own common rooms to get ready for dinner. Rey had agreed to eat at the Gryffindor table with Teecie.  
  
  
  
Teecie changed out of her robes and put on her green tee-shirt with the star on it. Next she changed into a navy blue skirt that ended just above her knees. It was quite warm out still, so she went bare-legged with black salt-water sandals on her feet. Taking the bandana out of her hair, Teecie redid it like a headband to hold her hair back.  
  
  
  
Teecie met Rey at the entrance of the Great Hall and they walked together to the Gryffindor table. They sat at the very end, side by side, and chatted happily the whole time. It was during this time that Teecie got a great idea to throw an end of the summer party at the lake that coming Saturday. It worked into her schedule since clubs didn't start up until the second week of school. She'd just have to let Professor Lupin know she wouldn't be coming to his office for tea that day. Rey liked the idea too and promised to spread the word.  
  
  
  
By the next morning, half of the school had heard about the party. Everybody was so excited and Teecie started to wonder if she'd be able to throw the party the way it should be. She'd need food, which the house elves could provide, but she also needed butterbeer, pop, and sweets. She needed to go to Hogsmeade. Or get somebody to go for her. She decided to ask Charlie if he'd consider going to town for supplies at lunch that day.   
  
  
  
At lunch, Teecie walked to the bottom of the platform the professor's table was on and called out to Charlie, asking if she could speak with him. Charlie nodded and told her to come up. Walking over to him, Teecie smiled, and said, "I don't know if you've heard about the party by the lake this coming Saturday, but I'd love it if you came!"  
  
  
  
"I have heard about it and I think it sounds like a lot of fun, I'd love to come," He replied, grinning.  
  
  
  
"But I need your help. We need some things from Hogsmeade and I was hoping you'd be willing to get them for us," Teecie said.  
  
  
  
"What will you need?"  
  
  
  
"Sweets and butterbeer, that sort of thing. I'm going to have the house elves make the food. And I'd go myself, but I'd just get into trouble again. Would you be willing to go? Please?" Teecie said, pouting her lips and looking at him with big, sad eyes.  
  
  
  
Looking at Teecie, Charlie smiled. "Sure, you get the money and give me a list, and I'll go buy everything," He replied.  
  
  
  
"You will? Oh thank you! You're the greatest!" Teecie hopped up and down a few times in excitement.  
  
  
  
As she walked back to her table, Teecie wondered how she'd get the money to pay for all the supplies. She shouldn't have to pay for all of it herself. But how to get other people to give money?   
  
  
  
Once back at the table, Teecie asked her friends about how to earn the money. Daniel suggested charging everybody to go, but Teecie said they needed the money ahead of time. Patty suggested setting up a donation box so students could put money in to buy the supplies with. Robert donated a box that his mum had sent some books in that morning, so they could collect the money. James remained silent and pushed his food around with his fork. Remus had already told him he wasn't going to be going to the party. And as if things weren't bad enough, Rey joined the group right then, sitting next to Teecie. They were so close their arms touched. James wanted to kill Rey. He'd never hated anybody more than he did at this moment.   
  
  
  
That afternoon, after classes ended for the day, James spent time in his father's office, ranting and raving about Teecie and Rey. After he'd kicked the legs of his father's desk for the third time and was bent over in pain as he'd hurt his toe, Remus walked to his son and hugged him. "James, son, I know what you're going through. You're experiencing all these feelings for the first time, and it's exciting and scary and fun all at the same time. But you must learn to control yourself. I can assure you, James, you will get through this. It happens to everybody at this age-girls too. So we need to work on this, are you willing?" Remus said, with his hands on his son's shoulders, looking into his eyes.  
  
  
  
That night, James pulled the curtains of his bed, pulled the covers over his head, used a Lumos charm on his wand to use as a torch, and poured his heart out into the blue leather-bound journal his father had given him that afternoon. He wrote about his undying love for Teecie and how he vowed to win her back. He wrote until he was so exhausted he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. His father had showed him how to charm the journal so nobody else could open it. Once he'd set the charm, he shoved the book under his pillow and fell asleep. The next morning, James felt more at peace about his plight. He continued to write in his journal every night and found it helped him out a lot.  
  
  
  
The day after they came up with the great plan to earn money, Teecie set up the box with a sign that said, "The more you give, the more you'll get! Donate to the Lake Party Fund and we'll have a lot more fun!" She started it off by putting in five of her own galleons at breakfast. Robert had charmed the box to not open to anybody else but themselves the night before, so nobody was worried about somebody stealing the money. During the meals over the next few days, Teecie and her Gryffindor classmates watched excitedly as students poured money into the box. Each morning they had to empty it out to make room for the coming day's donations.   
  
  
  
During this time, Teecie talked to Nili about providing special food for the party. She also made a list of things for Charlie to buy. Patty and Paige had been put in charge of music. They were having fun deciding what kinds of music to play. The twins decided it was safer to have music as the main form of entertainment. There had been an argument about that the day before between Patty and Daniel. It had ended when Patty punched Daniel in the stomach and yelled, "For the last time, we are not having a wet tee-shirt contest!"   
  
  
  
Robert, Daniel and Kern were in charge of getting tables and chairs for the party. They planned on "borrowing" them from the Great Hall. "Everybody's going to be down at the lake anyway, nobody will miss them," They reasoned. Carl wanted to be in charge of decorations, and was having fun drawing plans. He was going to put Japanese paper lanterns on the tree branches and had designed some lovely floral arrangements for the tables.  
  
  
  
As is became evident that this party was going to be huge, the professors started to worry about it. Professor Lupin pulled the second year Gryffindors aside and gave them a long list of things that would not be allowed to take place during the party. He told them he and the other teachers would be chaperoning the party and making sure nothing inappropriate happened.   
  
  
  
The next day, Uncle Sev called Teecie up to his office and had a talk with her about the party. There was another list of do's and don'ts-mostly don'ts, that he gave her. "I'm counting on you to not let anything bad happen, all right?" He said, looking nervous about letting this take place at all.  
  
  
  
"Of course, Uncle Sev," Teecie said, smiling, "You are going to come, right? I was going to invite all the professors too, but they already plan on coming."   
  
  
  
Uncle Sev sighed before replying. "I'm sure I'll put in an appearance."  
  
  
  
"Cool! Make sure you wear your swimming trunks. Mum says you're a really good swimmer," Teecie said, as she stood to leave.  
  
  
  
Uncle Sev turned red as he remembered the swim he took with Adriana in her pond one summer while he'd stayed at the property, years ago. They'd gotten drunk and she'd lost her bikini top in the pond, but he'd found it and helped her put it back on. Ah, the good old days, Sev thought to himself, before snapping out of his reverie. Nothing like that had better happen at the party on Saturday.  
  
  
  
That Friday, Teecie gave Charlie the list of supplies to buy in Hogsmeade and handed him all the money they'd gotten from the students. They'd gotten 150 galleons to buy things with. After classes that day, Teecie and her classmates ran around and made their final preparations. The music had been selected, decorations made or purchased, tables and chairs found, and Nili reported that all the food would be ready for them in plenty of time the next day.  
  
  
  
That afternoon, Teecie had her tea with Professor Lupin, since she wouldn't be able to the next day. Professor Lupin listened with amusement as Teecie chattered incessantly about the party and how much fun it would be. "You'll be coming, right?" She asked at one point during their conversation.   
  
  
  
"For a while at least. I think I might spend some time with James, since he won't be coming," Lupin replied.  
  
  
  
"What? What do you mean not coming? But-" Teecie cried before remembering that she hated James and didn't care what happened to him. "I mean...I don't know any James," She tried to cover up her error lamely. Teecie crossed her ankles primly and sipped her tea quietly.   
  
  
  
Remus smiled to himself while sipping his tea. He was willing to bet a million galleons that he didn't have that Teecie, while horribly embarrassed over James' performance, had been very flattered at the same time. And that she really felt the same way James felt for her. All she had to do was realize and accept it, not the easiest thing in the world to do.   
  
  
  
As Teecie was getting ready to leave, James rushed into the office to talk to his father. "James, that was rude to not knock first," Remus reprimanded his son. James stood rooted to the spot he had stopped in, staring at Teecie. His heart pounded and his palms started to sweat. For what felt like the thousandth time, James thanked his lucky stars for the billowy school robes as he began to feel hot and tingly again.   
  
  
  
Teecie played with her cup and saucer that were sitting on Remus' desk. Though she tried to not look at James, her gaze always went to him. Her heart fluttered and her stomach lurched as she saw his handsome face and soulful eyes. She felt light-headed and there was a strong but pleasant throbbing sensation in her lower abdomen that Teecie had never felt before and was taking her breath away.  
  
  
  
Remus could sense both of their raging hormones and wondered what to do. The hormones were raw and seemed to fill the room. He could feel them starting to affect him, triggering his own. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, Remus turned to Teecie and said, "Well, thank you for having tea with me, I'll see you tomorrow, all right?" Teecie looked at him and nodded her head, then slowly walked out of the room, leaving James alone with his father. James turned and automatically started walking after Teecie. "James!" Remus said sharply, trying to regain control. "Leave her alone. Go take a walk around the school grounds until you calm down. Go!" After James grudgingly left the room, Remus walked over to his fireplace and floo home to see what his wife was up to.   
  
  
  
Teecie woke up the next day to a gloriously beautiful day outside. The sun beat down upon the world in bright, warming rays. Birds sang to one another, and a gentle breeze blew through the tree tops, rustling the leaves against each other. The sparkling blue lake called to the students to swim in it. It was the perfect day for the party.  
  
  
  
After a leisurely breakfast of frosted flakes, orange juice, and bacon, Teecie went down to the kitchens to see how Nili and the house elves were coming along with their food. They'd already finished the shrimp puffs, canapes, and teriyaki chicken wings. They'd made platters of meats, cheeses, and vegetables, and there were bowls of bread and condiments for sandwiches. They'd brewed iced tea and made lemonade. They were now working on the desserts. Several chocolate cakes with buttercream frosting, strawberry shortcakes, and pies of all varieties: blueberry, blackberry, lemon meringue, and chocolate silk, topped with homemade freshly whipped cream. There was plenty of food for the entire day.   
  
  
  
Teecie was very excited and grateful to the house elves. Hugging Nili, she said, "Why don't you and the others come to the party too? I'd love it if you came."  
  
  
  
Nili blushed and replied, "We is not going to parties with students. We is staying in the school only. But Nili thanks Ticia Orendes for asking."   
  
  
  
Just as Teecie was going to return to Gryffindor tower to change into her summer clothes, Draco called her to his office. "I don't want to have to write home to father if you do something stupid, so you'd better be on your best behaviour today," He started out.  
  
  
  
Teecie narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "What do you think I'd do? We just want to have fun, that's all," She said.  
  
  
  
Draco narrowed his eyes and folded his arms. "I'll be watching you. Snape will be watching you. Lupin will be watching you. So will Longbottom, both Weasleys, Creevey, and Boot. So just remember, if you get some type of 'good' idea, you are being watched. And if anything remotely inappropriate happens, I'll owl father so fast, it'll make your head spin. Do you really want him coming up here?"   
  
  
  
"Daddy's free to come up here any time he wants," Teecie replied huffily before storming out of the office and going up to her tower. Once there, she went to her room and put on her summer clothes. She put on her blue bikini and a white tank top and a pair of black shorts over it. After tying her hair back in a hair band, putting on a pair of black sunglasses, and her sandals, Teecie pronounced herself ready for the party. Grabbing her towel and putting it in a bag with a bottle of sunscreen, she left the dormitory and walked to the common room.  
  
  
  
James was sitting in a chair reading a book when Teecie entered the room. "Have fun at your party," He said sullenly, looking up from his book. Teecie looked away from James, and walked out the door without responding. Forgetting her promise to herself not to care about him anymore, Teecie walked down the stairs and wondered what James would think of her bikini. As she left the school and walked to the lake, she kept thinking about him. What would it be like if he'd have been going to the party today? They could have gone for a swim together.  
  
  
  
Once down by the lake, Teecie watched as the rest of her classmates set up tables, chairs, and the decorations. After helping for a while, she took her shirt and shorts off, set up her towel and lay down on the ground, trying to get a tan. About 10 minutes later, somebody moved into her light, casting a shadow over her body. "Hey, you're blocking my light!" She cried, opening her eyes to see Ashford Creevey standing in front of her. "Oh, hey Ashford," She said.  
  
  
  
Ashford stood in front of Teecie in bright red swimming trunks. His thin and wiry body was pasty white and the glare of the sun off his skin made Teecie's eyes hurt, even with her sunglasses on. Ashford set his blanket on the ground and lay down on his side next to Teecie. He looked at her with large, wide eyes, as though he'd never seen a girl before. Teecie thought he was adorable and had to resist the urge to clutch him to her chest and kiss his cheeks.  
  
  
  
The two kids talked for a while before Teecie sat up and took her bottle of sunscreen out of her bag. Ashford watched silently as she rubbed lotion onto her arms, legs, stomach, and face. When she'd finished, Teecie handed him the bottle and turned around. Pulling her hair over her shoulder, she asked, "Will you do my back, please? Then I'll do yours." Ashford was amazed. This goddess was allowing him to touch her. Pouring some lotion onto his hands, he gently began rubbing it onto her back. He took his time and made sure to get every inch of her skin that he could. It was warm and soft and Ashford didn't want to stop, but knew he must. When he was done, Teecie thanked him and helped him put his own sunscreen on.   
  
  
  
By the time they'd finished, the food was arriving, so Teecie had to go help set up the tables. She separated the savory food from the sweet and had them put on different tables. Charlie arrived with all the supplies as well, and helped Teecie. They set up basins of ice and set the pop and butterbeer in them so students could help themselves. When they'd finished, Charlie went inside to change his clothes.  
  
  
  
Teecie had just finished arranging all the food when Charlie returned in green swimming trunks. She stopped and watched as he walked towards her. His body was very muscular and attractive. He had chest hair too! Teecie had only seen men with hairy chests in movies and on the telly. Her father didn't have any, neither did Draco. Teecie wondered what it felt like. She'd seen him like this before at the reunion, but was still quite impressed.  
  
  
  
Charlie smiled at Teecie and sat down in a chair, opened a butterbeer, and took a sip. Soon, students were arriving at the lake's edge. Almost every girl who came stared at Charlie, and within minutes, they were flocking to his side. Charlie cracked jokes and smiled at the girls, which made them giggle and twitter to one another.  
  
  
  
Teecie greeted students as they arrived at the lake. When Rey came, he gave her a big hug, and held her hand as they walked around, mingling with the other students. Rey had his arm around her waist as Teecie noticed June Lindon approach the refreshment table. "Rey, come on, there's somebody I want to meet," Teecie said, taking a step towards June. Teecie walked up to June, smiled, and said, "June? Hi, my name's Teecie. We've never met, but I know your father-"  
  
  
  
"Teecie? My da told me about you. He said to look for you here. I'm so glad to finally meet you!" June interrupted, smiling at Teecie.  
  
  
  
Teecie glanced at Rey and noticed his look of confusion. "June's father's my brother's gardener. I met him while I was over there over the holiday. He's an amazing man!"   
  
  
  
Rey pasted a smile on his face, and shook June's hand. "Pleased to meet you, June," He said. Teecie made friends with servants? What was wrong with this girl? Well, there was still plenty of time to break her of those middle-class ways.   
  
  
  
After June and Teecie had finished chatting, Rey took Teecie's hand again and they continued to mingle with the other students. Carl approached them and looked Teecie over appraisingly. "Look at you! You're gorgeous! That blue looks so good on you! And the bikini! It shows off just the right amount without trying too hard," He said, giving her a quick hug. Looking at Rey, Carl eyed him carefully. "You must be Rey...the Slytherin...yes, well, pleased to meet you," He said, holding his hand out to shake Rey's.  
  
  
  
Rey looked at Carl for a few seconds without speaking before opening his mouth. "Well, I see they're still letting your kind into the school," Rey said, not taking Carl's hand.  
  
  
  
"Oh? What exactly is my kind?" Carl asked, defensively, putting his hands on his hips.  
  
  
  
"You know...muggleborn," Rey replied, narrowing his eyes.   
  
  
  
Teecie gasped and pulled Rey away from Carl. "I cannot believe you just said that! Is that how you really feel? Because you should know then that my mum's muggleborn, and I won't be friends with somebody if they hate a person based on who their parents are," Teecie hissed at him.  
  
  
  
Rey sighed loudly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that...I don't know why I said it. It's just that...that guy annoys me. But it was wrong of me and I should have said nothing instead. You don't hate me do you?" Rey said, with a look of extreme concern on his face.  
  
  
  
Teecie sighed as well. "No, I don't hate you. But you should apologize to Carl, it was very rude," She said, looking over at where Carl had been standing, only to see he'd left. "You'll just have to apologize the next time you see him," Teecie said, before they started walking again.  
  
  
  
At the dessert table, Teecie and Rey ran into Professor Lupin. Lupin was taking a bite of chocolate silk pie and smiled at the couple. "Professor, you came! I'm so glad you came!" Teecie cried. "Is the pie good? I hope so, the house elves worked so hard on all the food!"  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin nodded his head as he swallowed his bite. "Everything's delicious," He assured Teecie. Setting his pie down, Lupin noticed Teecie's bikini. As he glanced up towards Gryffindor Tower, he couldn't help thinking to himself, "Oh I hope James can't see her now."   
  
  
  
"Did you bring your swimming trunks? I think everybody's gonna go for a swim later on," Teecie said, excitedly.  
  
  
  
"No, I'm not much of a swimmer, I'm afraid," Lupin replied.  
  
  
  
"Oh well, you can watch all of us swim instead! Maybe if we have races you can be the judge," Teecie said.  
  
  
  
"We'll see. I am going to spend some time with James this afternoon."  
  
  
  
"Ah, I see. Well, you have fun doing that," Teecie replied, curtly. It was at this moment that Teecie heard the sounds of students going into the water. "Let's go in!" She said to Rey, but he didn't want to go, so Teecie went by herself.  
  
  
  
Once at the water's edge, Teecie saw Patty and went over to her. "Wanna go in?" Teecie asked, smiling. Patty said yes, and soon they were wading into the cool water. Patty was wearing a pair of green shorts and a matching tank top, and dove in after a few steps. Teecie was a little more cautious and continued to walk into the water. Once she was used to the temperature, Teecie dunked herself under the water.   
  
  
  
The two girls watched as some of the boys started lifting the girls up on their shoulders. Somebody had brought a beach ball, and a makeshift game of volleyball was starting. Patty and Teecie walked over to the game and tried to play, but it was too hard, since they were so short. Patty looked at the shore, and called out to one of the boys, "Paul, come play with me!" Paul saw Patty waving to him, smiled, and joined the girls in the water. Lifting Patty up onto his shoulders, Paul walked to the other players, and soon they were tossing the ball around too.  
  
  
  
Teecie swam around by herself for a while, before spotting Stephen, who was floating on his back, far from where the volleyball game was taking place. Swimming up to Stephen, Teecie started to float on her back next to him. It took several seconds for him to notice her, but finally, Stephen's hand brushed against hers, and he turned to look at her.   
  
  
  
Stephen and Teecie swam around by themselves, talking about the family reunion and school. After a while, Teecie got an idea. "Do you think you could flip me in the water?" Stephen looked at her, confused. "If I put my foot in your hands, and my hands on your shoulders, could you lift me out of the water and flip me upside down?"  
  
  
  
Stephen considered this. "I dunno, let's try," He replied. They swam to where they could touch the ground, and Teecie stuck her foot in his entwined fingers, lifted herself up by putting her hands on his shoulders, and attempted to stand up straight. Stephen tried to stay where he was and not lose his footing. Moving her hands to Stephen's head, Teecie stood up, but soon lost her balance, and fell forward against him. Stephen grabbed at Teecie's legs just before her knees hit his teeth, and they both fell back into the water.  
  
  
  
The next time they tried it, Teecie remained somewhat hunched over and was able to stay up better. Stephen lifted her up as high and fast as he could, then pushed her foot out of his hands, sending Teecie flying through the air backwards, where she crashed into the water with a huge splash. The water stung her back and took away her breath, which didn't matter as she was under the water, but left her feeling immobilized for several seconds before she could swim up to the surface.   
  
  
  
The third time seemed to work better, Teecie was able to arch her back and felt her hands enter the water first. As she resurfaced, Teecie smiled and cried, "That was the best one so far! This is fun!"  
  
  
  
Stephen grinned impishly at Teecie as she walked back over to him. Teecie watched with curiosity as his smile faded and was replaced by a look of shock. "What's the matter?" Stephen seemed to have been rendered speechless, and merely pointed at her. Furrowing her brow, Teecie looked over her shoulder to see if somebody was behind her, saw nobody, then looked down to see what was wrong. What she saw filled her with horror. Her bikini top had come partly undone in all the flipping and swimming. It was still tied around her neck, but had come untied around her back and hung off one side of her body. Gasping, Teecie clapped her hands to her chest to hide herself from Stephen, and dove under the water to get away from him. Once under the water, Teecie turned her top around, rearranged herself, and retied the back.   
  
  
  
Once Teecie resurfaced and turned around, she saw Stephen grinning at her again. He was beet red, but laughing quietly. Teecie was mortified. Stephen had seen her breasts. Biting her lip, Teecie started to walk towards the shore. Stephen felt bad for her and grabbed her hand as she walked past him. Pulling her over to him, he put his hand on her shoulder. "Teecie, this is nothing. I promise I won't tell anybody about this," He said to her.  
  
  
  
"It's nothing? You saw my...breasts," Teecie whispered the last word and looked around to see if anybody was listening, "And it's nothing? Am I that insignificant?"  
  
  
  
"No! I mean, they were...lovely...to see, but it's not as though I've never seen naked women before."  
  
  
  
"How many naked women have you seen?"  
  
  
  
"Well...I've seen pictures of lots. But the point is, this is nothing to be embarrassed about. Years from now, we'll look back on this and laugh."  
  
  
  
"Oh, that's a comforting thought! I-" Teecie was cut off when an angry voice called out to them.  
  
  
  
"Hey, you, Mr. Weasley! Get your hand off Miss Orendes!" Teecie cringed as Draco yelled at them.  
  
  
  
Turning around, Teecie put a smile on her face and waved at her brother. "Hello Professor Black!" She called to him. "We're just playing, nothing's wrong!"  
  
  
  
Draco glared at the two. "You look like you've played enough for a while. Why don't you come out of the water and talk with some of the girls?"  
  
  
  
Teecie sighed, smiled at Stephen, and walked out of the water, over to Draco. "Are you happy now?" She asked sarcastically.  
  
  
  
"You're wearing that bloody bikini again! I cannot believe your mother bought that for you. No, wait, I can, never mind," Draco muttered as he escorted Teecie behind a tree. "Did you go through the entire school dressed like this?" He asked once they were alone.  
  
  
  
"No, I wore clothes on top," Teecie replied.  
  
  
  
"Good, go get them and put them on," Draco said, folding his arms authoritatively.  
  
  
  
"No! Everybody else is dressed like this. I'm not changing," Teecie said, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms.  
  
  
  
"Do you want me to take you back into the school?"  
  
  
  
"You can't do that! This is my party!" Teecie cried, walking away from Draco and trotting over to the food tables. She quickly made a sandwich before looking over her shoulder to see if Draco was following her. Luckily he seemed to have disappeared from her sight. As she looked around, she saw Paige, and they sat and ate together, talking over the events of the day. As Teecie swallowed a bite of her turkey sandwich, she glanced up in time to see a group of Slytherins arriving. "Oh no, here comes trouble," She said to Paige.  
  
  
  
Paige looked over her shoulder and cringed. "Great," She said.  
  
  
  
The girls stood up and watched as Lisette, Richelle, Zeren, and Roxanne walked over to the food tables. They were all dressed in their school robes and looked as though they had no intentions of staying long. Lisette looked at Teecie, sneered, and walked over to her. "Look, it's the garlic-eater," Lisette said. Her Slytherin followers laughed. "Well, at least you aren't wearing that horrible outfit I saw you in that day in Diagon Alley. Traipsing about half naked is far better than that, even though we're forced to see your ugly, warty body."  
  
  
  
"She is not warty! Or ugly! You shut up Lisette!" Paige said sharply, coming to stand next to Teecie.   
  
  
  
"Oh, if it isn't one of the Weasley followers. You and that twin of yours, and all your brothers and sisters, and your cousins! Red-haired, freckled freaks! All of you! And you all do whatever she says," Lisette hissed, pointing a finger at Teecie at the last part.   
  
  
  
Faking a yawn, Paige sighed loudly, "Are you finished yet? I mean really, can't you think of anything better to do with your time? It's like you're obsessed with Teecie or something! What, are you in love with her?"   
  
  
  
Lisette's eyes flashed with anger as she advanced upon Paige. "How dare you speak to me that way!" Zeren and Roxanne rushed towards the girls. "You don't think you're gonna get away with that do you? You just wait..." Lisette threatened.  
  
  
  
"Oh shut up, Lisette!" Teecie said while grabbing Paige's arm and pulling her away towards a large group of students. "Paige! That was so brave of you!"  
  
  
  
"Yeah, well..." Paige said, blushing. The Slytherins stayed by the food tables for a few more minutes before leaving. The girls relaxed and mingled with other students.   
  
  
  
From out of the corner of her eye, Teecie saw Uncle Sev walking through the crowd of people. Turning and waving to him, Teecie hopped up and down excitedly. "Hi Uncle Sev!" She said, running over to him. "Did you just get here? Do you want me to get you some food?"  
  
  
  
"Yes, I just got here. I already ate, but I could use something to drink. You want to get me a glass of punch?"  
  
  
  
"Sure!" Teecie ran off and poured a cup of punch, then brought it over to where Uncle Sev was standing under a tree. "Here you go!" She said, handing the cup to him.  
  
  
  
Uncle Sev smiled before putting the cup to his lips and taking a sip. Teecie watched as he grimaced and spat the punch on the ground. "Did you make this?" He asked.  
  
  
  
Looking worried, Teecie shook her head, "No, the house elves made all the food."  
  
  
  
"Did you add anything to it?"  
  
  
  
"No."  
  
  
  
"Well, somebody did," Uncle Sev replied, walking towards the refreshment table.   
  
  
  
"What do you mean?" Teecie asked, trotting behind him.  
  
  
  
"Somebody put firewhisky in the punch."  
  
  
  
"Ew! Why would somebody do that?"  
  
  
  
Uncle Sev looked at Teecie, shook his head, sighed, then began to examine the punch bowl. "Did you see anybody around here?"  
  
  
  
"Well..."  
  
  
  
"Who? Whoever did this needs to be punished," Uncle Sev said.   
  
  
  
"But if I tell and they find out it was me..."  
  
  
  
"Nobody will find out who told me. I won't tell whoever it was," Uncle Sev assured Teecie.  
  
  
  
"Oh, all right then...it was probably Lisette and her gang. They were picking on us and standing right here. We left and then they left a while later," Teecie said in a quiet voice, looking over her shoulder the entire time.   
  
  
  
"Thank you," Uncle Sev said, while casting a spell on the punch to diffuse the alcohol. "Why don't you go back to talking with your friends."  
  
  
  
Teecie walked to the shore and watched as the students had swimming races. She cheered for Ashford, who seemed to be a very fast swimmer. Once he won the race and swam back to the shore, Teecie hugged him and kissed his cheek. As she stood up, Teecie glanced up at Gryffindor Tower and saw a figure standing in the window of what Teecie assumed was the common room. She was too far away to see the look on the figure's face, but saw the person disappear seconds later. During this time, the other Gryffindor students crowded around Ashford and congratulated him for winning. Ashford looked like he might burst with pride and happiness.  
  
  
  
The party lasted for several more hours, until the sun began to set and it started getting cold. Teecie found her bag, put her sandals on before helping to move chairs, tables, and food back to the school.   
  
  
  
Once everything had been returned to the school, Teecie walked up to Gryffindor Tower. Most students were taking showers or in their dormitories, but James and Professor Lupin sat at a table playing chess. Remus tried to keep James occupied in the game, but his son seemed to have a Teecie-detector in his head, for he immediately turned around when she entered the room.  
  
  
  
James saw Teecie's bikini and was almost overwhelmed. Starting to stand up, James was stopped as Remus grabbed his arm and pulled him back down. "Leave her alone, son," He said quietly. James watched as Teecie walked out of the common room and up to her dormitory.  
  
  
  
Once back in the dormitory, Patty, Paige, and Teecie talked about the party and how much fun they'd all had. They decided it had been a smashing success, and they'd have to do it again next year. 


	22. James's Chapter

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe3: I'm so glad you like the way Snape runs the school! I'm having a lot of fun writing it. Thanks for letting me know you reviewed when the site was having problems, it reminded me to post the next chapter! Hope you like it!  
  
Wicked Lee: James is a little crazy isn't he! Crazy in love that is! This chapter is told mostly from his point of view and deals a lot with the last chapter, I don't know if you've read that one yet or not, but I'd highly recommend you do, because some of the stuff here won't make any sense otherwise. Enjoy!  
  
James's Chapter  
  
For the rest of the weekend, the lake party was all the students would talk about. Everybody had loved it and people were already making plans for next year's. James listened with an envy-filled heart as the students went on about how much fun it had been. The first Monday after the party, Lisette had sat next to James in potions class and told him all about Teecie and how she had drawn the attention of all the boys by wearing that bikini of hers. Even Stephen Weasley, a fifth year, had flirted shamelessly with her! She hadn't seen, but had heard rumours that Stephen had felt her up while they swam together. And then she'd practically made out with Ashford when he won the swimming race.  
  
  
  
Teecie had overheard some of the conversation and turned around to glare at Lisette. James felt protective of Teecie's feelings, something he was trying to improve upon. Turning to Lisette, he glared at her. "Shut up, Lisette!" He said quietly.  
  
  
  
"All right, then I won't tell you about how she-"  
  
  
  
"Shut up!" James yelled at Lisette, standing up so quickly he knocked his chair over and walked out of the classroom. Teecie gasped, and turned to look at Draco after James had left the room. Draco's mouth was drawn tightly as he glared darkly at the door that James had just walked out of. The rest of the class went smoothly, so Teecie was unsure of what Draco would do to James.  
  
  
  
That evening at dinner, James received an owl from Professor Black informing him that he'd lost 20 points from Gryffindor. Ten points for disrupting class, and another ten for walking out. He was also expected to finish his potion in the dungeons after dinner was finished that evening. James looked up at Draco, and waited until he made eye contact with him before deliberately crumpling the note up and dropping it on the floor. Next he looked at Teecie, scowled angrily at her, then got up and left the room. Teecie didn't know why he'd looked at her that way. She'd only been eating her pork roast and talking about skirts with Paige and Carl.   
  
  
  
James trudged down to the dungeons, finished his potion as quickly as possible, and left it on Professor Black's desk for his approval. He left the room before the professor had even finished his dinner.   
  
  
  
James needed to cool off, so he left the school and walked around for a while. He walked to the edge of the Forbidden Forest and stopped while deciding to go in or not. His father had told him that there weren't really any werewolves in the forest, it was just something the professors told the students to keep them out of the woods.  
  
  
  
Just as he took his first step inside the forest, he was stopped by a voice. "You, boy, just where do you think you're going?" A woman called out to him. James turned to see a brown haired, brown eyed woman looking at him with her hands on her hips. Landra Fairley, the school's groundskeeper, and occupant of the stone hut at the forest's edge, was returning from dinner inside the school and had come just in time to stop James from getting himself into even more trouble than he already was.  
  
  
  
James sighed and walked over to the woman. "I just needed to get away from everything. My life is miserable," He explained.  
  
  
  
"Oh, well, I'm terribly sorry your life is so bad, but you shouldn't be running into the forest. There are many dark and dangerous things there," Miss Fairley explained. "Why don't you come inside and stay with me for a while," She invited.  
  
  
  
James considered this for a moment before smiling and walking with her towards the hut. Once inside, James saw the quaint surroundings. There was a small bed with a beautiful quilt on it in one corner, and a round wooden table with several chairs in the middle of the room. In another corner of the room stood a large bookshelf, comfortable red plush chair and an end table with an oil lamp on it. A small black cat slept in the chair. Paintings of flowers hung on the walls, and colourful throw rugs adorned the floors. Though small, this hut felt like home, a place James felt at peace in. A place he could go to get away from Teecie and all his troubles.   
  
  
  
Miss Fairley ushered James to one of the chairs at the table, and then took plates of food out of the larder. She set plates of biscuits in front of James, then poured him a large glass of milk. Sitting across from him, Miss Fairley watched as James ate a ginger molasses biscuit and took a large sip of milk. "I didn't finish dinner," James explained, with a full mouth.  
  
  
  
Sitting back in her chair, Miss Fairley looked appraisingly at James, "So, what brought you to the forest's edge tonight?"  
  
  
  
James chewed for several seconds before swallowing. Sighing, James opened his mouth and told Miss Fairley everything. He told her about being Teecie's secret admirer, and how he'd sent her letters over the entire summer. He told her how deep his love for her was and how he thought he'd die if Teecie continued to ignore him. He explained that he'd only wanted to show the world how much he loved her when he'd gotten on the table and made his announcement that first night back at school. He didn't understand why Teecie had been so upset at what he'd said. He'd thought it was terribly flattering and had hoped Teecie would be his girlfriend for it. But she wouldn't even talk to him now, and it seemed as though she never would again.  
  
  
  
Miss Fairley sat forward when James had exhausted himself, and spoke in soothing tones. "My, you do have a lot on your mind. This girl seems very important to you, and I imagine you would do anything for her. Have you tried apologizing to her?"  
  
  
  
James looked confused. "Why should I apologize for telling the truth?"  
  
  
  
Miss Fairley smiled. "I know it's confusing, but sometimes girls like it if you apologize for things that upset them, even if it doesn't seem like you should have to. It's part of growing up and becoming a man," She explained gently.  
  
  
  
"Well, it's worth a try," James said, sighing. He was so desperate, he'd try anything. After a couple more biscuits, James thanked Miss Fairley and left to return to his dormitory.  
  
  
  
Once there, James turned his thoughts to other things, like what clubs he'd be in this year. He decided to stay in the ones he'd been in, and add on some more. Now that he was a second year, both dueling and fencing were available to him. Because those were somewhat dangerous clubs, first year students weren't allowed to join them. His father had grounded him from doing most things, but had said going to club meetings was all right as it was a good way for him to get his mind off of things.   
  
  
  
James was a little nervous to try the dueling club, because his father was the head of the club, and he wasn't sure if he'd be any good or if he'd be total rubbish at it. At least he didn't have too far to go to get the permission slip signed. Professor Snape insisted that the more dangerous clubs like dueling and fencing have parental permission slips signed before a student was allowed to join.   
  
  
  
The next day passed slowly. Classes took forever to end. Every time James saw Teecie, he tried to work up enough courage to apologize to her, but couldn't. Part of him felt ashamed that he wasn't able to talk to Teecie, but another part of him was angry with Teecie for making him feel this way. How dare she be so upset at him when he'd only been trying to show his love for her? Maybe he didn't want to apologize to her. Maybe he wanted her to come crawling back to him, once she finally realized what an amazing young man he was.  
  
  
  
James was just telling himself this again when Teecie and Rey walked by hand-in-hand. James looked at the couple with hatred in his heart. He'd never felt more hate for another human being than he felt for Rey. He wanted Rey to die! He wanted to strangle him! How dare Rey get to hold Teecie's hand when she wouldn't pay any attention to him? He wanted to tear Teecie away from Rey and hold her. He wanted to kiss her, and maybe, if he was lucky, she'd let him touch her breasts. He could die a happy man after that. Was that too much to ask for? Was he being unreasonable?   
  
  
  
Finally, the evening arrived and it was time for James' first Dueling Club meeting. There were quite a few students there, and only a couple of them were girls. When he saw Rey there, James wasn't sure if he should be happy at the thought of beating him in a duel or nervous over the thought that Rey might be better at dueling than he was. He didn't know if he could bear to lose to Rey in more than one area. When he made eye contact with Rey, Rey sneered, walked over to James and said in a low voice, "I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity to get to know Teecie better. Much better, it you get what I'm saying," before walking away.  
  
  
  
James fumed and was walking over towards Rey when Remus and Professor Snape entered the room. Remus sent his son a warning look, and James went back to where he'd been standing. The group of students was divided in half and Remus took one half and Professor Snape took the other. James, Patty, and Daniel were all in the same group and stood next to one another during their instructions from Professor Snape.   
  
  
  
Professor Snape went around the group, showing the students the proper stance for dueling and making comments on them as they practiced. "Engelmann, you're about to duel, not conduct a symphony," "Wood, you'll take someone's eye out if you keep that up," "Weasley, how many times do I have to tell you, keep your foot pointed out straight, not at an angle." James was nervous about what Professor Snape would say to him. He was trying his best to get the stance right, but was sure there was something wrong. When Professor Snape walked over to him, James tried to control his breathing as the professor circled him, looking for something to point out. "You're holding your wand too low, lift it up about three more inches," Snape barked at him before moving on to the next victim.  
  
  
  
James looked over at his father's group to see how they were doing. Remus was walking among the students as well, though with a less stern look on his face. He stopped at Rey and gave him a few pointers before moving on to the next student. Rey looked over at James and sneered at him again. James glared at Rey and took a step towards him before Professor Snape swooped back over to him and advised him to stay put. James turned his glare to the professor and opened his mouth. "But he-"  
  
  
  
"I do not care, Mr. Lupin," Professor Snape hissed at him. "You will learn to control yourself in this club, or you will no longer be allowed in it," He said in a quiet voice. "Now, take a deep breath, Mr. Lupin. Good. Hold it and count to five slowly. Then slowly let it out," Professor Snape instructed. James complied, and found he felt a little better afterwards. "Now, every time you feel the urge to rush after somebody for angering you, do that before you take any action. You need to learn more self-control," With that, Professor Snape walked back to the students he still had to evaluate.   
  
  
  
Half way through the meeting, Professors Snape and Lupin gathered the second year students and had them sit on the floor to watch the older students practice. The students cheered as their club mates fought one another. Stephen won in a match against a Hufflepuff, but he lost to his cousin Paul in the next match. Paul won against a Ravenclaw and Zacharias, and was named the champion for the evening. Patty cheered loudly and ran up to hug her brother.   
  
  
  
Paul stood with his arm around Patty's shoulders as all the other students came up to shake his hand. When Daniel shook Paul's hand, he looked at Patty and said, "Some day I'll beat your brother!"   
  
  
  
Paul laughed as Patty started chasing Daniel around the room. When she caught him, she punched his arm and then climbed up on his back for a piggy back ride out of the room.  
  
  
  
James stayed behind and helped his father and Professor Snape put the room back together again. He told his father about his day while they moved tables and chairs around. James told his father how Teecie had held Rey's hand and ignored him. Professor Lupin sighed as he thought about how his tea with Teecie on Saturday would go. He didn't know how much more pre-teenage angst he could take without losing his mind. Professor Snape had been putting a chair away and overheard what James had said. As Remus crossed the room to collect more chairs, Professor Snape looked over at James and said in a quiet voice, "Stay away from love, boy...it does things to your brain," before walking away without another word.   
  
  
  
Once he'd finished helping his father, James returned to the Gryffindor common room. As he settled in to watch Robert and Peter play a game of wizard's chess, Teecie and Kern came in and joined the group of on-lookers. They'd returned from their Runes club meeting and chatted happily to each other. James wondered if he was brave enough to try apologizing to Teecie.  
  
  
  
Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, James stood up and walked over to Teecie. After he tapped her shoulder, he waited for a few seconds before Teecie turned around in her seat and looked up at him. James cleared his throat and spoke in a whisper to her. "Teecie, can I...can I...talk to you, please?" Teecie narrowed her eyes at him before slowly standing up and walking over to the couch. James followed behind her.   
  
  
  
Standing against the back of the couch, Teecie folded her arms and looked at the fireplace as James stood next to her. "I wanted to tell you how sorry I am about what I did during the feast," James said slowly. "It was wrong and I'm a horrible person for embarrassing you like I did. I know you're upset with me, but I hope you won't hate me forever. Will you forgive me someday?"   
  
  
  
Teecie turned and looked at him. She could see the pain in his eyes and it made her feel angry. She'd been the one humiliated! How dare he be upset at her? It was all his fault he was feeling this way. Narrowing her eyes at him once again, Teecie began speaking to him sharply and poking him in the shoulder with her finger at each point. "This is all your fault. You're an idiot! And I don't see why I should ever forgive you for what you did! I hate you, in fact I don't care if I never saw your stupid, ugly face again!" With that, Teecie whipped around and ran off to her dormitory, leaving a crestfallen James behind.  
  
  
  
James slowly walked to his dormitory and made his way to his bed. Drawing the curtains of his four poster, James lay down face first on his bed and began to cry. He hoped he was alone, and proceeded to cry his eyes out. It felt as though Teecie had reached into his chest, torn out his heart, thrown it on the floor, and stomped on it. He'd tried his best to be kind to her and she had repaid him by breaking his heart.  
  
  
  
James continued to cry and didn't hear as a soft voice called out to him until the person had walked to the edge of his bed. "James, what's the matter?" Carl called to him quietly.   
  
  
  
James tried to ignore Carl but knew he was still standing next to his bed, so he slowly sat up and pulled back the curtains. "Nothing, I'm fine," James lied.  
  
  
  
Carl saw how upset James was and sat down on the bed next to him. "What did she do now?" He asked. James sighed, and proceeded to tell Carl everything that had been said between them downstairs that evening. Once he'd finished, Carl shook his head and folded his arms. "Well, you have every right to be upset! You just cry until you feel better. What is wrong with that girl! Would you like me to talk to her?" Carl asked, looking at James with concern on his face.  
  
  
  
"Oh, I don't know. She's still angry at me. It's probably not a good idea to get more people involved," James replied, wiping his eyes on a tissue that Carl held out to him.  
  
  
  
"That girl needs to be slapped! She doesn't know a good thing when it's standing right in front of her! You don't deserve to be treated like this, you know," Carl said.  
  
  
  
James sighed, threw himself on his bed, and looked up at the canopy above him. "I know, but I love her," He replied quietly.  
  
  
  
Carl looked at James and rolled his eyes. "Women! I've never understood why they have so much power over men. Love sure is interesting, isn't it?"  
  
  
  
"I don't know that I'd call it interesting. Torturous, hellish, horrible is more like it."  
  
  
  
"Oh, don't say that! Love is wonderful! If it's done right."  
  
  
  
"Too bad I have it all wrong."  
  
  
  
"Well it takes two to love, whether it's done right or wrong, so don't blame just yourself."  
  
  
  
James sat back up again and smiled at Carl. "Thanks," He said.  
  
  
  
Carl smiled back and patted James' shoulder. "Anytime," He replied.   
  
  
  
The boys heard footsteps coming to their room, so Carl removed his hand from James' shoulder and walked back to his bed. James, feeling better, changed into his nightclothes, got ready for bed, and fell asleep almost immediately after turning his light out.  
  
  
  
The next morning, Carl coached him through how to deal with Teecie. "Just ignore her. If she looks at you or tries to talk, just ignore it," He advised.  
  
  
  
"But what if she wants to apologize and make up?" James asked.  
  
  
  
"Like that's gonna happen. Anyways, don't you know anything about 'supply and demand'?" Carl saw the confusion on James' face and explained. "The more you give of yourself to her, the less she seems to want you, right? So if you ignore her and give less of yourself to her, the more she'll want you. It's worth a try at least."  
  
  
  
"Hey, that does make sense! I bet it'll work! Thanks for the idea!"  
  
  
  
"No problem," Carl said, smiling. "Hey, you know what? You should find somebody else to go out with too. Somebody who'll make her jealous!"  
  
  
  
"Who?"  
  
  
  
"Let me think on it, all right?"  
  
  
  
"OK," James said as they walked into the Great Hall for breakfast. As they sat down to eat, Teecie glanced over at James. James turned his head away from her and ignored her. Looking over at Carl, Carl smiled and gave him a thumbs up.  
  
  
  
Carl watched to see how Teecie reacted before leaning in to whisper to James. "She's totally upset now! You should have seen the look on her face! She turned red and started to talk to Rey. This is good!"  
  
  
  
"Good that she talked to Rey?"  
  
  
  
"Yes. She's only using him to make you upset, you know," Carl said. "Isn't she?" He asked, turning to Paige who was just sitting down.  
  
  
  
"Oh, totally. Listen, what happened last night? She came up to the dormitory and cried all night long! She wouldn't tell me anything," Paige said.  
  
  
  
"I'll tell you later, love," Carl replied, his eyes glued to Teecie and Rey as though he was watching his favourite soap opera.  
  
  
  
James' day was rather uneventful after that. He continued to ignore Teecie whenever possible. Soon, several days had passed, and still nothing had happened. When Friday evening arrived, he wasn't sure how to react to seeing Teecie in the Fencing club. The next morning, he saw her again in the Cooking club. James made sure to stay close to Charlie the entire time.  
  
  
  
A semi-livable routine began after that. James' days passed with no fun or interesting events occurring. The weeks passed slowly, and he tried to be the best student he could. He figured the harder he concentrated on schoolwork and clubs, the less time he'd have to dwell on Teecie.   
  
  
  
Though he tried his best, it wasn't always as successful in ignoring Teecie:   
  
Journal Entry Number 22,  
  
  
  
I don't know how much longer I can take this. It's been a month and Teecie still won't speak to me and it's killing me. If I could take back what I did that night, I would, but I can't! I wish I could make it up to her. I wish we could just start over again. Dad says this is all a part of growing up. But if it is, maybe I don't want to grow up. It's too painful. Maybe there's a potion out there that will make a person stop aging.  
  
  
  
This morning in Defense Against the Arts class, dad let Teecie come to the front of the class for a demonstration of kappas. He had her stand next to a tank of water with a kappa in it. She stuck her hand in the water and waited for several seconds before the kappa grabbed her and started pulling her down into the water. It was really fast and strong, because he dunked her whole head under the water before dad pulled her back out again. As she stood back up, lots of water dripped down onto her blouse, and got her bra wet too. I only saw her for a couple seconds before she pulled her robes around her body and sat back down. It was a great class. I only wish...oh, hold on...damn it! Thinking about Teecie made me...I'll be back, just let me--  
  
James was growing more and more frustrated as Teecie kept ignoring him. What was worse, she spent all her time with Rey, who now sat at the Gryffindor table with all of their friends. Ashford hung out with them too. James spent most of his time sitting with Sirius and his friends, since Teecie clearly didn't want him there.   
  
  
  
All James knew now was that he didn't want things to go on like this. Something needed to change. Soon.  
  
Chapter References: "Stay away from love, boy...it does things to your brain." This line is paraphrased from one of my all time favorite characters- Dr. Robert "Rocket" Romano from the tv show ER. He reminds me a lot of Snape which is why that line came to me. 


	23. Life Goes On

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe3: Well I can't give away too much about the future plot of this story, but all I can say is, be patient, and hopefully most of your Snape concerns will be addressed. It might come in a way you didn't expect, but he will be happy, it'll just take some time. Glad you liked the chapter, here's the next, though I might warn you, there is some unpleasantness in this one.  
  
Life Goes On  
  
The day after the party, Teecie worked on homework all day before having tea with Professor Longbottom. They talked about the party and how much fun it had been. Teecie hadn't noticed the professor there the day before and assumed he must have passed through while she had been in the water. Stephen was his nephew, hopefully he'd keep his promise and not told anybody about what he'd seen. Teecie was still mortified over what had happened, but luckily the professor said nothing about it. She left the office a while later feeling safer about her secret.  
  
  
  
As Teecie walked to the main staircase to walk up to Gryffindor Tower, Lisette and her gang of girls emerged from the shadows of the staircase to the dungeons and surrounded her. Richelle grabbed Teecie by the arms and held her, immobilized, in front of Lisette and Roxanne. "So, you told Snape we spiked the punch yesterday, did you? You'll find we don't react well to those who get us in trouble," Lisette hissed. "Take her over here," She instructed Richelle to drag Teecie into the shadows. "I'll show you...be my friend, hah!" Teecie had no idea what Lisette was talking about. She'd never said anything about being her friend. Unless...Mr. Crabbe had told Lisette about meeting her at the manor.   
  
  
  
Richelle clapped her hand over Teecie's mouth while holding her arms down with her other arm. Lisette made Roxanne act as a lookout and when she was sure nobody was near, slapped Teecie across the face. "Like I'd ever be your friend!" She said, slapping Teecie again. Teecie tried to scream, but was unable to because of the hand over her mouth. Lisette took a handful of Teecie's hair and pulled on it, so her head was pulled down. "Father said I should be your friend! I don't think so!" Yanking her head the other way so they looked each other in the eye, Lisette slapped her again. "He told me all about the fun he had talking to you during the dinner party. He probably wants to marry you!"   
  
  
  
Seeing a target of opportunity, Lisette continued to hold onto the handful of hair to keep Teecie's head steady as she reached her other hand towards one of the earrings in Teecie's ear. Teecie whimpered as she knew what was coming. Richelle held onto her even more tightly as Lisette slowly put her fingers around the small hoop of gold hanging from Teecie's earlobe and gently tugged on it. "Should I? Hmm, Teecie? Do you have any objections? All you have to do is tell me to stop and I will," Lisette said, grinning. Teecie struggled against Richelle but was unable to speak. "You don't mind? OK then," Lisette said, tightening her grip on the earring and tore it out of Teecie's ear. Looking down at the earring in her hand, Lisette looked scared that she'd actually done that.   
  
  
  
"Let that be a lesson to you for telling on us and worming your way into my father's affections. Next time it'll be worse," She hissed before walking away and tossing the earring to the floor. Richelle finally let go of Teecie, and followed Lisette. Teecie clapped a hand to her now-bleeding ear. Roxanne walked past Teecie and laughed before disappearing down the stairs.   
  
  
  
Teecie's ear stung fiercely as she walked up the stairs to the hospital ward. She sniffled as she walked into the ward. Master Wilkes was folding linens and heard her as she entered the room. "Teecie, what's the matter?" He asked, walking over to her.  
  
  
  
"Uh...I...my sleeve got caught on my earring and tore it out of my ear," Teecie replied cautiously.   
  
  
  
"Oh, that must hurt terribly," Master Wilkes replied, taking hold of Teecie's arm and gently leading her to a bed. "You lie down and I'll fix you right up," He instructed. Teecie leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes as Master Wilkes examined her ear. "Hmm, Teecie, how did you get these red markings on your face?" He asked, curiously.  
  
  
  
"Markings? What markings?" Teecie replied, wishing he'd just fix her and let her go.  
  
  
  
"There are red markings all over your face."  
  
  
  
"Oh? Well...when my sleeve got caught, it scared me and I tripped and fell."  
  
  
  
"Ah, I see," Master Wilkes said, and remained silent after that.  
  
  
  
Teecie felt relieved that he'd bought her story. She kept her eyes closed as she felt the cool, soothing hands of Master Wilkes on her face. He put a numbing salve on her earlobe and gave her a potion to help repair the damage to it. Once he'd finished, he told Teecie to stay put while her ear was being healed.   
  
  
  
Teecie must have drifted off to sleep, for she felt Master Wilkes gently shake her awake to find the sun had set. "How do you feel, Teecie?" He asked.  
  
  
  
Yawning, Teecie sat up. "Better, thank you," She replied.   
  
  
  
"That's good. Are you hungry? I had one of the house elves bring a plate of food up here for you to eat," Master Wilkes said as he set the plate on the end table next to her. Teecie thanked him and began eating her dinner.  
  
  
  
As Teecie was leaving to return to her dormitory, Master Wilkes handed her a bottle of the potion he'd given her. "This will help your ear grow back together properly, and stop the pain. It will probably be sore for a couple days," He informed her.   
  
  
  
The twins were reading on their beds when Teecie came into the room. Teecie got ready for bed and sat on her four poster, trying to do some more homework, but found it too hard concentrate. Paige looked over at her and noticed Teecie's ear for the first time. "Teecie! What happened to your ear?" She cried, running over to Teecie's bed.  
  
  
  
"Oh, it's nothing, really. I was just...sort of...attacked by Lisette and her friends is all," Teecie said quietly, blushing with humiliation.  
  
  
  
Patty's head snapped up as she heard this. Narrowing her eyes and throwing her book on the floor, she walked over to Teecie's bed. "Lisette did that to you?" She asked while pounding a fist into her hand. When Teecie nodded her head, Patty snarled and cried, "I should tear her hair out!"  
  
  
  
Patty was half way out the door before Teecie could call out to her to stop. "Patty don't do anything! At least not now, not tonight!"   
  
  
  
Patty stopped and walked back to her bed. "All right, but don't you dare try to stop me tomorrow!" She grumbled while climbing under her sheets.  
  
  
  
Teecie didn't dare stop Patty the next morning as she marched over to the Slytherin table, grabbed Lisette by the hair, hauled her to her feet and punched her in the eye. Lisette screamed and clutched a hand to her face. Just as Patty was about to throw another punch, she was stopped by Professor Black who dragged her down to the dungeons to be dealt with.  
  
  
  
Teecie and Paige were left, open-mouthed, looking after Patty as she was led away. Teecie felt horrible, for this was all her fault. She felt even worse when she realized that Lisette's revenge would not be exacted on Patty, but herself. It was only a matter of time before Lisette did something worse to her. Teecie's insides twisted as she no longer felt safe at the school. For the first time since the beginning of the school year, Teecie felt the need to go home again.   
  
  
  
When Rey sat down next to Teecie to eat breakfast, Teecie twined her arm through his and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Hullo, Rey," She greeted him quietly. That's what she needed: a big strong boy to protect her. If her daddy and Draco couldn't keep her safe, she'd have to find somebody else who could.   
  
  
  
Teecie's day passed quickly, with her Charms club meeting that evening. It was the first club meeting of the year, and Teecie was nervous to have Professor Boot in charge instead of Professor Flitwick. The students spent the evening showing Professor Boot what they were best at. When Teecie's turn came, she showed her ability to lift the table when trying to float a feather. Just as it had the year before, the feather remained rooted to the desktop while the desk floated about a foot off the floor. Professor Boot had seemed fascinated over this. "Why does it stick to the desk? It is a mystery we'll have to solve," She told Teecie.  
  
  
  
"I can lift my kitten Snowball too, only he's not here now. Daddy said he went fetal over the holiday and can't go inside anymore, so I couldn't take him to school with me," Teecie said.  
  
  
  
"I think you mean 'feral' dear," Professor Boot replied, smiling.  
  
  
  
"That's what I said!" Teecie replied before turning her attention back to the feather.  
  
  
  
The rest of the club meeting was a lot of fun. The students laughed and joked with one another.  
  
  
  
Tuesday's club meeting was Runes with Professor Creevey. Teecie and Kern sat next to Ashford, and wrote notes to each other. Teecie translated a message from Ashford that said, "You are very pretty," for which Teecie kissed his cheek and wrote a message back that said, "You are the cutest!" Ashford turned beet red and looked at the floor.  
  
  
  
That evening ended on a sour note, when James interrupted her while she sat watching a chess match and wanted to speak to her, then proceeded to make Teecie feel guilty about ignoring him. Teecie spoke harshly and quite cruelly to him down, then felt so upset about making him feel bad, that she spent the rest of the night crying in her dormitory.   
  
  
  
The next morning didn't go much better, with James ignoring her completely. How dare he! Teecie spent the rest of breakfast sitting next to Rey and talking to him in a quiet voice.   
  
  
  
Teecie really enjoyed Rey's company. They sat next to each other in classes and at meals. They liked to walk together and hold hands. They'd had lots of fun together at the lake party the previous weekend, and Teecie wondered what it would be like if Rey was her boyfriend. She'd never had a boyfriend before, and thought Rey might be a good candidate to be her first.  
  
  
  
On Thursday, Teecie and Rey went to Potions club with Lisette, Zeren, and Roxanne. Teecie really missed the protection Reni had given her the previous year. The meeting passed uneventfully, until the very end when students were cleaning up. Roxanne was putting her cauldron away when Teecie walked past her. "Hey garlic-eater! How's the ear doing?" She called out.   
  
  
  
Draco was across the room and didn't hear what Roxanne had said. Teecie whipped around and faced Roxanne. It was time to stand up for herself. Teecie couldn't allow this to continue. "I'll thank you to stop calling me 'garlic-eater'! And you know very well how my ear is doing, Roxanne! Honestly, why don't you people just leave me alone? What did I ever do to you?"  
  
  
  
"You exist. Your very presence on this planet insults all of us," Roxanne said, sneering at Teecie.   
  
  
  
Teecie bit her lip, determined not to cry. "I see. Well, we'll just have to stay out of each other's way I suppose," She said calmly.  
  
  
  
"You'd better stay out of our way," Warned Roxanne, "Unless you want your other ear to match!" With that, Roxanne walked out of the classroom, leaving Teecie shaking with a mixture of fear and fury.  
  
  
  
Teecie arrived in her dormitory that evening still upset from her earlier encounter. After telling Patty what had happened, she suggested that Teecie join her in the Fencing club on Friday night. "It'll help you be more confident," Patty explained. Teecie wasn't so sure about fencing...although, it was probably the closest to sword fighting she'd ever get, and if she ever had the opportunity to become a pirate, that would come in handy. Of course that would never happen, but it couldn't hurt to be prepared-just in case.  
  
  
  
The next day, Teecie wrote home to her father, asking permission to join the club and enclosing a permission slip for him to sign. She was disappointed to see the slip returned the next morning, unsigned. The note attached said that he didn't want her to join such an "unfeminine" club. She should concentrate on her Cooking and Herbology clubs, they were much more "suited" to her abilities.   
  
  
  
Teecie was furious! How dare he say that about her? Teecie marched up to her dormitory, and wrote to her mother, sending another permission slip to be signed. That evening at dinner, Teecie was delighted to receive a signed slip from her mother, along with a note saying that this was a wonderful club for her to try, and Adriana hoped she'd learn a lot and have lots of fun.   
  
  
  
Teecie stayed after Potions class and told Draco that she'd be joining the Fencing club. She knew he and Uncle Sev were the professors in charge of the club. Draco looked at his sister with raised eyebrows. "Father allowed you to join?" He asked.  
  
  
  
"No, he said no, so I asked mum and she signed my permission slip," Teecie explained while pulling the parchment out of her pocket. "Here it is."  
  
  
  
Draco took the parchment and looked at Adriana's signature. Sighing, Draco replied, "Well, this should be fun."   
  
  
  
That evening, Draco discussed Teecie's joining the club with Severus. "That must have been a fun fight!" Severus said, smiling evilly at the thought of the argument Adriana and Lucius must have had, the one Lucius had obviously lost.   
  
  
  
The next evening, Teecie and Patty walked to the room where the Fencing club was meeting. There were lots of students, both older and younger, standing around and talking. There were lots of kids Teecie had seen at the Weasley family reunion: Peter, Paul, Stephen, Pierre, and Pamela. Sirius Lupin was also there, he was holding Pamela's hand while she doted on him in a loving fashion. Teecie's stomach lurched when she saw Sirius with his girlfriend. She hadn't known he'd been going out with anybody. Though her crush on Sirius had waned over the past several months, she still had a special place in her heart for him.  
  
  
  
When Teecie's eyes met Stephen's, he blushed, then turned away. Teecie's face flushed as well and when Patty asked what was wrong, Teecie said she felt hot.   
  
There were quite a few second years, including James. Teecie wasn't sure how she felt about that. Rey was also in the club. Teecie waved as he walked into the room and smiled when he came over to her.   
  
  
  
The room quieted down as the professors entered the room. They gave the students instructions and proceeded to divide them in half, with Professor Snape taking one half and Professor Black taking the other. Teecie, Rey, James, Anthony, Tristan Blake, a Ravenclaw Teecie had never met, Peter, Pierre, and Pamela were among the students in Draco's group. Teecie was upset to see Patty was put into Uncle Sev's group.   
  
  
  
Draco gave them a demonstration of how to put on all the equipment that had to be worn when using the foils. As they all put on the white coverings, Teecie looked down and saw what she looked like. What a horrible look! "I look like the Michelin Man!" She exclaimed. After she put on the mesh mask over her face, she looked around and saw everybody else looking the same. How could she tell who was who?  
  
  
  
Draco walked them through exercises to see what the students were capable of. Some of the older student were really good, like Sirius. Even though he was in Uncle Sev's group, Teecie kept watching to see what he did and tried to copy him. But Teecie was finding it very difficult. The thick gloves she was wearing made holding the foil very hard. It kept falling out of her hand and clattering noisily to the floor. Teecie thought it was good she was wearing a mask to cover up her blushing face.   
  
  
  
Draco kept trying to get the foil to stay in her hand, but Teecie couldn't seem to get the hang of it. By the end of the meeting, Teecie still couldn't hold the foil without dropping it after several seconds. After the students had changed back into their robes and left the room, Teecie stayed and talked with Draco and Uncle Sev. "So, when do I get to run somebody through?" She asked Uncle Sev.  
  
  
  
Uncle Sev bit his lip and tried not to laugh. "Uh, well...there really isn't any running through of people in fencing, Teecie," He said in a shaking voice.  
  
  
  
"There isn't? Oh," Teecie said, sounding disappointed. "Well, can I at least name my foil? I mean, all the cool swords I know of have names: Anduril, Sting, Glamdring, Narsil. Can I name mine?"  
  
  
  
"What would you name it?" Draco asked, out of curiosity.  
  
  
  
Teecie looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hmm, how about...Cordelia? Wouldn't that be a lovely name for it?"  
  
  
  
"Well, if you want to, I suppose that's all right," Draco said in a strained voice, trying not to make eye contact with Severus.  
  
  
  
"Cool! Cordelia it is!" Teecie replied happily. Brandishing the foil in the air, she cried, "Avast!" before setting it down and running out of the room.  
  
  
  
Draco looked at the foil Teecie had set down. "Cordelia the foil," He said, chuckling to himself and rolling his eyes.  
  
  
  
"So, was she any good?" Severus asked as he cleaned up the room.  
  
  
  
"She's total rubbish. Although she tried hard. Maybe I can make something out of her, who knows. It's too soon to say now I suppose," Draco replied.  
  
  
  
That night Teecie had her Astronomy lab and didn't go to sleep till after midnight, but made sure she was up in time for her Cooking club meeting. James was there, but ignored her the entire time. Teecie spent her entire morning baking banana bread and trying to convince herself that she didn't care about him ignoring her because she still hated James, and always would.  
  
  
  
Teecie spent her afternoon tea with Professor Lupin. She didn't say one word about James, but kept the professor busy talking about himself and upcoming classes. Professor Lupin was very glad to keep the topic of James from surfacing that afternoon. He had to deal with James, he didn't need to deal with Teecie as well. Hopefully this would all blow over in a few weeks. But a few weeks seemed like an eternity to Remus as he thought about it.  
  
  
  
The next few weeks passed quickly. Teecie's days were so busy with schoolwork and club meetings, and homework when she found the time, that she fell asleep immediately each night, and slept soundly until the next morning.  
  
  
  
The weeks were also filled with seemingly random incidents against the Gryffindor students and other younger students from other houses, by the Slytherins and their gang of followers from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. It seemed to Teecie that Lisette had gathered people to her side and sent them off to terrorize others.  
  
  
  
Teecie knew of things happening to students from other houses and was sure it was similar to what was being done to the Gryffindors. One afternoon, Robert came into the common room with his hair all wet. When the girls asked what happened, he explained to them in an embarrassed tone that some of the Slytherin boys had tackled him in the bathroom and flushed his head in the toilet.   
  
  
  
Carl was almost constantly being picked on. Sometimes it was just teasing, but sometimes it was physical. Paige was irate one evening and told Patty and Teecie about how she was with Carl earlier and had seen bruises on his arms and how he had a cut lip. Teecie felt outraged that the boys would attack Carl. Carl was who he was, and that was no reason to hurt him.  
  
  
  
Teecie was surprised one Sunday afternoon to be sitting in the common room studying, when James came in, soaking wet, from head to toe. Patty, who was sitting next to her, asked what had happened, so James stopped to explain, making sure he didn't look at Teecie. A group of boys that did whatever Lisette told them to, had chased him into a bathroom on the second floor. He didn't even notice it was the girl's bathroom until it was too late, he'd just wanted a place to hide. When he'd gotten in there, this ghost appeared out of a cubicle, and started wailing and moaning at him about how cruel bullies could be. When the ghost had gotten a good look at James, she'd introduced herself as Myrtle. Myrtle had floated around James and asked him all about himself. She seemed almost flirtatious! Myrtle told him he was welcome to hide in her cubicle whenever he was being chased. When the bullies finally found James in the bathroom, Myrtle went to her toilet and disappeared. James thought he'd been abandoned. Marius Towler grabbed him by the collar and dragged him into Myrtle's cubicle, and was about to start pounding on him, when the toilet exploded on both of them. Marius was so stunned, he let go of James and ran out of the bathroom, taking his people with him. Once he was alone again, Myrtle crept out of her toilet with a big smile on her face. James thanked her profusely and left her while she was giggling to herself.  
  
  
  
James left the common room to go clean up, and left Patty and Teecie to discuss what had happened to him. They talked about how many students were being beaten up and how it needed to stop. While they talked, other students stopped and joined the conversation. Soon, almost all of the house was gathered. Many of the older students gave suggestions for how to deal with the bullies. When Peter, the new Head Boy, suggested they go to the professors for help, Teecie sneered. "The last time I told a professor something like that, I had my earring ripped out! It's not going to stop with them! If we go to the professors, they'll just pound on us harder!" she told Peter. Several other students murmured their agreement with her.   
  
  
  
At the end of the brainstorming session, nobody had given any suggestions that seemed worthy of trying. Peter still wanted to go to the professors, but all of the first, second, and third years vowed to tie him to a chair, cover him in honey, and let a jar of ants crawl all over him if he did, so he told them he'd stay out of it and let them deal with it themselves.   
  
  
  
Teecie tried to think of a good idea, but nothing came to her. The days sped past quickly, and she spent much of her time getting closer to Rey. They still held hands together and sat next to each other in class, but had never done more than that. Teecie soon started to wonder why he'd never tried to kiss her before. Maybe he didn't like her after all.   
  
  
  
One afternoon, as Teecie and Rey were sitting under a tree in their coats, gloves, hats, and scarves, Teecie was chatting with him, when she noticed he wasn't responding to her. As she looked at Rey, she noticed he was gazing over at the people sitting under the tree several feet from them. Paige and Carl were sitting and designing clothes, while gossiping at the same time. "Rey!" Teecie said loudly, trying to get his attention. Did he like Paige? Was that why he hadn't tried to kiss her before? When Rey looked at Teecie, she tried to think of something to say. "Did you ever apologize to Carl? For what you said to him at the party?" She asked. She thought getting his mind off of Paige was the best course of action.  
  
  
  
A few days later, after their Potions club meeting, Teecie and Rey walked down the hallway discussing the potion they were going to try during their next meeting. They stopped as a group of five or so boys, some Slytherins, some Ravenclaws, and a Hufflepuff, tramped loudly past them. They were loud and obnoxious, and were holding onto another person in the middle of them all. They walked the person to the dust bin and threw him inside. The boy was now facing Teecie and Rey and she could see who it was: Carl. He looked terrified over what the boys might do to him. Teecie made a move to rush to his defense, but Rey held her back. They listened as the group taunted Carl. One of the Ravenclaws slapped Carl's face, then made a gesture of saluting, and said, "Hail to the Queen!" With that, the boys cackled and ran off, leaving Carl sitting in the dust bin by himself.  
  
  
  
Teecie and Rey ran over to Carl and helped him out of the dust bin. "Carl, are you all right?" Teecie asked, hugging him.  
  
  
  
Carl eyed Rey suspiciously. "I'm fine. Are you still hanging out with this Slytherin?" He asked Teecie.  
  
  
  
Teecie frowned. "Rey is my friend. It doesn't matter what house he's from," She said. "Did they hurt you?"  
  
  
  
"No, I'm fine," Carl assured her.  
  
  
  
Rey had remained silent the entire time. When Teecie ran off to find Paige to come and talk with Carl, Rey looked around to see if they were alone and turned to Carl, brushed some dirt off Carl's shirt, letting his fingertips linger ever so slightly over the buttons, and said, "You'll have to learn to be less...proud of what you are. It isn't safe. The sooner you learn that, the better off you'll be." Rey frowned, crossed his arms, and walked away, leaving Carl staring after him.  
  
  
  
The next morning, Teecie decided something had to be done. But what? Teecie ate breakfast with Robert, the smartest boy she knew, and talked the matter over with him. If they weren't going to go to the professors, and they weren't strong enough to stand up for themselves, they'd have to get somebody else to stand up for them. "Like a bodyguard?" Teecie asked.   
  
  
  
"Exactly!" Robert replied. "But how to get them? And who?"  
  
  
  
"It is a pickle," Teecie said, taking a bite of her toast.  
  
  
  
The answer fell into Teecie's lap that afternoon at lunch. As she walked past Sirius and Pamela, she overheard a conversation between them. Pamela was upset that Sirius had gotten detention that night. They were supposed to spend some time together and now it would be ruined because he'd be polishing medals in the trophy room all night long.  
  
  
  
Teecie sat down to eat and mulled over what she'd heard. Sirius was being forced to do something he didn't want to. And Teecie needed help with the school bullies. They both had a mutual need. Suddenly it hit her like a ton of bricks. She knew what she had to do. Standing up, Teecie walked over to Sirius, who was now alone, as Pamela had stormed out several minutes earlier. "Sirius, can I talk to you?" She asked, sitting down next to him.  
  
  
  
Sirius looked upset. "What is it Teecie?" He snapped at her.  
  
  
  
"Well, I couldn't help but overhear your problem. And I had an idea to help you out. If you let me help you, you'll be able to have your date with Pamela," Teecie said.  
  
  
  
Sirius looked interested and turned to her. "How can you help me?" He asked.  
  
  
  
"Well, if I can get somebody to go to your detention, and do all the work, you wouldn't have to be there for it. All you'd have to do is be there until Filch leaves, then come back just in time for him to return. And in the meantime, the work gets done, and you have a wonderful night with your girlfriend. What do you think?" Teecie asked, tilting her head back and looking at Sirius intensely.   
  
  
  
"I think that's a brilliant idea. But why would you do that for me?"  
  
  
  
"Well, there is something I was hoping you'd do for me in return. If you're willing, of course," Teecie said, leaning in closer to Sirius. "I need you to look after a friend of mine. You know Carl, well, he's been having lots of trouble with those Slytherin goons. I need you to keep an eye on him and make sure nobody else hurts him. You know, look after him in the halls and at meals. Would you be willing to do that? I know you'd be perfect for the job. You're so strong and kind, and protective, just like your father," Teecie said, smiling coyly at Sirius.  
  
  
  
"Well that doesn't sound too bad at all!" Sirius replied, smiling back.  
  
  
  
"Wonderful, it's a deal then! So, in exchange for your protection, I'll arrange a replacement for every detention you receive in the future. All you have to do is let me know when you get detention, and I'll take care of it," Teecie said, holding her hand out to shake Sirius's. "But, let's just make sure we keep this to ourselves, right? I'd hate for one of the professors to find out and put an end to our arrangement." Sirius grinned and shook Teecie's hand, sealing the deal.  
  
  
  
For the rest of the day, Teecie wondered about who to get to go to Sirius's detention. After much thought, it seemed to Teecie, the best person would be Carl, since Sirius would be acting as his bodyguard.  
  
  
  
Now all Teecie had to do was find other older students who had detentions they wanted to get out of, to help out the other students. It seemed to Teecie, that she was now in the bodyguard business. 


	24. Unjust Punishment

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe3: Yes, Lisette does have some mental health issues, doesn't she! I'm trying to be as polite as possible, but she's a psycho! I'm glad you like the system Teecie helped set up. This chapter shows a little bit more of how she goes about the business, which you may or may not approve of. You'll have to let me know. Enjoy!  
  
Wicked Lee: I'm so glad you're all caught up now! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapters, I enjoyed writing them, for the most part. Writing Lisette's attack on Teecie was a painful experience, but had to be done nonetheless. Yes, James does think about Teecie's body a lot. He's on the brink of puberty, I don't think it's gonna go away any time soon! And yes, Carl is gay, but as for Rey, you'll have to keep reading to find out about him! I know, I'm mean! I know what you mean about karate, but I think it's actually the Dueling club, not the Fencing club which will come in handy for protection later on. Well, here's the next chapter, let me know what you think!  
  
Unjust Punishment  
  
Within a few weeks, Teecie had arranged for bodyguards for most of the first and second year Gryffindors and several Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students as well. Some of the older students were harder to win over than Sirius had been. Not all of them needed detentions filled, and so Teecie had to find other ways to fill their needs.   
  
  
  
Teecie was now trying to think of how to arrange for Alexander Davies, a sixth year Ravenclaw, to be the personal bodyguard to Brent Jordan, a third year Ravenclaw. This was the first time a student from a higher class had come to Teecie for help and she wanted to make sure this was successful. If this went well, more older students might come to her for help, and would open up a whole new market of opportunities to Teecie.   
  
  
  
Teecie was mulling this over as she sat on the stairs of the Entrance Hall, attempting to read a book one afternoon in late October. She hadn't noticed anybody sitting next to her until a pink carnation was stuffed in her face. Looking up in surprise, Teecie smiled as she saw Peeves floating upside down next to her. "Hi Peeves," She said, leaning back against the stairs.  
  
  
  
"Hi Red-headed Pixie!" Peeves replied, smiling at her.   
  
  
  
An idea came to Teecie at that moment, and she thought it was worth a try. "Say Peeves, you wanna help me with a great prank?"  
  
  
  
"What kind of prank?" Peeves asked, looking curious.  
  
  
  
"Well, this Ravenclaw boy, Alexander Davies, I need you to start harassing him, you know how you do it best, Peeves. I admire you for your ability to create havoc. You should be proud, you know. Anyway...I need you to be just awful to him, until I tell you to stop. Are you willing to do that for me?" Teecie asked, batting her eyelashes at Peeves.  
  
  
  
Peeves grinned puckishly. "But of course!" He replied.  
  
  
  
"Oh, what a good fellow you are, Peeves! Thank you so much!" Teecie cried. With that, Peeves cackled, and flew away, no doubt to track down Alexander Davies and make his life miserable.   
  
  
  
A few minutes later, Teecie stood up and started walking up to her common room. Several flights up, she saw Professor Lupin on the stairs ahead of her. Continuing up the stairs, she watched as the professor stopped on a step, turned around and smiled at her. "Good afternoon, Teecie!" He said, smiling.  
  
  
  
Teecie raised her eyebrows. "How did you know I was there?"  
  
  
  
"I could smell you," He replied.  
  
  
  
"You could smell me? But I took a shower this morning!" Teecie replied, sounding upset.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin laughed gently. "I can smell everybody here, don't worry," He reassured her.  
  
  
  
"Oh, I forgot. So, what do I smell like?" She asked.  
  
  
  
"Hmm. Peaches and baby powder," He replied.  
  
  
  
Teecie smiled. "Peach is my shampoo and baby powder is my deodorant!" She exclaimed.  
  
  
  
"Ah, that's good to know," Professor Lupin said.  
  
  
  
"Yes, it is..." Teecie murmured to herself.  
  
  
  
  
  
That evening at dinner, Rey sat in between Teecie and Carl. Teecie was happy to see that they seemed to have made up with one another after their rocky beginning. In fact, Rey seemed to get along very well with Carl, as he invited him to sit by them in classes as well.  
  
  
  
James was still ignoring Teecie, and she found it quite annoying. Sometimes at meals, Teecie would sit near him, just to see if he would react, but would grow frustrated as nothing would happen. One evening, after supper, Teecie went so far as to throw a spoonful of applesauce at James, but he merely wiped it away from his shoulder where it landed and continued with his conversation with Carl and Paige.  
  
  
  
Though they were great friends, Teecie was also frustrated with Rey. He was a wonderful boy, but all he ever did was hold her hand. She wanted him to kiss her. One evening in early November, after a Potions club meeting, the two had lingered in the class after everybody else had left. Teecie tried to think of the best way to get Rey to kiss her. Sitting on one of the desks and propping her legs up on the chair next to it, Teecie tried to entice Rey over to her side by showing him how good she looked that evening in her pink miniskirt and white tee-shirt with her black bra underneath. After calling Rey over to her, nothing happened. Rey just stood there, talking to her as always.   
  
  
  
Frustration growing beyond what Teecie could handle, she made a rash decision. Teecie put her legs down, grabbed Rey by the collar, and pulled him over to her. "Rey, why don't you ever try to kiss me?" She asked.  
  
  
  
Rey looked at Teecie with terror in his eyes. "Uh...I, uh...," He stammered. Growing bold, Rey took a deep breath, put his hands on Teecie's shoulders, and leaned in to kiss her.   
  
  
  
Teecie saw this, and closed her eyes to receive his kiss. She felt him brush his lips against hers. It only lasted for a few seconds before it was over. Opening her eyes and smiling at Rey, she said, "See, that wasn't so hard now, was it?" As Teecie looked up, though, she was startled to see another person in the room: Draco.  
  
  
  
Draco had returned to his room to get a book, and stood in the door of his classroom, with a crazed look on his face. He looked as though he might tear both of them apart limb from limb. Teecie watched as he stormed over to the table where they stood. "You, get your hands off my-off Miss Orendes!" He snarled at Rey. Rey's look of utter terror returned as he moved his hands from Teecie's shoulders and held them up in the air as though in surrender. "That'll be 10 points from Slytherin and two nights detention with Filch for inappropriate public behaviour, Bagman. And I want a paper about proper public decorum on my desk by tomorrow morning. Two rolls of parchment, and no double spacing! Now get out!" He roared at Rey, who stumbled backwards away from Draco and ran out of the room.  
  
  
  
Draco turned his wrath on Teecie as soon as they were alone. "You! How could you do such a thing! Shaming yourself and the family like this! Kissing a boy! In public! You know, you'd better be careful, you don't want to end up like-" Draco managed to catch himself before he finished that thought, and felt a little guilty for having thought it at all. Even though it was true.  
  
  
  
Draco took a deep breath before continuing. "You receive the same punishment as Bagman, except your detention will be with somebody else, seeing as Filch won't work with you anymore. Do you know he has a picture of you on his office wall that he uses as a dart board?"  
  
  
  
"So can we plan these detentions for Saturday and Sunday? I have club meetings the rest of the week," Teecie replied coolly.  
  
  
  
"Next Monday and Tuesday, you will spend the evening in this room, with me. You will do what I tell you, when I tell you, understand?" Draco hissed.  
  
  
  
"But I'll miss my Charms and Runes club meetings!" Teecie cried.  
  
  
  
"Well you should have thought about before doing such a thing!" Draco shot back.  
  
  
  
"But that's not fair! We didn't do anything wrong!" Teecie whined.  
  
  
  
"You were kissing! That is inappropriate behaviour!" Draco said.  
  
  
  
"I'll go to Uncle Sev! And he'll let me out of detention! It isn't fair!" Teecie yelled.  
  
  
  
"I am your brother! Father put me in charge while you're here. If I say what you did was wrong, then it was wrong! Now don't give me any cheek! You'll serve your detention, and write the paper, and that's that! Go to your room! The paper is due in the morning!" With that, Draco took Teecie's arm and led her to the door, shoved her out and slammed the door behind her.  
  
  
  
Teecie scowled at the shut door before pounding on it a few times and yelling, "You're such a jerk! You know that?" Feeling satisfied, Teecie turned and walked up to her common room. She felt even better after she wrote a letter to her father, telling him all about how unfair Draco had been and how he'd overreacted. It had only been the tiniest of kisses! It's not as though she'd been doing anything more. She knew better than that! And Draco was treating her like a baby! And making her miss her club meetings! Teecie knew that her father would send Draco a biting howler for this, and would make everything better. Feeling confident in this, Teecie sent off the letter, and didn't bother to write the essay, knowing she wouldn't need to by the morning when all of this would be straightened out.  
  
  
  
But Teecie was dismayed at breakfast the next morning to receive a letter from her father saying that he stood by whatever Draco decided was best for her, and that she would have to do whatever her brother said. And as for kissing a boy, she'd better not make a habit of that until she was married. And he meant it. If he heard of her kissing any more boys, he might let Draco lock her up after classes, and she'd never see any boys ever again! Or maybe he'd take her out of school and send her to a convent!  
  
  
  
Teecie was very upset over this. How could her father take Draco's side over hers? It wasn't fair! And she hadn't written her stupid paper for her stupid brother either! Now what was she supposed to do? There was only one possibility left. Teecie put on the saddest face she possibly could and whipped up some tears. Biting her lip pathetically, she walked up to the professor's table and waited to make eye contact with Uncle Sev.   
  
  
  
Snape had been informed about what happened the night before later that same evening by Draco, so he knew exactly what this was about. Sighing and trying to stay calm, he called Teecie up to him. Once she arrived at his side, she laid her head on his shoulder. "Uncle Sev? Can I please talk to you? Alone?" Teecie asked in the sweetest of voices.  
  
  
  
"Fine, let's go to my office," Snape replied, standing up and walking to the door of the Great Hall, and up to the stairs that led to his office. Once there, Snape sat down in a chair and beckoned Teecie over to him. "Now, what's wrong?" He asked, knowing full well what was wrong.  
  
  
  
Teecie climbed into Uncle Sev's lap and snuggled against him as well as she could, but was finding it difficult as she'd grown a lot over the summer and was too big for his lap anymore. "Uncle Sev," She whimpered, "Draco's being horrible to me. He gave me detention and an essay for doing something that wasn't even that big of a deal!" Teecie sniffled and buried her head in his robes.  
  
  
  
Sighing and rolling his eyes, Snape looked down at Teecie. "Your brother told me about what happened last night. And while I agree that it isn't the most horrible thing that could have happened, he is the professor, and the adult, and I stand behind his choices. So, the punishment still stands, and you'll serve it just as Draco assigned it to you," He said calmly and carefully.   
  
  
  
"But I didn't write the paper, and it's due this morning! Now what am I supposed to do?" Teecie asked.  
  
  
  
"Write fast," Uncle Sev replied.  
  
  
  
"Why are you being so mean to me? Do you hate me? Why are you treating me this way?"  
  
  
  
"And how is that? Like any other student? I do not hate you and you know that," Uncle Sev said, pushing Teecie off of his lap and standing up before her. "You can do this. This is good for you. This will help you grow into a mature adult."  
  
  
  
"But I am a mature adult!" Teecie said, stamping her foot in frustration.   
  
  
  
"Good, then serving your punishment shouldn't be a problem for you, since a mature adult would face up to their responsibilities without complaint," Uncle Sev replied, knowing he'd gotten Teecie where he wanted her. Uncle Sev watched as her face grew red with frustration.   
  
  
  
"But-but..." Teecie sputtered.  
  
  
  
"See, I knew you could do this. Now be a good girl and go work on your paper before classes start," Uncle Sev said as he gently guided Teecie to the door and pushed her out.  
  
  
  
Teecie returned to the Great Hall and sat at the Gryffindor table. Taking two sheets of parchment and her favourite pink feather pen, she tried to write the paper for Draco. "Proper public decorum," What the heck was that? What was decorum? It must be something like decorations. Decor, maybe it was plural for that.  
  
  
  
Teecie put her pen to the parchment and began to write. "One shouldn't wear too much make up in public or your father might threaten to lock you in your bedroom..." Teecie wrote for a long time about the best clothes to wear in public. She stressed the importance of always wearing clean underwear. Once Teecie had finished, there was still a quarter of the second page blank, so she drew a picture of a person who had bad public decorum and another of a person who had good public decorum, so Draco would see she knew which one she should be.  
  
  
  
Once Teecie was satisfied that she'd completed the paper like Draco wanted it, she stood up and walked over to the professor's table. Rey was walking over to Draco as well. They reached him at the same time and handed in their papers before leaving to go to their first classes.   
  
  
  
Teecie hadn't spoken to Rey since they'd kissed the night before, and hoped he wasn't angry with her. "Rey?" She called out to him. Rey stopped and turned to her. "You aren't upset with me, are you?" She asked timidly.  
  
  
  
Rey looked surprised and shook his head. "No. I was the one who kissed you, remember?"  
  
  
  
"But only because I asked you to," Teecie replied, blushing.  
  
  
  
"Still...it wasn't your fault."  
  
  
  
"So we're still friends?"  
  
  
  
"Of course!"  
  
  
  
"Good! I was so worried you'd hate me!"  
  
  
  
"I'll never hate you!" Rey said, smiling at Teecie. Teecie smiled, and squeezed his hand before leaving to go to her first class.  
  
  
  
At lunch that afternoon, Draco approached Teecie as she sat and ate with Rey, Carl, and Paige. He asked to speak with her privately in his office. Picking up a ham sandwich, Teecie took it with her as she walked behind her brother out of the Great Hall and down to his office.  
  
  
  
Draco motioned to a chair in front of his desk for Teecie to sit down in. Teecie remembered to cross her ankles after she made herself comfortable. Draco leaned against his desk with his hands on his hips, looking down his nose at Teecie. "Teecie," He said gravely, "When I assigned this paper to you, I had hoped you would be mature enough to write it properly. I must say I am very disappointed in you for doing such a poor job."  
  
  
  
Teecie looked up at her brother with big eyes as he spoke. Her lower lip began to quiver and tears filled her eyes as he told her what a disappointment she was to him and what a bad person she was for writing that paper. Burying her head in her arms, Teecie sobbed quietly. Her body was wracked with heaving gasps as she tried to catch her breath. "But I did my very best!" She cried in a muffled voice. "I wrote all about how you should dress in public and what jewelry you should wear in certain situations! What more did you want?"  
  
  
  
Draco looked at his sister curiously. Could it be that she hadn't understood the assignment? "Teecie?" He said quietly, kneeling down in front of her and gently lifting her head with his hands and wiping away her tears. "Let me ask you, what do you think the word 'decorum' means?"  
  
  
  
Sniffling, Teecie answered, "It's like decorations."  
  
  
  
Draco bit his lip to keep from laughing. "Ah, I see. Actually, it means 'behaviour'. I wanted you to write a paper about proper behaviour in public," He said in a slightly wavering voice as he fought to control himself.  
  
  
  
"Oh," Teecie replied in a small voice. "I suppose you'll be giving me another day of detention for doing it wrong then," She said.  
  
  
  
"No, of course not! It was an honest mistake. Why don't you just rewrite the paper for me and turn it in tomorrow, all right?" Draco said, comfortingly.  
  
  
  
"All right," Teecie said, sniffling again. Leaning forward, Teecie threw her arms around Draco and hugged him.   
  
  
  
Draco hugged his sister. "Everything is going to be all right. You'll do the detention and then it'll be over. I'm doing this to make you a better person. You need to learn to control yourself better, and this will help you," He said.  
  
  
  
Teecie spent the afternoon rewriting her paper for Draco before going to dinner. After turning it in to Draco and leaving the Great Hall to change her clothes for the Fencing club, she saw Alexander Davies yelling at something. Teecie smiled as she saw Peeves was working his charm on Alexander. Peeves was throwing chunks of roast beef trimmings he'd nipped from the kitchens at him, and howling with delight each time he hit his target. "Ew! Peeves! Will you leave me alone? That is so disgusting!" Alexander shouted as he ran into the Great Hall.  
  
  
  
Teecie chuckled to herself as Alexander ran past her. It seemed her luck was improving! Her luck continued to improve in her Fencing club meeting that evening. For the first time since she started going to the club meetings, Teecie managed to keep a hold of her foil.   
  
  
  
Uncle Sev had watched Teecie drop the foil one too many times, and asked her to stay behind after the meeting the week before. Teecie had demonstrated for him how she held the foil and he watched carefully as it slipped out of her hand. Picking up the foil, Uncle Sev told Teecie to hold out her right hand. Holding it out, he placed the foil in her right hand, and stood back as she practiced. It felt strange at first to be holding the foil in the wrong hand, but after a few minutes, she realized she hadn't dropped it. It was amazing!   
  
  
  
Teecie made sure she held the foil in her right hand all during the next meeting, and she was ecstatic to see that she kept a hold of it the entire time! She'd been able to do pretty well in their matches that evening. Teecie beat Patty for the first time ever; she'd never won before! Patty had been amazed too, and congratulated her when the meeting ended.   
  
  
  
The next morning, Saturday, after entering the Great Hall for breakfast, Teecie sat down to eat, but was distracted by Peeves. He flew into the room and went to the Ravenclaw table, picked up and apple and threw it at Alexander's head. "Dopey Dummy Davies!" He said over and over again, in a sing-song voice. Peeves flew away after upsetting Alexander's glass of pumpkin juice.  
  
  
  
Teecie smiled as she slowly stood up and walked over to the Ravenclaw table. Putting on a serious face, Teecie sat down next to Alexander, who was busy looking for his wand to clean his robes off with. She'd never really talked to him before, and tried to think of the best way to handle herself. "So, I've seen you around before. You're Alexander Davies, aren't you?"  
  
  
  
Alexander turned to face Teecie, surprised to see a Gryffindor sitting at his table. "Yes, and you are?" He asked as he waved his wand and cleaned his robes off.  
  
  
  
"Teecie," She replied, holding her hand out to shake his.  
  
  
  
Alexander shook her hand. "What can I do for you?" He asked, turning back to his breakfast and taking a bite of his porridge.  
  
  
  
"Actually, I think it's a matter of what I can do for you," Teecie said. "I couldn't help but notice Peeves harassing you just now. He's such a pain, isn't he! How long has he been bothering you?"  
  
  
  
"Days now! It's really getting on my nerves too."  
  
  
  
"Oh, your poor nerves. That's not good at all. Well, listen, sometimes Peeves is nice to me. I have no idea why, but he is. Would you like me to try talking to him for you? I can ask him to stop bothering you and maybe it'll work. What do you think?"  
  
  
  
"I doubt it would work, but go ahead and try. I'll take any help I can get at this point!" Alexander said, sighing.  
  
  
  
"All right, I'll give it a try," Teecie said.  
  
  
  
That afternoon, after her tea with Professor Lupin, Teecie sat on one of the staircases, reading a book. When nobody was around, Teecie put her book down and called out, "Peeves! Peeves, come here!" Teecie looked around for Peeves, but he didn't come. Disappointed, she went about her day as usual.   
  
  
  
In the middle of the night, Teecie was sleeping soundly, tucked into her bed, all nice and warm, when what felt like ice was pressed against her legs. Shivering, she opened her eyes and sat up to see what was in her bed when she saw Peeves' round face staring at her. "Peeves, what are you doing here?" She whispered, not wanting to wake up the twins.  
  
  
  
"The walls have eyes," He replied cryptically.  
  
  
  
"Huh? Anyway, I think it worked! Thank you for all your help with Alexander, but you can leave him alone now. Focus all your talent on Lisette! She'll hate that!"   
  
  
  
Peeves grinned at Teecie. "It's a pleasure wreaking havoc with you!" He said before flying away. Teecie sighed happily, and curled up under the covers, falling back to sleep almost immediately.  
  
  
  
Teecie let a couple days pass before returning to Alexander Davies. "So, Alexander, I talked to Peeves a few days ago. Did it work at all?" She asked casually.  
  
  
  
"Well, yes actually! He hasn't bothered me since Saturday, he threw a water balloon at me that evening, but there's been nothing since. Thanks a lot!" Alexander said, smiling at Teecie.  
  
  
  
"Hey, it was nothing," Teecie replied humbly. "Now if only I was better at helping some of my other friends. Take Brent Jordan for instance. He's been having trouble with those awful bullies. He wanted me to find somebody to protect him and I've been having a dickens of a time finding just the right person for the job," Teecie said, sighing and biting her lip.  
  
  
  
"Oh, well, listen, you've helped me out a lot with getting Peeves off my back. What if I look after Brent for you? I mean, it's the least I could do for all the help you've done for me," Alexander said.  
  
  
  
"Really?" Teecie asked, sounding excited. "You'd do that for me? Oh, thank you! You're a lifesaver!"  
  
  
  
Once again, Teecie's life was going pretty well. She'd served her detention with Draco and was now in the clear. She'd gotten a passing mark in her Transfiguration exam earlier that day, and her father had sent her a letter with 10 galleons inside. Life didn't get much better than that. 


	25. The Truth About Rey

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe3: Sev does rock, doesn't he! I love writing for him. He does know how to get Teecie to do the things she should, which is good, because it seems that that is a difficult task. Here's the next chapter, enjoy!  
  
Wicked Lee: That scene was lots of fun to write, I'm glad you liked it. As the title of this chapter implies, I think your suspicions will either be confirmed or denied here. I hope you like it, let me know!  
  
The Truth About Rey  
  
Teecie's bodyguard business had grown so large that she'd been forced to bring Patty and Paige into it as well. She knew they were trust-worthy and wouldn't get them caught, which was very important. She also began employing the boys to act as spies on Lisette's enforcers. The business grew and blossomed until nearly every student who wanted protection, had it, and Teecie had a plethora a favours owed to her whenever she chose to redeem them.  
  
  
  
At the same time as all of this, Teecie was growing more and more frustrated. She didn't know how much longer she could stand seeing James ignore her. Carl had told her he'd seen him hanging out with some girl over the last few days. It seemed, he said, that James had finally managed to get over Teecie.  
  
  
  
Rey didn't seem to care that Teecie was obviously upset over James. He spent most of his time hanging out with Carl. Teecie felt like a third wheel whenever they were all together, and usually left them alone.  
  
  
  
One Saturday morning in the middle of November, Teecie was enjoying her time in the Cooking club. She had just taken a tray of banana-oatmeal scones out of the oven when she heard a crash and a cry from across the room. She turned to see James clutching his right arm to his chest. A pan of fried potatoes had been spilled all over the floor. Teecie gasped and ran across the room to James. "James are you all right?" She cried, reaching out and touching his bad arm. "Let me see," She said, gently pulling his arm towards her. "That's a bad burn! It's blistering and everything! Oh, it must hurt terribly!" She cried. James was biting his lip and trying to will away the tears brimming in his eyes. He'd never been burned before and had no idea how painful it could be. Without thinking, Teecie pulled James into a hug before calling out for Charlie to help them.   
  
  
  
Charlie had been at the opposite end of the room and had started towards James as soon as he'd heard the crash. He let Teecie hold onto James as he cast healing and pain-reducing spells on the badly burned arm. "That's one of the perks of working with dragons, James, you get real good at healing burns," Charlie said soothingly.  
  
  
  
Once James was healed and no longer hurting, Charlie left the two alone, smiling as he walked away. Teecie still had her arms around James, and they stood, motionless, staring into one another's eyes. Teecie's breathing started to become shallow and rapid as her heart fluttered and she began to feel light-headed. The pleasant throbbing in her lower abdomen returned, and Teecie had to resist the urge to press her lips to James's.   
  
  
  
James had the exact same reaction as Teecie, except the tingling he felt would have been very noticeable to her if he'd been positioned differently. "I...I'd better get all this mess cleaned up," James said in a husky voice, breaking his gaze from Teecie's beautiful brown eyes.  
  
  
  
Teecie broke away from James and went back to her scones. It took a few minutes for the throbbing in her belly to die down again. She was completely useless after that. She dropped four of her scones and spilled a pitcher of milk before the meeting ended.  
  
  
  
That afternoon, Teecie was very nervous with Professor Lupin when they shared their tea. She didn't know why she was so apprehensive, and didn't know what to do about it, except babble incessantly about nothing in particular.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin could sense many things about Teecie that afternoon. He could sense her nervousness. It tasted sharp and acrid in his throat as he breathed it in. But there was also another scent. Familiar, it smelled of earth, and pine. James's scent. What was his scent doing on Teecie? And did it have something to do with her nervousness? Had they done anything he ought to know about? He didn't smell any other scents that would mean they'd actually...He'd have to keep an even closer eye on them after this.   
  
  
  
"So...Teecie, what did you make in your Cooking club meeting today?" Professor Lupin asked, trying to see what he could find out.  
  
  
  
"I made scones," Teecie replied, taking a bite of a biscuit and staring intensely at it.  
  
  
  
"Ah, and what did James make?"  
  
  
  
"What?" Teecie asked, fidgeting with the biscuit.   
  
  
  
"What did James make?"  
  
  
  
"Who?" Teecie's breathing was shallow and rapid.  
  
  
  
"My son! James!"  
  
  
  
"Uh...he made...potatoes. But then he spilled them," Teecie said, while taking a sip of tea and spilling that down the front of her shirt.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin had to try very hard not to smile. Seeing Teecie like this was adorable, but he knew she'd just die if he teased her. Puppy love was such a tender, yet vulnerable feeling.  
  
  
  
A while after Teecie left, James came in to go over some homework with his father. Remus sensed Teecie's scent on him, and noted that James was almost as nervous and clumsy as she had been. He decided to see what his son had to say about the Cooking club meeting. "So, what did you make in your Cooking club meeting today?" He asked.  
  
  
  
"I made potatoes, but I spilled them. And I burned myself, but Charlie fixed me up. It barely hurt though," James said, putting on a false bravado over the excruciatingly painful burn.  
  
  
  
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that. And did you see what Teecie made?"  
  
  
  
"Teecie?" James asked, his voice cracking.  
  
  
  
"Yes, Teecie."  
  
  
  
"She was wearing this blue shirt, and a black skirt," James replied dreamily, his eyes glazed over.  
  
  
  
"Ah, and what did she make?"  
  
  
  
"Like cooked?" James seemed confused.  
  
  
  
"Yes."  
  
  
"She made scones."  
  
  
  
"I see," Remus replied.  
  
  
  
"But then she dropped some of them. And spilled a whole pitcher of milk too!"  
  
  
  
"Oh my, I wonder what got into her?" Remus asked casually. After a few minutes of babbling from James, he decided this was as good a time as any for a serious conversation with his son about girls. He'd given him the basics about the birds and the bees already, but the time seemed to be right for a more in-depth talk, including certain spells he'd be needing to keep from getting anybody into any trouble.   
  
  
  
Remus and James talked for quite a while about life and love. Remus told him all the spells he'd need, but also reminded him that there was no shame in holding off until he was quite ready. He told him boys liked to brag about things that they hadn't necessarily done, but said they'd done to impress one another. Remus told James that sex was a beautiful act to be done between two loving and consenting people. It wasn't an act done to prove anything to anybody, and if that was the motivation behind it, it shouldn't be done. He must also always consider his partner's feelings, and be willing to wait until she was completely ready. Remus told James he was still far too young to act on these feelings he was experiencing, and should wait a few years before he began trying anything with a girl. What James did on his own, in private, was natural and nothing to be embarrassed about, and would hopefully sustain him until the time came when it was right for him and the girl he loved.  
  
  
  
By the time the talk had ended, Remus felt drained. His children were growing up so quickly, and it took a lot of effort to be a good parent, but it was worth it. Remus wanted to make sure his boys grew into respectable men, and to ensure that, it would take many more frank talks like that over the years to come.   
  
  
  
  
  
Teecie spent the rest of the weekend listening to Paige as she talked excitedly about the play the Drama club would be performing for Valentine's Day: A Midsummer Night's Dream, a Shakespeare play. Paige had been cast in the role of Hermia, one of the main characters. She told Teecie it was quite an honour for a second year to be cast in such a large part. Paige told her the basics of the story, which sounded fascinating, and Teecie was very happy for her.  
  
  
  
Teecie took a look at the play, but had trouble wrapping her tongue around the strangely constructed sentences. She wondered if her mother had spoken that way when she'd grown up just a short time after Shakespeare's life. She'd have to write to her and ask.  
  
  
  
James managed to ignore Teecie over the next couple of weeks. Teecie attached herself to Rey again and tried to spend more time with him. They experimented with kissing a few more times, when they were sure they wouldn't be caught by anybody, but Teecie never felt like she did when she was near James. She really did like Rey, he was a great friend and they had lots of fun together, but after their third kiss with no real feeling behind it, she began to think that perhaps, they were meant to be nothing more than friends.  
  
  
  
Teecie had just gotten out of her Herbology club meeting and was going up to Gryffindor tower when she was called away on business. Apparently, one of the bodyguards Teecie had assigned to a third year Hufflepuff girl had failed to show up after the girl's last class, and as a result, Marius had ripped her glasses off and thrown them in one of the boy's toilets. Teecie had to track down the fifth year girl and make sure she would continue to look after her charge, then find a boy to venture into the bathroom and fish out the glasses and return them to the poor, blind Hufflepuff girl.   
  
  
  
Teecie was quite stressed out after that, seeing as she'd just remembered a three parchment paper on transfiguring animals into water goblets that was due the next day. Teecie had attempted that in class earlier that day, only to result in utter disaster. At first she had refused to try, telling Professor Weasley it was cruel to do that to a poor, helpless animal, but had tried once after being assured that it was painless for the creature. Her rabbit had turned into a furry martini glass-like object, with the puffy tail stuck in the bottom of the glass like an olive.   
  
  
  
Teecie was thinking of that when she walked into a small private room in one corner of the library. She intended to write her paper there before going up to her dormitory, but never got that far. As Teecie entered the room, all thoughts of rabbit martini glasses flew out of her head. There were people in the room already. And they were snogging! Teecie took a close look to see who it was. Carl-Carl? And...Teecie gasped loudly, Rey! A hand flew to Teecie's mouth as the boys stopped kissing and turned to look at Teecie with huge eyes. "Wh-wh-what? Rey? But...," Teecie stammered, trying to take everything in. Finally understanding, Teecie felt humiliated for some reason. "Oh great, that's all I need right now!" She said harshly before turning and rushing out of the room.   
  
  
  
Teecie was in tears by the time she reached the stairs leading up to her tower. Rey? How could he do this to her? Had he always been...like that? Since she'd known him? But they'd kissed! Teecie was embarrassed and confused, and didn't know what to do about it.   
  
  
  
After stumbling on a stair, Teecie's book bag ripped, spilling all the contents out so they tumbled down the stairs to the landing below, Teecie sat down, buried her head in her arms and sobbed. She was startled by a voice. "Teecie?" A girl's voice called out to her. Looking up, Teecie saw Kali standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Teecie! What's the matter?" Kali cried, rushing up the stairs. Teecie held her arms out for Kali to take and hugged her sister tightly to her. Kali held her younger sister while she cried for several minutes before making her tell her what had happened. After Teecie had explained what had happened, without naming names, Kali looked sympathetically at her and said, "Oh, darling, that's terrible. I'm sorry that happened to you."   
  
  
  
"I'm so upset I don't think I can write my paper for Professor Weasley, and it's due tomorrow!" Teecie moaned.  
  
  
  
"Well, you might try to write something. You know how Professor Weasley is. But if you do something, at least she'll know you tried. Maybe she'll let you redo it," Kali advised her sister as they picked up the contents of the torn book bag and tried to put it back inside. Kali repaired the tear in the bag, hugged Teecie, and sent her up to her tower before leaving to return to her dormitory.  
  
  
  
Once in Gryffindor tower, Teecie ran up to her dormitory without speaking to anybody. She hurriedly prepared for bed and dove under her covers as quickly as possible. As upset as Teecie was, she was so exhausted, she fell right to sleep.   
  
  
  
The next morning, Teecie woke up with a headache. She had no energy to get out of bed and decided she was too under the weather to go to classes that day. She told Paige to tell the professors she was sick if any of them asked. The twins seemed concerned for Teecie, but didn't ask, knowing sometimes it was better to let her do things without questioning anything.  
  
  
  
Teecie spent the morning in her nightgown, lying across her bed, arms outstretched, staring at the canopy above her. She thought about Rey and James and her life. Rey didn't seem to be an option for her anymore, and James was in love with some mystery girl. Neither of them wanted her, so what was she supposed to do?   
  
  
  
Several hours passed, and Teecie made herself a pizza from her Magical Fun oven. It was large, very large, with pepperoni and sausage, but Teecie ate almost the entire thing. Somehow it made her feel better to be extremely full. Teecie had lain back down on the bed, with the last slice of pizza in her hand, when she heard a knock on the door. "Ticia? Are you in there?" A woman's voice called. Teecie groaned. Professor Weasley. Damn. Just the person she didn't want to talk to right now.   
  
  
  
"Yes," Teecie called out feebly.   
  
  
  
"May I come in?"  
  
  
  
"I suppose."  
  
  
  
Teecie heard the door open and seconds later, saw Professor Weasley standing over her by the edge of the bed, looking down at her with pursed lips and folded arms. "You've missed all your classes so far today. Will you tell me what this is all about?" She asked, which sounded to Teecie like more than of a demand than a request.  
  
  
  
"My life is a perfect graveyard of buried hopes," Teecie said, quoting her favourite literary character.  
  
  
  
"And what, exactly, does that mean?"  
  
  
  
"It means that I'm in the depths of despair," Teecie replied, borrowing another phrase.  
  
  
  
"And why are you in the depths of despair?" Professor Weasley asked, tapping her foot impatiently.  
  
  
  
"Because I cannot endure any further humiliations. I'll simply die if I do."  
  
  
  
"What humiliation have you suffered through now?"  
  
  
  
Teecie remained silent for a minute before launching into what she'd seen the night before. She didn't name names, but Professor Weasley knew exactly who the boys were, though she kept her mouth shut. It wasn't any of her business and she wasn't going to interfere with them. Teecie also told her the upsetting information about the boy she thought she might like having a new girlfriend. Once she'd finished, Teecie sighed.   
  
Professor Weasley thought of the best way to deal with the situation. "Well, that must have been embarrassing. But look on the bright side. You didn't like this boy as a boyfriend anyway, so, there really isn't a problem with him," Professor Weasley said. "And as for the other boy and the mystery girl...maybe you should ask him about her. You know, girls are allowed to ask boys out. It's perfectly acceptable these days." Hermione couldn't believe she was giving advice on relationships to one of her students, but Teecie seemed to need it.  
  
  
  
"I guess..." Teecie said in a quiet voice.  
  
  
  
It was time to get back to the important things in life: schooling. "Miss Orendes, you weren't in class today, would you like to hand in your paper to me now?" Professor Weasley asked primly.  
  
  
  
"Well..." Teecie began, "I was so upset...I couldn't write it. But I'll write the next one, I promise."  
  
  
  
Professor Weasley took a deep breath and began to pace the floor in front of the bed. "Miss Orendes, you try my patience, you really do! I've seen the potential you have, but you don't apply yourself! You could be great if you wanted to! You just have to try harder! But it's up to you. As it is, if you don't begin to do the schoolwork and the homework assignments, I will be forced to speak to the headmaster about this. I cannot have a student in my classes who won't do the work."  
  
  
  
During this time, Teecie began to cry again. Once the professor had finished her tirade, she stood several feet from Teecie and listened to her sniffle. "I'm no good at it! Every time I try, I mess it all up. I try my very best, and still it all gets ruined. I can't help it, I'm not good at everything! And you're going to tell Uncle Sev I'm too stupid to be in your class and he should expel me from school. That's so cruel!"  
  
  
  
Professor Weasley walked over to Teecie and put her hands on her hips. "I never said I would try to get you thrown out of school! And you would probably have better results in class if you practiced more and did all of the work I assign to you. The problem is that the first time something started to be difficult or take too much effort, you quit! You gave up, thinking that it was easier to say you couldn't do it, then to practice and improve yourself," She spoke harshly.  
  
  
  
"I didn't quit! I just...," Teecie broke off.  
  
  
  
"Just what?"  
  
  
  
"I...I still don't know if I want..."  
  
  
  
"Want what?"  
  
  
  
"Want to be a witch," Teecie finally spat out, taking a deep breath once she'd finally admitted that.  
  
  
  
"I see," Professor Weasley said quietly. This wasn't a new revelation. This had been her problem last year as well. The professor thought there must be something more behind this fear of magic. "Let me ask you...what would you do if you weren't a witch?"  
  
  
  
"I'd go to a Muggle school and stay at home with my mum and dad," Teecie answered automatically as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, and something that she thought about a lot.  
  
  
  
"So you'd live at home, and your parents would take care of you?" Professor Weasley asked, thinking she'd come to the heart of the matter.  
  
  
  
"Of course. They love me," Teecie replied, sounding somewhat defensive.  
  
  
  
"I know they must love you. But you didn't spend much time with them over the summer, did you? And your sisters did. I bet your parents paid lots of attention to them. And now Reni's going to have a baby, and they'll spend all their time with him. No wonder you want to be at home, with them," Professor Weasley spoke quietly. Teecie sniffled and began to cry again. "Ticia, your parents love you very much. They won't forget you while you're here. Trying less in class hasn't gotten you thrown out of the school yet, and I doubt it's going to, so why not try harder? Make your parents proud of you. All parents love to hear how well their children are doing in school." Professor Weasley sat down on the bed next to her and brushed a stray lock of hair out of Teecie's face. "Listen, I'd like you to consider getting a tutor. If you met with a tutor and practiced even an hour each day, you'd be amazed at how much improvement you'd see. What do you think?"  
  
  
  
Teecie looked thoughtful. "I suppose...maybe after my club meetings. None of them go after eight anyway, so I could practice then. But who would be my tutor? I don't want anybody in my class to know I'm getting help."  
  
  
  
"What about my son, Stephen? He's very good at this subject," Professor Weasley suggested.  
  
  
  
"Would he do it?"  
  
  
  
"If I tell him to, yes, but I think he'd do it anyway. He likes to help people, I know he'd help you."  
  
  
  
"I guess that would work," Teecie agreed. "I'll try to find him tonight at dinner I guess, and ask him."  
  
  
  
"There you go, and you can spend the rest of the afternoon working on my paper. If you turn it in by dinner, I'll forego your detention. And then once you get all of your school problems sorted out, you can work on all your boy problems. You need to talk to your friend, and let him know you still are his friend, he's probably worried sick about it. Just keep in mind, that this must be very scary for him, and he needs a good friend like you at a time like this," Professor Weasley said wisely, standing up to leave.  
  
  
  
As the professor was at the door, Teecie sat up and called out to her, "Professor?" When Professor Weasley turned and looked at her, she said, "Thank you."  
  
  
  
Professor Weasley smiled, "You're welcome," she replied before leaving.  
  
  
  
Teecie spent the next few hours working on her paper before leaving the room to find Rey. There was lots to talk about. She found him in the library and put her hand on his shoulder to get his attention. Once he'd packed his book bag, the two went for a walk outside, despite the cold weather.  
  
  
  
Holding hands, they talked about what had happened the night before, and how they were just meant to be friends. Rey told her he'd always felt like this, but had hoped he could pretend otherwise, yet Carl was too attractive to him to resist any longer. He apologized for using her. "But you're my best friend! I don't want to lose you! Can you forgive me?" He'd asked. Teecie chuckled, then told him how she'd been trying to make James jealous by spending time with him, so they were even. Rey asked her to keep this a secret, for he didn't want anybody else to know. Teecie promised to keep her mouth shut. Once they'd finished talking, Rey hugged Teecie and kissed her cheek, and together they walked into the school for dinner.  
  
  
  
Chapter References: The two quotes from Teecie's favorite literary character are both from Anne of Green Gables. 


	26. Together

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe3: It is crazy to think of Adriana being that old, isn't it? I debated over whether to have her be the history professor or not, but chose Muggle Studies in the end because I think she tries to live in the present as much as possible. It is very painful for her to think back to the people and the world she used to know. I think it's living in the present and not being really the most mature of people that actually keep her sane. I think they're defense mechanisms she's developed over the years to not go crazy, to help keep things fresh and interesting. This is actually the second half of the last chapter, so it sort of jumps in right where the last one breaks off. Enjoy!  
  
Together  
  
Draco was eating in the Great Hall and talking to Hermione about Teecie when he looked up and saw his youngest sister enter the room with Rey, and sit down next to Carl. Normally he wouldn't pay much attention, but he'd just been talking about her and kept his eye on her while she sat and ate with the boys.   
  
  
  
Remus was taking a sip of coffee when he saw James walk into the Great Hall with Paige. They were holding hands. Remus' eyes darted towards Teecie. He watched as Teecie glanced over at his son, did a double take, and set her fork down, her mouth agape. This wasn't going to be good.  
  
  
  
The talking at the professor's table died down as attentions were drawn towards the drama. Quickly, bets were made over what would happen. Neville predicted a cat fight, Draco a temper tantrum on his sister's part. Luna Creevey bet that Teecie would snatch James away from Paige and drag him off to a private area of the table. Remus predicted the same, but with the exception of Teecie dragging James out of the Great Hall altogether so they could be alone.  
  
  
  
Snape was watching as James and Paige sat down across from Teecie and the boys. He sipped his tomato soup while Paige giggled and snuggled close to James. After she whispered something in James's ear, he laughed and whispered something in Paige's ear. Paige laughed and laid her head on James's shoulder. Teecie was facing away from Snape, so he couldn't see how she was reacting.   
  
  
  
Hermione watched as Teecie grew fidgety and obviously upset. She could tell this even though she couldn't see her face. Hermione's eyes grew wide as she watched Teecie slowly stand up. Teecie walked around the table, and stopped when she reached James's side. Hermione could see the look of fury on Teecie's face, and was worried over what she'd do to James or her niece. Teecie stood next to James, with folded arms, glaring at him as he ignored her and snuggled with Paige.  
  
  
  
Remus listened as Teecie opened her mouth to talk. His hearing was good enough to be able to hear what she said. "James, can I talk to you?" She asked.  
  
  
  
"Not right now Teecie, I'm busy," His son replied, concentrating on Paige, and waving his hand as though to shoo Teecie away.   
  
  
  
Teecie turned red and put her hands on her hips. Remus watched as her eyes narrowed dangerously. After several seconds, Teecie reached out and grabbed James by the arm and yanked him out of his seat. "I wanna talk to you now!" She growled. Teecie turned to Paige and looked as though she wanted to tear her eyes out. "How dare you!" She hissed. Keeping her grip on James's arm, Teecie started to walk to a private corner of the table and pushed James onto the bench before sitting down next to him.  
  
  
  
Draco watched with horror as his sister made a spectacle of herself. Teecie talked to James loudly. She looked as though she might cry. After James sneered at Teecie, she punched James in the stomach, stood up, and dragged him out of the room as he was hunched over in pain.   
  
  
  
Remus shook his head in amazement as his son was being dragged off. James was a cocky lad, and had the audacity to give a thumbs up sign to his classmates when Teecie wasn't watching. She also didn't see Carl and Paige smile and high five each other.   
  
  
  
Once outside the Great Hall, Teecie led James to the marble stairs and sat down. "How could you go out with Paige? She's my friend!" Teecie cried.  
  
  
  
"Why shouldn't I? She's a nice girl. And it's not as though you're interested in me," James replied coolly, standing in front of Teecie, folding his arms.  
  
  
  
"But...but...," Teecie sputtered.  
  
  
  
"Well, if you don't have anything else to say, I'm going to go back for dinner," James said, standing up.  
  
  
  
"Wait!" Teecie cried, standing up and grabbing his arm. "I...I...you...," She stammered. Teecie was starting to feel desperate and didn't know what to do. Overwhelmed with emotions and desires, Teecie looked at James and tried to think of what to say. "Oh, I don't care what you do! Go back and marry Paige for all I care!" She cried shrilly.   
  
  
  
James stood before her, confused. "What is it you want from me? Sweets? Flowers? An apology? I already said I was sorry. I'm sorry I humiliated you that night. I don't know what more I can say!"  
  
  
  
"You...you...you have to make it up to me. You have to show me that you're truly sorry and that it'll never happen again," Teecie said, her mind racing to think of what James needed to do for her.  
  
  
  
"Fine. What do you want me to do?" James asked, folding his arms.  
  
  
  
"Well...carry my book bag to and from all our classes for one," Teecie began, "And...just do nice things for me. Things that aren't embarrassing or stupid. Things that are sweet and sensitive. That'll show me you really are sorry and don't intend to do anything like it again."  
  
  
  
James looked at Teecie for a minute before responding. "That doesn't sound so hard. That's fine by me. I'll start tomorrow."  
  
  
  
Teecie looked at James. "Good, I'll expect you to sit by me at all our meals as well, so you can be closer to my book bag. Oh, also, you can't see Paige anymore," Teecie looked smug as she gave him this order. "Well, I have to go and hand in a paper. I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast. Goodnight," Teecie said, turning away from James and walking back to the Great Hall.  
  
  
  
Once back in the Great Hall, Teecie turned in her paper to Professor Weasley, and walked over to Professor Longbottom when he called her over to him. "Yes, professor?" She asked politely.  
  
  
  
"Teecie, I couldn't help but notice you hit James just a few minutes ago. You know we can't have any violence at the school. I'm going to have take points from you. Five for disrupting dinner, and twenty for hitting James. And you won't be allowed to speak to him again until you apologize to him," Professor Longbottom said gravely.  
  
  
  
"Ah," Teecie squeaked, bringing her hand up to the ear that had had the earring ripped out of it by Lisette. With her hand still on her ear, Teecie looked at him with a pained expression on her face. "Fine," She finally responded, folding her arms. Professor Longbottom stood up and walked Teecie over to James who had rejoined his table after talking with Teecie.  
  
  
  
The professor watched as Teecie looked down at James. Taking a deep breath, Teecie began to speak. "James, I apologize for hitting you. It was wrong of me," Teecie said.  
  
  
  
"That's OK, I was being a jerk," James replied.  
  
  
  
Teecie turned back to the professor and waited for his response. "Very well, you may speak to James again," He said, before turning and walking back up to his table.  
  
  
  
Once that was over, Teecie looked nervously at James before blushing and turning away. As she looked around, she noticed Stephen Weasley. Walking over to him, she politely asked him to be her Transfiguration tutor. She was still somewhat embarrassed over what had happened during the Lake Party, but had no other choice then to get over it and ask for his help. Stephen happily agreed to meet with Teecie for an hour after club meetings on days when she had her Transfigurations classes, to go over what she learned in class and to look over her homework. She'd also need to get caught up on some older spells from the year before that she wasn't very good at. James watched Teecie from the corner of his eye, and wondered what she was doing talking to another boy. A much older boy. A boy that probably liked Teecie too, and wanted to kiss her. If he ever heard of Stephen kissing her, he'd kill him!   
  
  
  
Teecie tried to do her homework on her bed that evening, but found she kept glaring over at Paige. Finally unable to stay quiet any longer, she called out to her, "So, are you going to be seeing James again any time soon?"  
  
  
  
Paige looked up, trying to hide a smile. "No, we decided it was better if we didn't see each other any more. We're just friends," She replied. James had told her everything Teecie had demanded of him, and she intended to continue to act as his spy to find out things he could do for her. Paige didn't mind letting Teecie think she'd beaten her.  
  
  
  
"Oh, well, that's too bad," Teecie replied, cheering silently to herself. Take that Paige! Teecie thought. Teecie decided to forgive Paige, because she had obviously seen the error of her ways, and wasn't going to be seeing James anymore.  
  
  
  
The next morning, James met Teecie in the common room and carried her books down to the Great Hall for her. As Teecie walked next to James, she saw something green sticking out of his robe pocket. "What's that?" She asked, pointing to his pocket.  
  
  
  
James looked at his pocket. "Oh, that's Migsy, my gecko. Dad got him for me a couple days ago. He's real fun to hold, wanna try?"  
  
  
  
"Sure!" Teecie said, reaching into his pocket and drawing the little lizard out and holding it in her palm. "Oh, he's so cute!" She squealed. The gecko began to crawl up her arm, his little toes sticking and un-sticking as he moved. "Ah, it feels funny!" She giggled. James watched as Migsy crawled all the way up her arm, onto her shoulder, and down her blouse. "Ah!" Teecie screeched. "It tickles! It tickles! Get it out! Ah!"   
  
  
  
James's arms were full with her book bag, so he couldn't help. Teecie pulled her blouse off of herself a few inches and stuck a hand inside. She fished around for a few seconds, until she found Migsy nestled in her bra, and pulled him back out. Smiling, Teecie carefully put Migsy back in James's robe pocket and continued down to the Great Hall for breakfast.  
  
  
  
Teecie and James continued to walk to and from meals and classes together over the next couple of weeks. James followed Teecie like a love-sick puppy, doing her bidding. Teecie demanded things of James that he had to do to if he wanted to win her back. James gave her flowers and sweets and showered her with praise. Some days were better than others. There were times when Teecie was unhappy with anything James tried to do, and let him know that. James grew accustomed to seeing a look of disapproval on his beloved's face when he didn't do exactly as she wanted, when she wanted it.   
  
  
  
James also took this time to begin planning a very large, very impressive Christmas gift for Teecie. He spent time on his own with Paige, Carl, and Charlie Weasley planning it. He was hoping it would finally convince her to be his girlfriend and forgive him completely.  
  
  
  
It took a couple weeks to plan everything, and it seemed as though things were going to work. James had planned for his special night the day finals were finished, before everybody left for Christmas break. The students were stressed out from studying, and exams, and he thought this was the perfect time.  
  
  
  
All of Teecie's free time was spent with Stephen, studying together in the library. He was kind and patient, and helped explain things in a way she could understand. Together, they worked on getting her caught up on spells and schoolwork. They also had fun together, laughing and talking. Teecie really liked Stephen, and he seemed to see her as a friend as well.  
  
  
  
Professor Weasley could already see a marked improvement in Teecie's performance in class. She was now able to do the spells from the year before with more ease, and was mastering the ones they'd learned so far in second year as well. After a week of tutoring, Professor Weasley called Teecie to her desk as the class was being dismissed. "Miss Orendes, I just wanted to tell you how impressed I am with the improvement you've made in such a short time. Your written work is vastly superior to what it was, and your practical work is much better as well. Keep up the great work!" Teecie smiled, thanked the professor, and ran off to her next class before she was late.   
  
  
  
That evening, during her tutoring session with Stephen, Teecie told him what his mother had said to her, and thanked him for all the help. During their time together, in one of the private rooms of the library, Stephen looked at Teecie, gazing at her while she practiced her spells. He'd thought about her a lot since she'd been at the family reunion over the summer holiday. She'd been the only girl there that he hadn't been related to. She was also rather pretty and had an attractive body. He'd seen her in the bikini a couple times during that week, and had been pleasantly surprised during the Lake Party to see what she looked like topless. He'd thought about her even more after that. He liked how stubborn she was, and how hard she tried during their tutoring sessions. It made him wonder if she tried hard in everything she did in life.   
  
  
  
Teecie still had a crush on Stephen. She thought she'd gotten over him, but found herself very attracted to him again as the tutoring sessions had started. Teecie decided that she would give Stephen a kiss for being such a good tutor and for helping her improve her standing with Professor Weasley.   
  
  
  
When the night had ended, Teecie thanked Stephen again for all his help, and stood next to him for several moments before standing up on her toes to be able to kiss his cheek. But just as had happened to her a year ago with James, Stephen turned his head to look at her, and their lips met. Stephen put a hand under Teecie's chin and gently cupped it while they kissed. With his other hand, he stroked her hair. Teecie felt the throbbing in her abdomen return and her heart raced as they kissed. It was nothing like kissing Rey had been. Stephen noticed that Teecie's lips tasted like oranges, no doubt the flavour of her lip gloss. His heart pounded in his chest and he felt blood rushing below his waist, for which, Stephen, like all boys who attend Hogwarts tend to be at some point in time during their schooling, was suddenly grateful for his long, billowy robes.   
  
  
  
Stephen wondered how much farther Teecie was willing to go. As he kissed her, he imagined what it would be like to sleep with her. He'd thought about that about many different girls, but hadn't done it yet with any of them. He already knew what her top half looked like without clothing, and wondered what she'd look like completely naked. Just as he lowered his hands and pressed them to her small, yet firm breasts, Teecie broke away from him, a startled look on her face. She'd never been touched there by a boy before, and wasn't sure if she wanted Stephen to do that again or not. Out of breath, Teecie brushed the hair out of her eyes, and left without saying anything to him. She needed to get away from him and think about what had happened. Stephen was left that evening with the clear impression that Teecie wasn't ready for what he wanted.  
  
  
  
That night, Teecie sat in her bed and hugged her knees to her chest, setting her chin on them, and thought about her kiss with Stephen and how what had happened had made her feel. It seemed strange to Teecie that he had seen her in the lake with her top off, and to then think of him touching her in the same place. It sort of made her feel dirty, but she didn't know why. The kiss itself had been wonderful. It had been a breath-taking experience, except for that last little part.   
  
  
  
The next morning, Teecie sat with Kali during breakfast and talked to her about it. Kali told her she was still very young and it was all right to feel uncomfortable over what had happened. She told Teecie it was OK to tell a boy she didn't want to do something if she didn't want to. Teecie was allowed to make the rules and set boundaries, and if the boy didn't respect those, it meant he didn't respect her enough and wasn't a good boy to be seeing anyway. Kali also told Teecie to come either to her, Draco, or Uncle Sev if a boy ever tried to make Teecie do something she didn't want to, and wouldn't stop. She should also not be afraid to scream or hit or hurt him if he tried to do something bad to her.   
  
  
  
Teecie left the Great Hall feeling much better after talking to her sister. Kali was always so wise about life. No wonder she was a Ravenclaw. Later that same day, during lunch, Stephen carefully approached Teecie and asked if he could speak to her privately. Stephen kept his hands to himself as they walked out of the room and sat down on the marble staircase. Stephen apologized for going too far the night before. He told Teecie he shouldn't have even kissed her. He was older than her and her tutor, and it was inappropriate for him to have done that. Stephen told her that he'd understand if she didn't want to continue tutoring with him, and would arrange to get her a new tutor if she wished.  
  
  
  
Teecie reached her hand out and put it on Stephen's hand. "I think it'll be all right, I mean, I like you as a tutor...and I did like the kiss. I'm just not ready to do more than that though," She said, blushing.  
  
  
  
Stephen entwined his fingers in hers and squeezed her hand. "Good, because I'd really miss being able to help you anymore. I...I really like spending time with you," He said, shyly.   
  
  
  
So, every evening after, Stephen and Teecie continued their tutoring sessions together. After a few days, they tried kissing again, and both found it very enjoyable, so each night ended with a pleasant goodnight kiss.   
  
  
  
It was because of the tutoring that Teecie received, that she passed her exams with flying colours.   
  
  
  
The relationship never progressed any further than what it was though. It soon became apparent to both Teecie and Stephen, that while they were physically attracted to one another, there wasn't much more than that between them, besides the tutoring. The age difference made it difficult to spend much time together outside the sessions. Though Teecie had spent time with the older kids in Gryffindor, and even got along quite well with them, they still saw her as very young, and Stephen did not exactly feel inclined to hang out with second-years, either.  
  
  
  
During all of this, Teecie was still making James carry her books and do things for her. He did all of them willingly, because he knew he'd planned his perfect evening with her, and that she would forgive him for everything.   
  
  
  
One evening, while in the library together, Teecie and Stephen were talking about things other than Transfigurations. Teecie was telling him about James and how she thought she felt about him. She was unsure of where to go with him. Stephen told her about a Ravenclaw girl, Olivia Blackfell, in his Potions class. She sat next to him and was very pretty. Stephen described her as having "the most amazing blue eyes, and beautiful hair. Like a river of flowing dark chocolate that ran all the way down her back." Teecie told him he should stop being shy and just ask her out. The worst that could happen was that she'd say no.   
  
  
  
Stephen told her that even though she was upset with James, and that he'd been a jerk, he'd been a sincere jerk nonetheless, and maybe it was time to forgive him and move on. Holding back her feelings for him was obviously punishing Teecie as much as it was punishing and hurting James.   
  
  
  
Teecie was feeling more confident as she left Stephen, determined to confront James the next time she saw him. As she was going to bed that night, she found an envelope on her pillow. Tearing it open and taking the contents out, she saw it was an invitation of some sort. It was for a small, intimate gathering, a formal occasion, in a room several doors down on the same floor as their tower. She was supposed to attend the gathering tomorrow night, the night before the students all left for Christmas break.  
  
  
  
Teecie was intrigued and asked the twins if they'd received invitations as well. Paige said they had and were both planning on attending. They could all go together. Teecie was excited, and planned her outfit carefully, based on what Paige said she'd be wearing.   
  
  
  
The next evening, as the girls were getting ready to leave, Teecie finished dressing well before either of the twins were done. As Paige was pulling up her stockings, she told Teecie to go on ahead of them and they'd catch up when they were ready. Teecie left the tower and walked to the room the invitation said to go to. She'd never been in this room before, and was unsure if she should knock first or open the door and go inside. She decided to err on the side of caution, and knocked. After several seconds, the door was opened by a familiar-looking red-haired man in a black tuxedo. Charlie? "Good evening mees," Charlie said, in a fake French accent. "And 'ow are you zees evening?" He asked, taking Teecie by the arm and gently leading her inside.  
  
  
  
"Um...what?" Teecie replied, clearly confused. Looking around, she saw that the room looked like a fancy restaurant. It had tables with candles and flowers set up all around the room. Romantic music was playing in the background as Charlie led her to a table and held a chair out for her to sit in. After Teecie had been seated, Charlie handed her a menu and told her the next guest would be arriving very shortly.  
  
  
  
Teecie looked at the menu, which had only one item listed, and waited for the next guest. Probably one of the twins, she assumed. After several minutes, there was a knock on the door. Charlie opened the door to reveal James, who was dressed in a very handsome set of royal blue dress robes, which went perfectly with the hunter green evening gown Teecie was wearing. One of the only things Adriana had been able to do for Teecie once she'd returned home from Black Manor at the end of the holiday, had been to fix the hideous dress Draco had made her wear over the holiday. Adriana had turned it into a very beautiful formal evening gown. This was the first time Teecie had been able to wear it.   
  
  
  
Charlie led James over to the table and handed him a menu after he'd sat down across from Teecie. Charlie left them to peruse the menu for a few minutes before returning and asking if they were ready to order. Since spaghetti and meatballs was the only item on the menu, that's what both of them ordered. Charlie left to turn in their orders to the kitchen and returned a minute later with breadsticks, and goblets of grape juice.  
  
  
  
Once the food had been set out before them, James smiled at Teecie and said, "You look beautiful."  
  
  
  
Teecie smiled. "Thanks, you look really handsome," She replied. "Do you know what's going on? Where are Patty and Paige? They said they had invitations too."  
  
  
  
James took a sip of juice, and cleared his throat before speaking. "Well...," He began slowly, "Actually, we're the only two coming tonight. I sort of...set all of this up. And Charlie and Paige helped. I just...wanted to prove how much I love you, by being sensitive like you said, but without humiliating you. Nobody knows about this, and it's just us."  
  
  
  
"Oh, James! You did all of this for me?" Teecie asked, her hand sweeping the air, encompassing the room.   
  
  
  
James nodded his head. "Yes, I designed the room and cooked the food. There's also more than just dinner. We're going to watch a movie after we eat. I've only seen a movie once, we went to the cinema in London when I was really little. I don't remember what we saw, but it was fun. I can't wait to see this one! And I got you a present," He said, reaching into his robe pockets and drawing out a small box that was topped with a pink bow. He smiled as he put in Teecie's hands. "Go on, open it!"  
  
  
  
Teecie lifted the lid of the box to see a beautiful gold bracelet. It was made up of tiny hearts that were linked together. "Oh James! It's the most beautiful bracelet ever! Will you put it on for me?" She asked, holding her arm out. James smiled, took the bracelet, and carefully attached it to her wrist. By the time he'd finished, Charlie had returned with two plates of food for them. After setting the food down, Charlie bowed and left the room.  
  
  
  
James waited until Teecie had taken a bite of her dinner. "This is delicious! How did you know spaghetti is my favourite?" She asked.   
  
  
  
James smiled and said, "I have my ways."  
  
  
  
"Oh? What are your ways?" Teecie asked, curiously, taking a bite of a meatball.  
  
  
  
"Well...I might have written to your mum and asked her for advice," James replied.  
  
  
  
"You wrote to my mother? Wow! You really did go to great lengths!" Teecie exclaimed.  
  
  
  
James and Teecie chatted happily while they ate. Teecie told James he could cook for her whenever he wanted to. James was ecstatic that she'd liked his food and seemed to be enjoying the evening.   
  
  
  
When they'd finished eating, Charlie returned and whisked the empty dishes away. James helped Teecie to her feet, and led her to another part of the room. When they turned around, the room had turned into a small cinema. There were rows of empty seats and a large movie screen at the far end of the room. Charlie now stood at a small concession stand where they got popcorn, pop, and sweets before finding seats for the movie.  
  
  
  
Once they'd settled down, with a tub of popcorn between them, the movie started. As soon as Teecie heard the opening music, she knew exactly which movie it was and became very excited. Moulin Rouge, one of her most favourite musicals of all time, though she'd never seen it on the big screen before. What a treat!   
  
  
  
James sat through the confusing movie, trying his best to follow it, but finding it very difficult. There were some parts of the movie that he liked a lot though. When Satine and Christian were in her room for the "poetry reading", he couldn't help but visualize himself and Teecie in the same situation. He was thinking about this as he reached into the tub for a handful of popcorn, and touched Teecie's hand as she did the same thing. They remained hand in hand for the rest of the movie.  
  
  
  
James really had thought of everything, for when the movie ended, and Teecie was crying, he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and carefully dried her tears. "I have one more treat for us tonight," He said quietly as the stood up and walked out of the cinema. When he turned Teecie around, she saw that the room had become a ballroom with musicians playing music for them to slow dance to. "May I have this dance?" James asked shyly. Nodding, Teecie took his hand and stepped onto the dance floor. James put his hands on Teecie's waist while she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. As they swayed back and forth, James asked her if she'd enjoyed the evening.  
  
  
  
"Oh, it's been perfect!" She replied, smiling. The two danced in silence for some time, enjoying the feel of each other's body pressed against theirs. A couple times, they made eye contact, smiled at one another, and looked away again. Teecie laid her head down on James's shoulder and closed her eyes for several minutes until the music ended. When the song ended, James asked Teecie if she could ever forgive him for being so insensitive earlier that year. "Yes, I forgive you," Teecie replied, smiling.   
  
  
  
James smiled back. Seeing as it was time to leave for the night, and then for the holiday break, he figured he'd try something bold. "Teecie...would it be all right if I...kissed you?" He asked in a quiet voice.  
  
  
  
"Yes," Teecie replied, blushing and looking at the floor. James leaned his head in and pressed his lips against hers. Teecie closed her eyes and savoured the moment. His kiss was shy and awkward, yet she thought it was the best kiss she'd ever had in her entire life. The throbbing in Teecie's abdomen threatened to overwhelm her as they embraced.   
  
  
  
Once they had broken away from each other and had caught their breath, they called out their thank yous to Charlie, and left the room, hand in hand. Together they walked to Gryffindor tower where they shared one more small kiss before leaving to go to their dormitories.  
  
  
  
Back in her room, Teecie found Paige awake, grinning, and sitting up in bed waiting for her. Neither girl slept a wink as they talked over all the details over and over again the entire night. Teecie felt good that she'd forgiven James, and now felt that she was with the right boy for her. The only sad thought she had at this time was the thought of leaving James for the holiday. The next morning, she'd be returning home for Christmas. She did feel a little better, though, when she thought about writing to him and seeing him again in a few weeks. Teecie was so excited, she wondered if she'd ever sleep again. 


	27. Christmas At the Property

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe3: Well you don't have long to wait to see how Reni's doing. This chapter should hopefully get you caught up with what's happening at the property. I'm glad you approved of their date, I thought it was fun too, but good that it was chaperoned.   
  
Mooncookie: Yes Teecie is Lucius' daughter. This is part of a series called True Revenge. It's a four story series written by myself and ElfFlame. It chronicles the life of the Malfoy family and it fully explains how he comes to children other than Draco. We'd love to hear what you think of that series, though it is much darker than this story. Thanks for reading!  
  
Wicked Lee: Yay, another Anne fan out there! I'm glad you liked the quotes, and I'm proud of you for guessing correctly, even though I couldn't say if you were right or not! That was a nice date for James and Teecie, wasn't it! And as for betting, it was in the heat of the moment, they weren't thinking too much about it, just a friendly bet, nothing more. And I'm sure they do that all the time over the other students too. Here's the next chapter, it'll get you caught up with Reni, hope you like it!  
  
Christmas At the Property  
  
Two mornings after her date with James, Teecie was once again at the property. She had been awoken by the smell of bacon wafting through the house. Smiling, she sat up in her bed and looked around her room, happy to be back after four months. It was wonderful to be home for Christmas break. There were three days until Christmas, and for once, Teecie had all of her shopping done, so there was no need to run around and look for gifts. She could spend her entire time baking biscuits with her father and decorating the house. There were also several movies Teecie had been looking forward to watching as well. It didn't feel like Christmas unless she watched Miracle on 34th Street and It's A Wonderful Life.  
  
  
  
After she got up and dressed for the day, Teecie had a pleasant breakfast with her father. Kali and her mum had left for Diagon Alley earlier, and Reni was still in her room. Teecie sat in a chair and talked to Lucius as he expertly scrambled eggs and fried bacon. She told him all about school. She told him how much she loved all the clubs she was in and how much fun she had with all of her friends. She explained that she and James had finally made up, but kept the kiss to herself.   
  
  
  
After they'd finished their meal, Lucius asked Teecie to see if Reni wanted any food before he cleaned up the kitchen. Teecie walked to Reni's bedroom door and knocked. "Reni? Daddy wants to know if you're hungry," She called out. There was no answer, but Teecie thought she heard some type of cry or moan. "Reni? Are you all right?" Again there was no response. Teecie started to grow nervous. What was wrong? "Reni, I'm opening the door. I'm coming in," She called out as she turned the doorknob.   
  
For once Reni hadn't locked the door and Teecie walked into the room. Finding the light switch and turning it on, Teecie found Reni wrapped tightly in her bed sheets. There was a strained look on her face and her eyes were closed. Teecie's heart started pounding as she walked over to her sister. "Reni? Are you...are you...?" She asked quietly. Reni was breathing rapidly. Clutching her hands to her large belly, she cried out in obvious pain. Taking a step back from her sister, Teecie opened her mouth, "Daddy!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "Daddy, come quick!"  
  
  
  
A minute later, Lucius came into the room. He couldn't move too fast with his bad foot and using the cane slowed him down as well. Teecie watched as her father's eyes grew wide with realization. Turning to Teecie, he said quietly, "Go owl Snape and your mum, now," before walking over to Reni.   
  
  
  
Teecie ran out of the room, found a pen and paper and scribbled off notes to Uncle Sev and her mum. Running out of the house, she called two owls to her, attached the notes to their legs, and sent them off.  
  
  
  
After she ran back to Reni's room, Teecie started throwing clothes into a bag for her sister to take with her. Lucius was helping Reni sit up and get untangled from the blankets. As another contraction started, Reni leaned into her father and moaned. "It hurts father...it hurts," She said quietly.   
  
  
  
Brushing the hair out of Reni's eyes, Lucius replied, "I know, baby, I know," as he started to lead her out of her room. "Teecie, find some blankets and put them in the backseat of the car. You'll stay back there with Reni while I drive. Go, now!" Lucius barked at his youngest daughter. Teecie had been staring at Reni and was startled out of her trance. She suddenly began running around gathering blankets, pillows, towels, anything that might be useful.   
  
  
  
Teecie set up a nest in the backseat of Flynn for Reni to lie in. After several minutes, Lucius and Reni made it to the car. Teecie took Reni's hand and helped her inside. Once she was as comfortable as possible, Lucius went to the driver's seat and sat down. He tried to drive for a while, but found he was useless, and charmed the car to do it for him. Every few seconds he'd look in the rear view mirror at his daughters in the back seat. Teecie could see how pale he was and how concerned he looked. He was silent for almost the entire car ride. Reni on the other hand, cried out in pain every few minutes. Lucius was in agony the whole time. He hated seeing his child in pain and being unable to help. He'd never been good at healing spells and didn't want to do anything to hurt Reni or the baby.  
  
  
  
Teecie was terrified. Sounding somewhat hysterical, she cried, "Daddy, what if she has the baby right here? I don't know how to deliver a baby! And I'm stuck back here with her! Daddy, what if-"  
  
  
  
"Ticia Enora shut up right now! I do not want to hear another word out of your mouth till we get to the hospital!" Lucius yelled.   
  
  
  
Teecie shut her mouth and bit her lip. She held Reni's hand until they arrived at the hospital. Lucius and Teecie each held Reni on one side to help her walk to the hospital. Once inside, a nurse helped Reni into a wheelchair and all of them rode in the lift up to the maternity ward.   
  
  
  
Reni was taken to a room and another nurse started to care for her. Drawing the curtain around the bed, the nurse helped her change into a hospital nightgown. After a quick exam, the nurse pulled the curtain back and told the group that Reni was already dilated to eight centimetres. "Eight!" Lucius said, incredulous. "Reni, how long have you been in labour?"  
  
  
  
Reni grimaced with another contraction. "Since sometime after midnight," She replied.  
  
  
  
"Midnight! Why didn't call out for us sooner? We could have taken you to hospital much earlier," Lucius cried.  
  
  
  
"Is it too late for pain medication?" Reni asked the nurse, as she bent over with another contraction.  
  
  
  
"No, let me call the doctor and the anesthesiologist," With that the nurse left to make the calls.  
  
  
  
Lucius rubbed Reni's shoulders and the small of her back until the doctors arrived. Adriana had always had natural childbirth, so he'd never seen Muggle pain medication. The nurse had Reni lie back on the bed and covered her with a sheet. Next she bent under the sheet and inserted something called a "catheter" inside Reni. When that was over, she sat Reni back up and had her lean forward against her and Lucius while the anesthesiologist inserted a needle filled with medication into Reni's back. Lucius didn't like seeing this happening to his child and started to feel light-headed. The nurse saw how pale he looked and made him sit down.  
  
  
  
Teecie sat in a chair by the bed and watched as all of this happened. Within minutes, Reni calmed down and sat back in the bed, looking much happier as she started to feel numb from the waist down. After that, the nurse put in an IV and hooked Reni up to heart and fetal pulse monitors.  
  
  
  
Lucius had started to look a little better, and Teecie offered to go buy him some food from the machines out in the hall. She'd just gotten a bag of peanuts and a Coke and was walking back to the room when Uncle Sev turned the corner and started walking towards her. "Teecie!" He called out.  
  
  
  
Looking up and smiling, Teecie ran over to Uncle Sev and gave him a hug. "I'm so glad you're here! This has been so scary, I-"  
  
  
  
"Where's your sister?" Uncle Sev interrupted, peeling Teecie off of him.  
  
  
  
Frowning, Teecie led him to the room. Teecie gave the food to her father as he greeted Uncle Sev. Uncle Sev rushed to Reni's bed and gave her a hug, then sat down next to her, holding her hand.  
  
  
  
A few minutes later, the nurse came back to check on Reni and told them she'd dilated another centimetre. It wouldn't be long now. Teecie stood in the doorway looking for Kali and her mum. They had to get there soon or they'd miss it.   
  
  
  
A half hour later, the nurse examined Reni and told her she was now fully dilated. As the nurse left to get the doctor, Uncle Sev stepped out of the room for a few minutes to walk around before the next stage began. Teecie was still in the doorway, and saw Reni and Lucius talking to each other. She could hear what they said, but just barely.  
  
  
  
"I just realized I'm really going to have this baby. I don't think I'm ready. I don't want to have a baby anymore," Reni said, her breathing increasing as she started to panic. There was a look of sheer terror on her face as she tried to sit up, as though to leave.   
  
  
  
Lucius put his hands on Reni's face and looked into her eyes. "Renata," He started. Reni wasn't used to being called by her full name unless it was to be punished for something. Looking back into his eyes, Reni's breathing started to slow down somewhat. "You are going to do just fine. And you'll be a great mother to this child. I know you can do this," Lucius spoke in a low, soothing voice. When he was finished, he kissed Reni's forehead, which Teecie was amazed to see, Reni allowed him to do, without pulling away.   
  
  
  
Several minutes later, the nurse, a doctor, and Uncle Sev all came into the room. Just as they were getting Reni situated in the stirrups, Adriana and Kali came running into the room. "Did we miss it?" Adriana asked, breathlessly. Seeing that they'd made it just in time, she bent down and hugged Reni. "How are you doing?" She asked.  
  
  
  
As Adriana was being informed by Reni and Lucius of what had happened, Teecie ran to Kali and threw her arms around her. Kali hugged Teecie back, and several minutes later, they stood several feet from the end of the bed and watched as Reni started to push.   
  
  
  
Reni held one of each parent's hands, while Uncle Sev helped hold her up for support. Teecie and Kali watched, horrified and mesmerized by what they saw. Blood and hair...and more blood. Teecie had seen some of the animals on the farm give birth before, but this was completely different. This was her sister. There was a tiny person inside of her sister that was trying to come out.   
  
  
  
Teecie thought about what would happen if she had a baby someday. She'd explored her body enough to know she could not fit something as large as a baby out of herself from down there. It made her seriously rethink ever letting James touch her at all- ever again. Even though she and James had never done anything more than kiss, Patty had told her a story about a girl who's brother's girlfriend's sister's cousin had only kissed a boy, and had gotten pregnant from it. Patty had assured her it was a totally true story.  
  
  
  
Teecie and Kali held hands as a bloody blobby thing started to inch its way out of their sister. Kali started to turn green, so Teecie led her to a chair to sit down, and went back to watch. What had started out as a strangely shaped object, turned out to be the baby's head. After the next push, the baby's head was completely out. "Yay Reni! The head is out, the head is out!" Teecie cheered, jumping up and down excitedly. After another strong push, the rest of the baby popped out, along with blood and amniotic fluid that gushed out onto the sheets beneath Reni. Teecie stopped jumping and looked with disgust on her face. "Eww," She said, though nobody heard her.  
  
  
  
Lucius, Adriana, and Uncle Sev all cheered when they heard the baby start to cry. "It's a boy!" The doctor announced as he held the baby up for everybody to see. Reni was too tired to cut the umbilical cord, so Adriana did it for her.   
  
  
  
After she had finished, Adriana started to cry. "I'm a grandmum!" She blubbered while hugging Lucius.   
  
  
  
Lucius grinned and kissed Adriana. "Well, grandmum, you look as young and beautiful as the day I met you!" He said jokingly. Adriana playfully punched his arm.  
  
  
  
After the nurse had finished cleaning the baby and wrapping it in a blanket, she put him in Reni's arms. Reni looked in awe of her son as tears streamed down her face. "Hi baby," She said quietly, while sniffing, "I'm your mummy. You're my baby. We're a family. Just you and me." Reni's son opened his eyes and gazed at his mum for several seconds before opening his mouth and screaming. The little boy shrieked in his mum's arms and Reni's eyes grew wide and her body grew rigid. "What did I do? What do I do? Make him stop!" She called out.   
  
  
  
Adriana smiled at her daughter, her lips quivering and her eyes filled with tears, then looked at the crowd of people staring at the baby. "All right, everybody out! You boys take the girls to the cafeteria and feed them some lunch, while I show my baby how to feed her baby," She said while shooing everybody from the room.  
  
  
  
"But I wanna see!" Teecie cried as she was being hustled out of the room.  
  
  
  
"You'll just have to wait until you have your own baby," Adriana said as she shut the door in Teecie's face, "Many, many years from now!" she finished as the door closed.  
  
  
  
After the four had finished eating their hamburgers and fries in the cafeteria, Uncle Sev went off to send an owl to Draco to let him know he was now an uncle. When they went back to the room, the baby was sleeping peacefully. "What are you going to name him, Reni? Can I hold him? Please?" Teecie asked when she entered the room.  
  
  
  
"I haven't decided yet," Reni answered. "You can hold him in a while, Uncle Sev and father get to hold him first," She insisted.   
  
  
  
Lucius looked shocked as he was allowed to hold his grandson. Lucius cradled his grandson in his arms and gently rocked him back and forth. Teecie stood next to him and looked over his shoulder. Lucius glanced up at Teecie, smiled, and said in a quiet voice, "I used to hold you like this, you know."  
  
  
  
Fifteen minutes later, Uncle Sev insisted it was his turn to hold the baby. Lucius frowned and looked as though he wasn't going to give the baby to him, but after a few seconds, he grudgingly handed the baby to him. Teecie followed Uncle Sev as he walked to a chair and carefully sat down. "Did you used to hold me like that, Uncle Sev?" Teecie asked.  
  
  
  
Uncle Sev looked at Teecie, considering her for a moment before responding with a straight face, "No, I used to swing you around by your ankles. You loved it." Teecie giggled as she gazed at the baby. He was very cute, with a button nose, a tiny pink mouth, and a shock of black hair on his tiny head. The only drawback was his rather large ears. Teecie thought he looked like Dumbo, but smartly kept her mouth shut.  
  
  
  
After a while, it was Kali's turn to hold the baby. Rocking him in her arms, Kali cooed at him and said, "He's so tiny! Were we that small when we were born, mum?"  
  
  
  
Adriana smiled. "Reni and Teecie were a little bit bigger than him, but you were smaller. Lucius used to hold you in one hand and carry you around the house. We had doctors look at you to make sure you were all right, and nothing was wrong, you were just small, that's all. But this boy," Adriana tapped the baby on his nose, "He's going to be a strapping young man, tall, muscular, handsome. That's not to say that you aren't beautiful, but he's going to be a very big boy. Grandmum's know these things, you see."   
  
  
  
Just as Teecie was holding out her arms for a turn with the baby, Draco and Tanith arrived. Draco rushed to Reni and gave her a big hug. "Congratulations, Reni," He said before standing back up and walking to Kali. "Now let me hold my nephew," Draco said as he took the baby in his arms.   
  
  
  
Teecie looked indignant as she put her arms back down. "It was my turn next! You can't steal people's turns!" Draco seemed not to hear her as he looked over the baby carefully before mumbling something about "Damned Knight genes".   
  
  
  
When Tanith held the baby, she smiled and looked at Draco. "Look at him honey, he's adorable! Why don't we have another baby?"  
  
  
  
A look of horror flitted across Draco's face before he replied, "Absolutely not! Three is plenty!" Once sure he'd made his point to Tanith, he turned his attention back to his nephew.  
  
  
  
Teecie walked over to Adriana and said, "Mum, it was supposed to be my turn! When do I get to hold the baby?"  
  
  
  
Adriana frowned at her daughter, "For heaven's sake, Teecie, stop being so selfish! You'll get your turn," she replied. When Tanith had finished with the baby, Reni took him back. Teecie had never seen Reni look so happy before. It seemed unnatural to see a smile on her sister's face. Reni looked like she was glowing, like she might burst from happiness. Teecie wondered what was wrong with her.  
  
  
  
When the baby started to fuss and cry, Adriana decided it was time for everybody to leave for the day. As Adriana ushered people out of the room, she explained that everybody could come back the next day, but that Reni and the baby needed time to get to know each other and should be alone for a while. Teecie left the room and saw Reni undoing her nightgown and putting the baby to her breast to eat. She stopped and watched for a few moments before Adriana grabbed her hand and pulled her away.   
  
  
  
The family drove home in silence, each thinking about the events of the day. Lucius was exhausted and let Adriana drive home. Teecie thought about not getting to hold the baby. Maybe tomorrow, she thought to herself.   
  
  
  
Once home, Teecie wrote a letter to Patty and Paige telling them about Reni having the baby. Several hours after sending it off with an owl, the twins sent letters back, congratulating her and her family.  
  
  
  
Teecie didn't understand the full impact of the letter she sent to the Weasley household until the next day when they returned to see Reni and the baby, and found Peter Weasley sitting in a chair, holding the baby and talking to Reni.   
  
  
  
As they filed in the room with looks of confusion, Reni smiled and said, "Say good morning to Peter, and Hunter Preston Orendes."   
  
  
  
Everybody looked at Reni in silence for a few moments before Adriana spoke. "Hunter Preston, what a lovely name you chose, dear," She said as she walked over to hug Reni. "And what was your name again?" She asked, looking at the stranger holding her grandson.  
  
  
  
"Peter, Peter Weasley," Peter introduced himself, smiling at Adriana. "Your daughter and I were classmates at school, though I'm a Gryffindor. It's a pleasure to meet the mother of such a wonderful girl." Peter stood up and handed the baby back to Reni. After shaking Adriana's hand, he walked to Teecie, Kali, and Lucius. "Hi Teecie, hi Kali," He smiled and waved before turning to Lucius. "And you must be Reni's father. Glad to meet you, sir," Peter said as he held out his hand to shake Lucius'.  
  
  
  
Lucius' eyes smoldered as he took a step towards Peter. Teecie couldn't be sure that it wasn't the light from the Coke machine out in the hall, but she thought her father's eyes turned red for a few seconds before he opened his mouth to speak. Teecie thought that all her father needed now was a hook on his hand and he would have gutted Peter like a codfish. "Peter," Lucius hissed through clenched teeth, "What brings you here today? I'd ask you to stay, but I'd hate to keep you from your family during the holidays."  
  
  
  
"Father! Peter is my guest and I say he can stay!" Reni said, scowling at her father.  
  
  
  
Lucius clenched his free hand into a fist and closed his mouth. Teecie could hear him breathing loudly and thought if he got any angrier, flames would start shooting out of his nostrils. Just as her father was about to go in for the kill, Draco arrived. Draco saw Peter and narrowed his eyes. "Mr. Weasley, what are you doing here?" He could see how upset his father was over the boy's presence and debated over which side to take.  
  
  
  
"Reni invited me here," Peter said, looking at Draco with his shoulders thrown back and his head held high.  
  
  
  
"That's right," Reni agreed.   
  
  
  
Draco walked over and hugged his sister. Looking over at Lucius, Draco smiled and said, "Well if Reni invited him, that's all right. Mr. Weasley is a wonderful lad, a good student." Teecie thought she saw Draco's eye twitch slightly as he said this, but his delivery was flawless and got the desired reaction out of Lucius. What little colouring was left in his face drained and his lips drew taut in fury.   
  
  
  
Adriana stood up and walked up to Lucius. Putting her hand on his arm, she turned to Reni and Draco. "Really now! You two kids leave your poor father alone and stop teasing him! He's been under a lot of stress lately and doesn't need to be agitated," Adriana admonished them. Teecie saw a look of concern in her mother's eyes that made her stomach lurch.   
  
  
  
Draco narrowed his eyes and glared at Adriana. He despised being referred to as a child by that woman! Standing up, Draco walked to Peter and gestured for him to follow him out of the room. Peter walked after Draco and closed the door behind him. When Peter looked at his professor, he was dismayed to see Draco tapping his foot and folding his arms.   
  
  
  
Walking up to him, Draco put his arm around Peter and drew him into a headlock. "Walk with me..." Draco began, "Mr. Weasley, I care about my sister very much, and I'd hate to see her get hurt again. You're a very nice boy, but Renata doesn't need a boy in her life right now. She already has one to take care of and he'll need all of her attention. Besides, I'd hate for there to be more...trouble some day and find out you were involved." Peter was hunched down under Draco's arm and walking awkwardly with his professor. "So, why don't you say your farewells to Renata and go back home. Christmas is a time for families, wouldn't you agree? People who are related to one another need to be together at times like these, and you don't want to be the odd man out here, do you? I didn't think so. But it was good of you to stop by." Draco released Peter from the headlock, smiled, and led him back to the room to say goodbye to Reni.   
  
  
  
Once back in the room, Peter smiled at Reni. "Well, I'd best be on my way. I hope I'll see you again soon, Reni," He said as he hugged Reni goodbye.  
  
  
  
Reni frowned, "You don't have to go. Please stay," She said, holding onto his hand.  
  
  
  
Peter smiled down at Reni, and forgot about Draco's threat. "All right," he replied, sitting back down in the chair next to her bed.   
  
  
  
Reni smiled, "Good," she said, ending the subject. Draco looked at the two with great displeasure seeping past the mask he always tried to keep so firmly in place.  
  
  
  
Adriana was carrying Hunter in her arms and rocking him back and forth. Teecie followed behind them. "Mum, can I hold him? Please? I never got a chance to yesterday," She said, clasping her hands behind her back.   
  
  
  
"Yes, just give me a few more minutes," Adriana replied.   
  
  
  
But a few minutes later, Tanith arrived with the children. Roo ran up to Teecie, held out his arms, smiled and cried, "Up Teecie!" Teecie grinned, bent down, and picked him up. Turning around, Teecie's smile turned to a frown as she watched Tanith sit Liss in a chair and Adriana placed Hunter in his arms. "Mum, you said I got to hold him next," Teecie complained.  
  
  
  
"Oh for pity's sake, Teecie! Stop your whining and grow up! Give the children a chance to hold the baby," Adriana chided her daughter. That girl needed a good dose of tough love, she thought to herself, she was far too spoiled for her own good.   
  
  
  
Teecie narrowed her eyes and glared at the baby in Liss' arms. She hated that baby. And at the moment, she hated her mum as well. Immediately after feeling this, Teecie was overcome by guilt. How could she hate a baby and her mum? But her mum was being so mean!   
  
  
  
It was time to get out of the room. Teecie set Roo on the floor, then turned and slipped out the door. Walking to the lift, Teecie waited until it was going down, then rode to the main floor. She'd seen an ice cream parlour across the street from the hospital as they drove up that morning, and headed over there.  
  
  
  
The parlour had bubble gum pink walls and fun oldies music playing in the background. Soda jerks wore paper hats and white uniforms. Teecie walked up to a stool at the counter and sat down. A kind looking young man, most likely in his late teens, with brown hair and green eyes, asked Teecie what she wanted. Teecie ordered a banana split and watched as the boy made her order. A few minutes later, a huge, freshly made plate of ice cream was placed in front of her.   
  
  
  
After she'd finished the banana split, Teecie ordered a plate of fries. When she'd eaten all of those, she ordered a hot fudge sundae. Halfway through the sundae, Teecie heard a familiar voice speak to her, "Teecie! You shouldn't have left without letting somebody know." Turning in her seat, Teecie saw Draco walking towards her. Sitting on the seat next to her, Draco looked at the number of dishes piled around Teecie and wondered if he'd have to roll his sister out of the parlour after she was finished. "So, it's been an exciting couple of days, hasn't it? Reni having the baby, everybody looking at him and holding him for the first time, it's been a lot of fun, hasn't it?" Draco asked quietly.  
  
  
  
Teecie's lower lip began to tremble and her eyes filled with tears. "I never got a chance to hold him yet," She said in a wavering voice. Tears spilled out of her eyes and flowed down her cheeks. "And mum keeps telling me how selfish I am and what a bad person I am for wanting a turn with Hunter. But I don't think I'm a bad person, I just want to hold him," Teecie's voice broke off and she started to sob. Draco frowned, and pulled his sister towards him, letting her cry.   
  
  
  
"I'm sorry this has been such an upsetting time for you, but I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding. I'm sure your mother doesn't really think you're a bad person," Draco said consolingly. He could hardly believe he was defending that woman, but if it would help make Teecie feel better..."What if we went back inside and asked Reni if you can hold Hunter, would you like that?" Draco asked after Teecie's crying subsided.  
  
  
  
Teecie looked up at her brother and sniffled. "Uh huh," She replied. Draco smiled, pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes with it. After paying the bill, the two left hand-in-hand, and walked back to the hospital.   
  
  
  
Once back in the room, Draco led Teecie over to Reni and asked if she could hold Hunter. Reni looked sullenly at Teecie for a moment before smiling and saying, "Of course! You just sit right down, next to me, there you go, and I'll put him in your arms."   
  
Teecie sat in the chair next to the bed and held the tiny boy in her arms. Hunter was awake and looked at her for a few seconds before yawning. As she rocked the baby back and forth in her arms, Teecie felt strange stirrings within her. It felt as though Hunter was calling to her down to the very core of her being. She loved this baby. She wanted a baby of her own. A little adorable bundle she could cuddle and kiss and hug and squeeze and love forever. A little baby would love her forever too, because she would be its mummy. And she would never tell her baby to grow up or that her baby was being selfish.   
  
  
  
After a long turn with Hunter, Adriana came over and took him. Teecie felt better now that she'd had a chance with the baby. All of the food Teecie had eaten made her feel sleepy. Finding a chair, she sat down in it, turning so her legs swung over the sides. Roo climbed up on top of her and the two soon fell asleep in one another's arms. Teecie woke up a couple hours later as Tanith lifted the still-sleeping Roo off of her. Everybody was getting ready to leave. Reni and Hunter would be going home now.  
  
  
  
Once they arrived at the car, Adriana had to put a spell on Flynn to fit all the people and car seats and other baby things that would be going home with them. After everybody was safely seated in the car, Lucius pulled out of the car park and drove his family home. He was extremely cautious as he drove, slamming his hand on the horn every time a car got too close to Flynn. He wasn't about to let some idiot driver plow into his grandson.   
  
  
  
When the family had returned to the property, they all helped take the baby's things into the house. Reni's room had been set up with a bassinette and changing table. Fresh nappies and clothes filled the drawers of a dresser. Toys and stuffed animals were strewn about everywhere. Reni carefully set Hunter in his bassinette and stood over him, looking at her son.  
  
  
  
Things were going smoothly until Teecie was trying to fall asleep that night. Reni was supposed to have put a silencing charm around her room, so Hunter's cries wouldn't wake the house, but it didn't seem to be working. Teecie could hear Hunter screaming and crying very loudly. It almost seemed as though they were being magnified and filtered out through her wall. After two hours, Teecie finally got out of bed, went next door to Reni's room, and knocked on her door. After Reni opened the door, Teecie asked her politely to check on the silencing charm along her wall, because it didn't seem to be working very well. Teecie shouldn't have been surprised to hear Reni's response. "Oh? I thought it was working very well actually. The little brat with the big mouth, who writes letters to her friends so their brothers find out and come spying on me, can deal with a little bit of noise."  
  
  
  
"You're doing this on purpose? Because Peter found out? That's so mean!" Teecie cried.  
  
  
  
"Mean, yet satisfying," Reni responded, slamming the door in her face.  
  
  
  
Teecie marched back into her room and gathered up her blankets and pillows before walking to the living room and setting up a nest on the sofa. But Reni must have charmed the baby's cries to be heard no matter where Teecie went inside the house, for they sounded just as loud out there as they did in her room. After another hour with no luck falling asleep, Teecie had to think about another place to try. She thought about asking Kali or her parents for help, but they'd all put charms up around their rooms and wouldn't hear her knocking on their doors. Anywhere inside the house would not work. Teecie wondered if she left the house, if she'd be able to escape the cries.  
  
  
  
Taking a blanket and pillow, Teecie put on a pair of slippers and marched outside. It was snowing and she thought it might be too cold to sleep on the porch swing or the hammock, but thought it might be warm enough in the barn to make a nest in the hayloft and try to sleep the rest of the night there.  
  
  
  
Once she arrived at the barn and crawled up to the hayloft, she found that it was still extremely cold inside. The only way she managed to not freeze to death was to dive down deep within the hay and wrap up tightly in her blanket.   
  
  
  
The next morning, Lucius was almost startled to death when he went into the barn to milk the cows. All the noise woke Teecie up. She was very cranky from her poor night's sleep. Tired, crabby, and disoriented, Teecie called out, "Daddy! You woke me up!" She heard Lucius gasp and call out to see who was there. Crawling out of her nest, Teecie stepped down the ladder to the floor below, revealing herself to her father.   
  
  
  
Lucius looked at Teecie with confusion. Walking over to her, he picked a few pieces of straw out of his daughter's curly hair. "What are you doing sleeping in the barn?" When Teecie explained about Reni charming Hunter's cries, Lucius looked less than happy and promised to talk to her about it later on.  
  
  
  
Teecie spent the day baking with her father. It was their Christmas Eve tradition to bake biscuits to be eaten the next day when Draco, Tanith, and the children came over. Lucius talked to Adriana about Reni and she agreed to talk to her about it. But Adriana wanted a pleasant Christmas Eve, seeing as Christmas Day had the tendency to be stressful, and decided to wait until the next day or a couple days later before speaking with her, so that night, she enchanted Teecie's room for her. Teecie spent a pleasant night, a very quiet night, in her own bed once again.  
  
  
  
The next morning, Teecie woke up well before anybody else. As a special treat, she trudged out to the barn and milked the cows for her father. It was so cold, and the walking was so painful for her father, she didn't want him to hurt on Christmas Day. It took three trips to carry all the milk back to the house, but Teecie did it with a smile on her face.  
  
  
  
Once she'd finished, Teecie prepared breakfast for her family. After an hour, fresh-squeezed orange juice, cranberry-walnut muffins, bacon, sausages, and scrambled eggs sat on the table on large serving platters. After the muffins had been taken out of the oven, Teecie took the standing rib roast for Christmas dinner out of the refrigerator, placed it in a pan, seasoned it, and placed it in the oven. She was just brewing a pot of coffee and turning on Christmas carols on the CD player when her father came into the kitchen.  
  
  
  
Lucius looked at the food spread out before him. "Baby, you made all of this?" He asked, smiling at her.  
  
  
  
"Yes I did, and I milked the cows for you too. Sit down and eat!" Teecie replied.  
  
  
  
"Let me wake up your mum and Kali. I'll let Reni sleep in. I'm sure she had a rough night," Lucius said, shuffling off to wake his family.  
  
  
  
Within fifteen minutes, the family was ready for the day and putting food on their plates. Adriana hugged her daughter and thanked her for the wonderful breakfast. Kali smiled as she picked at a muffin and sipped a glass of juice.   
  
  
  
After a while, Reni appeared in the kitchen looking disheveled and upset. "You didn't wait for me? Why didn't you wait for me?" She snapped angrily.  
  
  
  
"Honey, we didn't want to wake you up. I know how precious sleep is to a new mother," Adriana explained patiently.  
  
  
  
"Well you should have waited!" Reni said, glaring. Turning to Teecie and seeing the well-rested look on her face, Reni said, "Well, I see you slept well last night!" She had hoped the baby's cries would have sent Teecie back to the barn were she belonged.  
  
  
  
"Yes I did! And I see you didn't!" Teecie smirked. Reni took a threatening step towards her, but Teecie threw her shoulders back and stood her ground. "Why don't you go get Hunter and bring him out here. It's Christmas, time for fun and peace."  
  
  
  
Reni glared at Teecie for a while before turning around and stomping off to her room, slamming the door behind her. Lucius and Adriana exchanged looks that expressed concern over what had just happened. They sighed with relief though, when Reni reemerged several minutes later with a bundle in her arms. Adriana offered to hold Hunter so Reni could eat, which Reni took her up on.  
  
  
  
Once everybody had eaten their fill, they moved out to the living room to open presents. Lucius always played Father Christmas, wearing a red and white fuzzy hat and passing out the gifts to his family. After handing out all the presents, they went around in a circle, opening up presents in turns. Reni opened up gifts for Hunter from her parents, Draco and Tanith, and Uncle Sev. Uncle Sev had sent Hunter a potions set, and a stuffed snake toy for him to sleep with. Adriana laughed and told Reni it was almost exactly the same thing he'd sent her before she'd been born. Draco and Tanith had sent him a set of green and silver robes. Lucius commented that he'd be a very well-dressed baby. One of Hunter's gifts from his grandparents, was a small blue tam. Adriana smiled wistfully and explained that the hat had been Reni's when she was born. She'd had it made by a milliner in Diagon Alley and hadn't opened the box it had been put in until after Reni had been born. She'd worn it home from the hospital, but Adriana had kept it after she'd taken Reni to stay with Uncle Sev.   
  
  
  
Hunter was also showered in more clothes, toys, and books from his grandparents. Lucius had made several gifts for his grandson. He'd carved a horse out of a fallen tree from the property, painted it so it resembled a real horse, and enchanted it so it would not only rock, but trot around the room when Hunter sat upon it. He was much too small for it now, but in a couple years, it would be a great toy for him. Lucius had also carved a mobile for Hunter's crib. He'd made miniature broomsticks, musical notes, snakes, and wands that he'd painted and strung together. He'd enchanted that to play soothing music as it slowly rotated. The last gift wasn't homemade. It was a tatty, old teddy bear. Seeing Reni's confusion, Lucius explained. "This was a gift from my mother, Rowena. His name is Brutus, but you can change it if you want. I...I loved my mother very much, and I love you very much. I want you to have him," Lucius said, his eyes filling with tears before he managed to compose himself.   
  
  
  
Reni ran her fingers over the teddy bear before standing up and hugging her father. Lucius held his daughter tightly and rocked her gently for a couple minutes before releasing her.   
  
  
  
Kali and Teecie looked at Brutus, and then the mobile, and remembered the ones Lucius had carved for each of them. Kali's had had snitches and broomsticks on it, while Teecie's had had unicorns and princess figurines on it. Though Reni had been a year old when Lucius had met her, he'd carved his first mobile for her. Hers had had snakes and cauldrons on it.   
  
  
  
Kali received lots of Quidditch related gifts, while Teecie got lots of new clothes and books. Uncle Sev had given her a book about rare potions, while Draco had sent her a book on etiquette. Lucius looked at the book with disapproval on his face. "I don't think you need to learn manners. You're already well-mannered," He said.   
  
  
  
Draco's gift for Kali was a framed picture of the Ravenclaw team from her second year, the year she'd been seeker, before her illness. He'd written a caption that read, "See you next year on the pitch!" and had had all the teammates sign it. All of the people in the picture smiled and waved at Kali.  
  
  
  
After all the gifts had been opened, the family talked and laughed together before Adriana went into the kitchen to work on dinner. Lucius was sitting on the couch listening to Kali and Teecie telling him all the latest goings on at school, when Reni started teasing Teecie for having so much trouble in Fencing club. "Heh, you must have to be mental to not know how to hold the foil right! You must be spending too much time mooning over Ja-ames, your boyfriend!" Reni teased.  
  
  
  
Teecie's eyes narrowed and she stood up, hands on her hips. "Well, at least I have a boyfriend!" She said in a taunting voice.  
  
  
  
Reni looked furious. "How dare you?" She yelled, taking a step towards her sister.  
  
  
  
Lucius was holding Hunter in his arms, picked up his cane and hooked Teecie's arm with it, pulling her gently backwards onto the couch. "Break it up, you two. You don't want to wake up Hunter now, do you?"  
  
  
  
Reni snorted in anger then marched off to the kitchen to complain to her mother. Teecie settled next to her father and laid her head on his chest, gazing at Hunter. "Was I that cute when I was born?" She asked.  
  
  
  
Lucius smiled, remembering her birth. "You were adorable. So was your sister," He said, looking over at Kali who was listening to them. "I'm told Reni was very cute as well."  
  
  
  
"Too bad that didn't last," Teecie said sarcastically.  
  
  
  
Lucius flicked his daughter's arm with his fingers. "Hey, that's not nice. Your sister has a lot to deal with right now, and you should be a little nicer to her."  
  
  
  
"Then she should start acting like somebody I'd want to be nice to," Teecie shot back.   
  
  
  
Lucius sat up and called out to Kali to take the baby for him. Turning to Teecie, he grinned. "Are you getting cheeky with me? I won't have cheeky girls talking back to me!" Lucius began to tickle Teecie, laughing as she giggled and squealed. He had just stood up, picked Teecie up, and thrown her over his shoulder as Draco walked into the room. Because of the laughter, they hadn't heard the knock on the door, so Adriana had had to leave the kitchen and open the door herself.   
  
  
  
Draco had been in front of the door when it opened to reveal her. "Draco...Happy Christmas," Adriana had said in a stilted tone.  
  
  
  
Roo, who'd been standing next to his father, smiled. "Hi nana Addie!" He cried, running up to Adriana with his arms out.  
  
  
  
Adriana bent down and scooped Roo up. "Oh my! Look at how big you are! I think you've grown since I saw you a couple days ago!" She said to him, smiling. Then, looking up at the rest of the crowd, she invited them inside.  
  
  
  
Draco had glared at Adriana as he walked past her before ripping his son out of her arms. "How many times do I have to tell you, you are not to call that woman any of those names. She is not your grandmother! You have a grandmother, remember?" Draco snarled at his son as Adriana walked back into the kitchen.  
  
  
  
Draco set Roo down and watched as he ran after Adriana into the kitchen. "Nana! Nana!" Roo cried as he toddled after her. Draco was furious over his son's blatant disobedience. His anger had continued to grow at the sight of his father holding Teecie on his shoulder.  
  
  
  
Lucius carefully set Teecie down on the floor. "Happy Christmas son!" He said, smiling.  
  
  
  
Draco scowled. "Ho, ho, ho," He replied sullenly. "Teecie, did you get the etiquette book I sent you?" He asked pointedly to his sister. "You should go get started reading it."   
  
  
  
"Yes, and then she can loan it to you to read," Lucius said, putting his hands on his hips and wondering what was wrong with his son today.  
  
  
  
The rest of the day didn't improve much. Uncle Sev arrived for the meal with several bottles of wine and firewhisky, to help spread the cheer, he said. He and Draco sat in the corner of the room drinking glass after glass of firewhisky, and talking quietly together, when the meal Adriana had prepared was finished. Every so often, the two would laugh over a rude comment spoken loudly enough for the entire family to hear.   
  
  
  
Teecie watched as Roo walked up to his father to speak to him. Draco glanced down at his son, picked him up roughly under his arms and held him out while trying to walk straight over to Tanith. Roo screamed and struggled in his father's grip the entire time. Tanith looked as though she might strangle her husband. Teecie had never seen her brother act this way before and it frightened her. Quietly standing up from her chair, she slipped into the kitchen and proceeded to pour the bottles of wine and what was left of the firewhisky into the sink.   
  
  
  
Uncle Sev stumbled into the kitchen just in time to see Teecie pour the last of the firewhisky away. Making his way up to her, he grabbed Teecie's arm. "How dare you presume to dispose of those! That very bottle alone is worth far more money than you'll ever see in your life! They're worth more than you are, that's for damned sure!" He slurred. Uncle Sev's face was red with drink and fury.  
  
  
  
Teecie's lips began to tremble. "Y-you're drunk! Draco too! You don't need any more!" She said defiantly. Uncle Sev glared at Teecie and tightened his grip on her arm. Teecie yanked on her arm. "You let go of me!" She shouted. "Or I'll tell mum!"  
  
  
  
Uncle Sev immediately let go of Teecie's arm and stumbled back out of the room to go sit with Draco. Teecie didn't know what to do. Christmas was turning into a disaster. For once, she desired to return to Hogwarts, where drunken family feuds didn't happen too often. Walking to the door into the living room, she watched as Tanith, Adriana, and Lucius tried to keep the children away from Uncle Sev and Draco. Kali and Reni were fighting over something that Teecie couldn't hear. Hunter was screaming in Adriana's arms. This had been some Christmas, Teecie thought to herself. There were two options open to her at this time: the barn or her bedroom. Her bedroom might be warmer, but the barn would be quieter and further away from the chaos. Slipping into her bedroom, Teecie grabbed a pillow, blanket, a book, her wand, and a pen and paper before leaving for the barn.  
  
  
  
Once there, Teecie sighed in relief at the silence that surrounded her. The only sounds were the occasional bleating of the sheep or the lowing of the cows. After climbing the ladder to the hayloft, Teecie built a nest and settled down for the evening. Using her wand as a torch, Teecie wrote letters to the twins, Rey, and James. After she sent those off with owls, she started reading her book.   
  
  
  
Teecie was absorbed in the story when she was startled out of it by noises outside the house that had carried all the way to the barn. Standing up and walking to the window in the loft, she looked out and saw her father and brother outside. Lucius had Draco by the collar and was dragging him to the rain barrel, which was, no doubt, half frozen by this time of year. She couldn't make out exact words, but got the feeling her father was trying to sober Draco up.   
  
  
  
Lucius dunked his son's head in the rain barrel and then began to yell at him. Draco stood up from the barrel and began yelling back. Teecie could only hear snippets of what was being said. Lucius said something about, "scaring your children" to which Draco said something involving the words, "your spoiled brats" for which Lucius seemed to take great offense at and told Draco to "go home and sober up".   
  
  
  
Teecie went back to her book and read for another hour until she felt it was safe to go back inside. Once back in the house, the only sounds she heard were those of Hunter crying and her parents cleaning the kitchen in silence. She knew it was best to keep her mouth shut at times like these. She knew her mother always felt drained after family gatherings. Sometimes she said she felt like a failure, for whatever reason.  
  
  
  
While walking through the house, Teecie saw Kali sitting on her bed and looking through her schoolbooks. Teecie barged into Kali's room and spent the rest of the evening with her. They talked about the holiday had gone so far and how they both wanted to go back to school. Kali had also had trouble with their mother while at the hospital. "After you'd left, she snatched Hunter out of my arms and hogged him for twenty minutes! She just looked at him, making squealing noises and touching his nose and ears. She's dead gone over him!"   
  
  
  
Once it was time for bed, Kali allowed Teecie to snuggle next to her in her bed. Kali put her arm around her sister to keep her safe, and within minutes, both had fallen asleep. Together, they slept through the night, dreaming of sweet and pleasant things. 


	28. The Return to Hogwarts

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe3: Yes, there's nothing like a dysfunctional family get-together for Christmas, is there! I don't think it's normally that bad, but with the baby, all of the tempers are flaring and people are on edge. Yes, I think there was definitely a bit of a lesson in letting the girls watch the birth. I don't think either Adriana or Lucius want to go through this again with one of their young girls. But at the same time, it all happened so quickly, that nobody really had a chance to tell them to leave or stay. Here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy it!  
  
Wicked Lee: I'm so glad you loved the last chapter! It's always so flattering to get such a nice review like yours! Teecie getting grossed out with the birth was my favorite part of the chapter too! Here's another one I had fun writing, let me know what you think!  
  
The Return to Hogwarts  
  
The next morning, Teecie and Kali talked again about returning to Hogwarts early. Neither wanted to hurt their parents' feelings, but they didn't want to stay around Reni anymore. She was truly unbearable now. And both girls wanted to get out of the house and away from the memories of the previous day. Teecie thought maybe they could tell their parents they both had large papers to write and needed the library to do research. In the end, they decided that it was best to tell them the truth. Kali was afraid Teecie wouldn't be tactful and told her to keep her mouth shut and let her do the talking.   
  
  
  
Kali and Teecie approached their father after breakfast, while Adriana was sitting in the living room with Hunter. Kali politely told their father that with Reni and Hunter needing so much attention, it would probably be best for she and Teecie to return to Hogwarts now instead of after New Year's.   
  
  
  
Lucius sighed and massaged his temples before speaking. "I know it hasn't been the most...fun of holidays. Reni having the baby really threw everybody off and then people were in such bad moods yesterday. I wish you two would stay, but the house is feeling awfully small right now. Why don't you girls go pack and I'll help you floo back when you're ready. I'll tell your mother afterwards," Lucius said quietly.  
  
  
  
Teecie and Kali went to their rooms and packed their bags with what they'd brought home and their Christmas gifts, and waited until Lucius had made sure Adriana was in Reni's bedroom with Hunter, before going into the living room. After watching Kali step into the fireplace and disappear in a flash of green light, Teecie hugged her father.   
  
  
  
While in his arms, Teecie looked up and saw her father gazing down at her. "Your mum...you know she loves you, right? She's just very...excited about Hunter. She's never been a grandmother before, and is enjoying it very much right now. There isn't much in this world that excites your mother, or is new to her anymore. Just give her a little time to get used to it, then she'll get back to normal," Lucius said quietly.   
  
  
  
Teecie sighed, then stepped into the fireplace. She took a handful of floo powder and threw it at her feet and said, "Hogwarts!" Her father's face faded from view in a green haze as she felt herself being whirled around in circles really quickly. Hot ash flew around her face, choking her as she attempted to breathe. The air felt warm and Teecie was dizzy before suddenly being thrown from her feet and onto the floor of a room she didn't immediately recognize.  
  
  
  
Teecie moaned and closed her eyes, trying to get the room to stop spinning, but felt very nauseous. She felt hands under her arms, trying to lift her up. "Come on, sis, sit up and take a deep breath," Kali said to her.  
  
  
  
"Ohhh, Kali, I don't feel so good," Teecie said, opening her eyes to look at her sister, and was overwhelmed with dizziness when she did so.  
  
  
  
"Here, let me help her," Another voice said. Strong hands grabbed Teecie's waist and pulled her to a standing position.  
  
  
  
Forcing her eyes open, she saw Uncle Sev holding onto her. "Uncle Sev?" She asked.   
  
  
  
"Yes?" He asked, with a look of concern. Teecie looked awfully pale.  
  
  
  
"I think-" Teecie stopped talking as her breathing increased. Suddenly, Teecie threw up-all over Uncle Sev's shoes. Once she'd seen what she'd done, she was humiliated and began to cry. The only positive thing to come from this was that Teecie felt much better now.   
  
  
  
Kali came over to Teecie and put her arm around her to hold her up. "Take her to Wilkes," Uncle Sev demanded as he took his wand out of his robes to clean himself off. He wrinkled his nose disgustedly as Kali gently led her sister out of the room.  
  
  
  
Teecie and Kali walked down from Uncle Sev's office and carefully made their way to the Hospital ward. Once they arrived, Kali told Master Wilkes what had happened. The healer gently led Teecie to a bed and helped her lie down. After laying a cool, damp cloth on her forehead, he went to prepare an anti-nausea potion for her to drink. After several minutes, Kali left to return to her room and unpack her bags.   
  
  
  
Wilkes gave Teecie a soothing potion that tasted like ginger, to make her stomach feel better. Teecie sat up and buried her head in his robes and told him about throwing up on Uncle Sev's shoes. Wilkes patted Teecie on the head gently, and told her in soothing tones, that everything would be all right. Uncle Sev would get cleaned up and wouldn't tease her about it. Soon, more important things would come into her life, and she'd forget all about this incident.  
  
  
  
After several minutes, Teecie felt better and stood up to leave. She thanked Master Wilkes and walked to the door. She told him she was going to go back to Uncle Sev's office to get her bags, but Master Wilkes assured her that he'd have had the house elves bring her bags back to her room, and that she should go unpack them. It would help her forget what had happened. Teecie walked up to her dormitory, found her bags at the foot of her bed, and went to work putting her things away. Once she'd finished, she left to wander around and see who was at the school still. In the Great Hall, she found the Engelmanns. They were Jewish and had already celebrated Chanukah a week earlier. As she left the hall, James and his mother entered the school through the main doors. James looked up, saw Teecie, smiled, and ran over to her. "Teecie! You're back!" He cried.  
  
  
  
"James!" Teecie cried, holding her arms out and embracing him. James leaned his head in and kissed her. Teecie felt warm and broke away after a few seconds to catch her breath. When she looked up, she saw the amused look on Tonks's face. Blushing, Teecie looked away.  
  
  
  
James turned around and saw his mother. Grabbing Teecie by the wrist, he led her over to Tonks. "Mum! You remember Teecie, don't you? She's my girlfriend now!" James looked as though he might burst with pride and excitement over saying that out loud for the first time.  
  
  
  
Tonks walked up to Teecie and gave her a hug. "Of course I remember you. I'm so glad you and my son are so happy together," She said, smiling at Teecie. After a few minutes of chatting together, Tonks left to find her husband, and left James and Teecie alone together.   
  
  
  
James gazed at Teecie for several moments before asking her why she'd come back early. Teecie told him how stressful the past few days had been and how she and Kali had wanted to get away from it. Once the conversation had died down, the two stood around, looking at the floor and the stairs, trying to think of what to say. After a couple minutes, James tapped Teecie on the shoulder. "What?" She asked.  
  
  
  
"Uh...you're it!" James said, before running away from her. Teecie smiled and began to chase after James. They ran after one another through the school halls and up and down the stairs. Whenever one of them caught the other, they'd kiss before starting to run again.   
  
  
  
James had just caught and kissed Teecie underneath a painting on the fifth floor, when the person in the picture spoke, startling them. "I must say, you two have been quite the kissy-faces today. Your headmaster gave me a message to pass onto you if I happened to see you. He said there's to be no more kissing in public anymore. Now off you go, and be on your best behaviour," The man in the painting said to them.  
  
  
  
"Oh, leave them alone! They're not doing any harm!" A man in the painting across the hall called out. "It's quite refreshing to see people expressing their feelings in public, if you ask me!"  
  
  
  
James took Teecie's hand and led her away from the paintings as they continued to argue with one another. "Well, that was strange," James said as they walked, "Want to go get something to eat?" He asked. Teecie looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding her head and walking with him down to the Great Hall.  
  
  
  
Teecie hadn't known what that meant, but did now. The paintings watched what the students did. "The walls have eyes," Peeves had said to her the night he'd visited her room. Teecie hadn't known what that meant, but did now. They spied on them, and told Uncle Sev what was going on. So that's how all the professors seemed to just know what was going on at the school. But that one painting hadn't agreed with making them stop kissing. Could it be that not all the paintings reported to Uncle Sev? Maybe they weren't loyal to him. Teecie wondered how many of those there were around the school, and how she could find that out.   
  
  
  
Suddenly the world was full of possibilities. If she could use the paintings that weren't loyal to Uncle Sev, she could have them act as spies, to get into places her other spies couldn't. She could send them into the Slytherin common room and dormitories. They'd be able to report Lisette's plans to her. Teecie would have a whole line of communication open to her that could move and be secret and get to her from anywhere inside the school. The question was how to find out which ones were loyal to Uncle Sev, and which ones weren't.  
  
  
  
Teecie mulled all of this over while she and James walked into the Great Hall. They sat with Professor Lupin, Tonks, Sirius, and Peter. While talking, Sirius looked up and saw Kali sitting alone at the Ravenclaw table and called out to her to join them. Looking somewhat startled, Kali looked at the Gryffindor table, saw Teecie, smiled, and stood up to join them. Once at the table, Kali talked with Professor Lupin and Tonks while James and Teecie held hands under the table. Sirius and Peter talked and joked as they ate. Peter spilled his goblet of pumpkin juice across the table and Kali jumped up just in time to miss getting it all down her lap. Peter blushed and apologized quietly.  
  
  
  
As he sipped his coffee, Professor Lupin looked at James and Teecie. He knew they were now a couple. Remus saw the looks of happiness on their faces and felt happy for them, yet nervous at the same time. He and Draco had already talked about this issue on a few different occasions, and each conversation had ended in raised voices and accusations. Draco seemed to think Remus wasn't helping to prevent the situation enough. Remus believed that trying to forbid the children from seeing one another would only force them together sooner. Letting the children explore their feelings for one another in a controlled environment, where they were supported and shown the proper way to act around one another, was the best way to deal with the situation. He just couldn't get through to Draco. Tonks had promised to talk to Draco about it soon. Hopefully that would help.  
  
  
  
After the meal, the kids wandered around the school, talking and laughing. The rest of the day passed quickly and pleasantly. That evening at dinner, Teecie received a letter from her mother. Opening it, Teecie read what it said:  
  
My Darling Daughter,  
  
I owe you an apology for the way I've treated you over the past few days. My behaviour's been completely inappropriate, and you deserve better treatment from your mother.   
  
I'm sorry that you felt unwelcome in your own home and wanted to leave early. I have talked to your sister about what she did, making you sleep in the barn. I should have been more conscious of what was going on and put a stop to it earlier.   
  
This entire Christmas holiday has been a disaster, to put it mildly, and it's been all my fault. I should never have let Severus into the house with all that alcohol. I should have thrown both of those men out of the house as soon as the trouble started. I'm so sorry that you had to witness their behaviour.   
  
I will make more of an effort in the future to provide you with a loving, peaceful, and comforting home environment. You deserve to have a good home to come to, not just because you are my daughter and I love you, but because you are a human being who deserves to be treated better than you've been treated lately.  
  
  
  
I hope you can forgive me. I love you very much.  
  
Your Mother,  
  
Adriana  
  
  
  
Teecie knew her mother was feeling horrible right now. She was probably crying her eyes out at their house. Teecie ran up to her room, took out her favourite pink feather pen, and pink paper, and wrote a note back.  
  
Dear Mum,  
  
Don't worry, I love you very much. Please don't be sad because I am OK. After I got to school, I threw up on Uncle Sev's shoes, so you don't have to feel bad about letting him and Draco get drunk yesterday. Christmas wasn't so bad, and dinner was great. I just missed James and wanted to see him again, that's why I left early.   
  
I love you very much.  
  
-Teecie   
  
  
  
Teecie didn't know why she told her mother about being sick, but thought it might make her feel better to know that, since nobody was perfect. After rereading the note, she sent if off to her mother. Once done with that, Teecie opened her Transfigurations book and practiced some of the spells they'd be learning in the next couple of weeks.   
  
  
  
It was past midnight before Teecie started getting ready for bed. Once in her nightgown, Teecie left the bathroom, and decided that since the school was so empty, now was the time to talk to that painting. After putting on her dressing gown, Teecie made her way out of the tower and down to the fifth floor. Using her wand as a torch, she found the painting that had said he'd enjoyed seeing James kissing her. The painting who'd argued with him, behind her, was asleep, so Teecie whispered at the one in front of her. "Excuse me, sir?" She whispered. The painting stirred and slowly opened his eyes.  
  
  
  
"Hello, my dear. What brings you here this late?" He asked.  
  
  
  
"Well-" Teecie glanced at the painting's title. "Edmund Halstead, Died as a martyr in the Goblin Uprising of 1678." "Mr. Halstead, I was wondering why you thought it was all right for us to disobey the headmaster's wishes today."   
  
  
  
"That man is an idiot! He'll never be the headmaster Dumbledore was! He's ruining the school! I don't pay any attention to any of his decrees and commands. Besides, there's nothing wrong with a little youthful exuberance," Edmund said, his voice growing louder.  
  
  
  
"I understand. You know, my mother was good friends with Albus Dumbledore. She told me all about how wonderful he was. I wish I could have known him. Maybe you could tell me about him sometime," Teecie whispered, smiling and fluttering her eyelashes at Edmund.  
  
  
  
"It would be my pleasure," He replied, smiling and bowing slightly.  
  
  
  
"And...perhaps you know of other paintings who know a lot about Dumbledore. I'd love to hear from them to learn about the legend that was Albus."  
  
  
  
"Well, I know all the paintings in the castle. There's maybe...nine or ten of us who don't like Snape."  
  
  
  
"Oh, well, maybe you could tell them to come to the painting in my room for a visit sometime. So I can get to know them all, and learn about Albus from them."  
  
  
  
"I'll do that! And I'll stop by myself, to teach you all I can. I feel it is my duty, seeing as you children are the future. Maybe I'll come over tomorrow night," Edmund offered.  
  
  
  
"Great, I'll see you then. I can't wait to meet all of you. That way I'll get to know all of those paintings out there who love Albus as much as I do," Teecie said, smiling.  
  
  
  
"Right! I'll spread the word!" Edmund called out as Teecie walked away.   
  
  
  
Once on the next floor, Teecie's wand began to vibrate. Mrs. Otis, no! Teecie looked around for a place to hide and saw the cat stroll around the corner and start running towards her. Teecie turned around and started to run the other way, and was startled when Old Man Filch popped out of a doorway and caught Teecie by the arm. "Aha! I got you! Let's take you to my office and see who you are," He cackled while dragging Teecie towards the stairs down to his office. Teecie had turned out her wand and therefore it was too dark for Filch to see who he had caught.   
  
  
  
"Let go of me!" Teecie squealed while struggling against him. "I was just going up to my room!"  
  
  
  
"A likely story!" Filch snarled, pulling Teecie along as he walked. Once they'd reached his office, he lit a lamp after pushing Teecie down into a chair. Looking over to see who it was, Filch frowned and looked disappointed. "Oh, it's you," He said, glaring at Teecie.   
  
  
  
Teecie folded her arms and looked around his office. Drawings of torture devices were strewn about the walls, along with lists of banned items that Filch kept an eye out to confiscate from the students. Nowhere, though, was there any picture of her. Draco had told her Filch kept a picture of her that he used as a dart board. "You do not have a picture of me!" Teecie said out loud, more to herself than to Filch.  
  
  
  
"Why would I have a picture of a whiny brat like you?" Filch said, sneering at her.  
  
  
  
"My brother told me you keep a picture of me that you use as a dartboard," Teecie explained.  
  
  
  
"Well I don't...but that's not a bad idea...," Filch said thoughtfully.   
  
  
  
Teecie rolled her eyes and snorted loudly as she sat back in her chair, folded her arms, and crossed her ankles. "So, do anything fun for Christmas, Mr. Filch? Was the dinner good? Get any good presents?"  
  
  
  
"That's none of your business, and don't try to change the subject! Now what were you doing out of bed?"  
  
  
  
"I was hoping I'd get caught by you so that I'd be able to have this wonderful conversation with you," Teecie replied, looking at her fingernails.  
  
  
  
"Oh, don't get cheeky with me girl! What were you really doing?"   
  
  
  
"Well...," Teecie started, trying to think of what to say. She decided to take the advice from Captain Jack Sparrow, a man she tried to emulate whenever possible, and tell him the truth, knowing he'd never believe it. "I've decided to become the next Dark Lord. That Harry Potter guy sure was stupid for getting rid of the last one, but it does open up the market for me! I figured the best way to get practice was to start my own mafia! I've been using the older students and forcing them to protect the younger students. I figure out what they need, and give it to them. I've had to snog with 7 boys so far! I've set up all the girls I know with dates for the older boys. Then the younger students owe me favours in return for the protection I provide. They worship me. I use the house elves, my friends, anybody I can who'll be of any help to me. And it seems to be working, because the Slytherins have begged me to call off my business. A sixth year Slytherin boy promised to give me five hundred galleons to call it all off, but I said no! I told him my people need me! And I will not abandon them! So, anyway, tonight you found me just as I was finished speaking to one of my numerous informants. I intend to lead an uprising among the students to gain even more power," Teecie said, smiling cockily and crossing her arms.  
  
  
  
"Like I believe any of that!" Filch snarled. "You know, if Snape wasn't such a...," Filch trailed off, sneering at Teecie and narrowing his eyes before speaking again, "He'd let me use the old ways to get the truth out of you. Corporal punishment, public humiliation, those never get old. I'd hang you from the ceiling by your fingernails and put weights on your ankles. You'd be screaming, crying, begging me to let you go...Now tell me the truth!" Filch slammed his hand on the table to emphasize his speech.  
  
  
  
"All right...I'll tell you the truth," Teecie sighed, looking nervous and wringing her hands. "I'm almost failing my Transfigurations class and I remembered about a book I need to practice spells with. I was almost asleep, but got out of bed, put on my dress robes and ran off to get to the library and get that book. I know it was awfully late, and it was thoughtless of me. And I must have worried you terribly to have a student out of bed, doing who-knows-what at all hours of the night. I'm very sorry you had to get out of bed to make sure I was safe, but I am. So...I should go...get some sleep. And let you get back to sleep too," Teecie said, looking very concerned for Filch's lack of sleep.  
  
  
  
"You think you can just get off that easily? That I'd just let you go? You must be punished for being out of bed! Perhaps I'll take this to the headmaster and let him handle it," Filch snapped.  
  
  
  
"Will you? Great! Let's go right now!" Teecie replied excitedly.  
  
  
  
Filch was livid by this point. He'd never known he could loathe a person the way he hated and despised this girl. "Why would I do what you wanted you little prat? No...you will report to the medal room after breakfast. You'll polish every trophy and medal until it shines-by hand! When you're done with that, you'll scrub every square inch of floor in the Great Hall with your own toothbrush! And when you're done with that, maybe for fun, I'll let you stand outside, with a bucket of water in each hand. You'll hold them out for...a half hour, and you'd better not spill a single drop, or I'll make you try again until you don't. Yes, that's what I'll do...Now get out of here and go straight to your dormitory!" Filch was almost screaming by the time he'd finished. Teecie felt nervous as she saw the glint of pleasure in his eyes as he described what he would do with her the next day.  
  
  
  
Teecie thought about what she'd gotten herself into as she walked back up to her room. It was the first time that she'd had to really think about the choices she'd made, like starting the bodyguard business, and the reasons behind it. She only wanted to help her fellow students. Yet she'd get in trouble if she was caught. This was one hell of a punishment to face up to for the sake of her business. She hoped she was up to it. The only comforting thought, was that, hopefully, Uncle Sev wouldn't be informed of what had happened. She hated lying so much, yet it was necessary to keep from getting caught.   
  
  
  
Once back in her dormitory, Teecie went to bed and fell into a restless sleep for the rest of the night. The next morning, Teecie dressed in shorts and a tank top, knowing she'd be working up a sweat with all the scrubbing and polishing she'd be doing. After a hearty breakfast, Teecie went to the trophy room and found Filch waiting for her. "Took you long enough!" He said to her in greeting. In his hands he held a bucket of rags and silver polish. Thrusting the bucket into Teecie's arms, he said, "Here. Now get to work! I'll be back in three hours to check on you. And you'd better do a good job or I'll make you do it all over again!" With that, Filch turned on his heel and stomped out of the room, leaving Teecie alone.  
  
  
  
Teecie took a deep breath and walked over to the first case, opened it up, and started polishing the medals and trophies. She worked as thoroughly as possible, and after a while, her arms were sore. After an hour or so, she came across a medal with her father's name on it. Teecie knew he'd played Quidditch and had been a prefect while he'd attended Hogwarts. While polishing, Teecie read the names off of the medals, and wondered if she knew any of their children. James Potter, must be related to Harry; Tom Riddle, she didn't know any Riddles; Sirius Black, she'd heard of him before, he was related to Draco; Charlie Weasley, Teecie loved him, he was such a great person; Kali! Kali had her name on one of the trophies, along with the rest of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team from her second year. Professor Weasley had been Head Girl. Reni had won a medal for her achievements in Potions class. She also found medals for Uncle Sev and Draco too. So many people had made names for themselves at the school. Teecie wondered if anybody would remember her after she left.   
  
  
  
By the time Filch returned to check on Teecie's progress, she'd just finished polishing the last trophy in the third case. Filch inspected her work and pointed out a few spots she'd missed. Teecie cleaned those and when there was no more to be done, Filch grunted unhappily and led her out of the room, and over to the Great Hall. Teecie was allowed 20 minutes to eat a meal and run to the restroom, and then it was back to the trophy room.   
  
  
  
Teecie's shoulders screamed in pain with each movement of her arms. Teecie's movements slowed as the pain increased. Each medal seemed to grow larger as she held it in her hand to polish it. Her neck ached from looking down all day long. Her legs ached from standing for so long. Hours passed, and soon it was dinnertime.   
  
  
  
Filch returned and allowed Teecie another 20 minute break. Once the time was up, she returned to the trophy room to finish the last two cases of medals. Two hours later, Teecie finally finished. Putting the rags in the bucket, Teecie set the bucket outside the door of the trophy room, and left to return to her dormitory.  
  
  
  
Looking at the stairs, Teecie realized it was a long way up. Four floors was a very long trek when she was as exhausted as she was. She stumbled a few times on the way up, hitting her knees and shins on the stairs. After the third fall, Teecie was startled by a voice calling out from behind her, "Teecie, are you OK?"   
  
  
  
Turning around, Teecie saw James running up to her. "I just got done polishing every trophy in the school. I'm just tired," She explained. James walked up next to her, putting one arm around her waist and holding her tightly to his side. Teecie put an arm around his shoulders and held onto him for support. James helped her walk up the rest of the stairs, a look of extreme concern on his face the entire time.   
  
  
  
Once in the common room, James made Teecie sit down on one of the sofas while he sat behind her and rubbed her shoulders. At first, the kneading of James's fingers on her sore muscles was as painful as polishing the medals had been. Tears sprang to her eyes for a couple minutes until she was able to start relaxing and felt the muscles loosening up.   
  
  
  
Teecie's arms throbbed too much for her to lift them anymore, but she wanted to hug James for being so kind, so she turned around and kissed him instead. They broke off suddenly as the door to the common room opened and Sirius and Peter entered. "Oooh, James! Snogging with your girlfriend on the sofa! Better not let pop catch you!" Sirius teased.  
  
  
  
James blushed before thinking of something scathing to say in response. "Oh yeah? Well, at least pop never caught me doing anything embarrassing like you! Stupid wanker!"  
  
  
  
It was Sirius's turn to blush. "Hey, shut up!"  
  
  
  
"Oooh, nice comeback!" James replied, sneering.  
  
  
  
Sirius looked angry now and punched James's arm. James stood up and threw himself at Sirius, and soon the two were wrestling on the floor. Teecie looked down and watched for several seconds as the boys rolled across the floor. Growing bored with what they were doing, Teecie looked up at Peter and told him to sit down next to her. "So, are you looking forward to coming here next year?" She asked, trying to start a conversation with him.  
  
  
  
Peter cleared his throat and looked at Teecie with wide eyes before responding. "Yes, it should be fun," He said in barely more than a whisper.  
  
  
  
"What house do you want to be sorted into?"  
  
  
  
"I...I suppose Gryffindor. James and Sirius and father are already here."  
  
  
  
"Good choice! And what do you do now, when you're still at home? Do you go to school or does your mum teach you herself?"  
  
  
  
"Well, mum's busy. She's an Auror. So I go to school each day."  
  
  
  
"Do you like it? I never went to school before Hogwarts. My daddy taught us all at home."  
  
  
  
"Yes, it's lots of fun, but I have to be careful not to tell the Muggles about our world," Peter replied.  
  
  
  
At this time, James crawled away from Sirius, who was nursing a skinned knee, and back over to Teecie. "Hi," He said, looking up at her.  
  
  
  
"Hi, having fun?" Teecie asked, smiling down at him.  
  
  
  
"Not really."  
  
  
  
"I'm sorry. Look, I think I'm going to take a bath, and relax my arms, they're still killing me. But I'll come back down when I'm done, all right?" Teecie asked.  
  
  
  
James seemed disappointed that he couldn't go with her. "OK, but come back down soon!"  
  
  
  
Teecie smiled and nodded her head as she stood up from the sofa and left the room to go to the bathroom.   
  
  
  
After a nice, long, soothing bath, Teecie changed into her nightgown, dressing robe, and slippers before going back downstairs to the boys. Teecie was surprised to see Professor Lupin and Tonks sitting with them as she walked into the room. The professor smiled at Teecie when she sat down on the sofa next to James and took his hand. After several minutes of watching James and Teecie staring dreamily at each other, Remus stood up from the chair he was sitting in and moved in between them and wedged his way into the sofa. "There we go now, isn't this comfy and cozy?" He asked, putting one arm around each child.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin proceeded to tell them very boring stories about the history classes he used to go to at the school. Remus droned on and on and soon he was rewarded by the sounds of a snoring child on each side. Peter had drifted off to sleep in the chair he was sitting in, and Sirius was asleep on the floor. Remus looked over at Tonks, who was sitting on the far end of the sofa, and grinned at her. "Well, honey, all the kids are asleep," He whispered seductively. "Why don't we put them to bed, and then we can...put ourselves to bed?"  
  
  
  
Tonks smiled and laughed quietly. "Sounds good to me," She whispered.  
  
  
  
"I'll take care of the kids, you stay here," Remus said, standing up carefully, picking James up and placing him over one shoulder and walking over to Peter and putting him over the other shoulder, then walking out of the room to bring them up to James's dormitory.   
  
  
  
Several minutes later, Remus returned and picked Sirius up and carried him up to his room. Once he'd returned, Tonks asked him about Teecie. "You can't carry her up to her room, and it seems a shame to wake her up," She whispered.  
  
  
  
Looking around, Remus found a couple blankets and together with Tonks, they tucked Teecie in on the sofa. Tonks looked down at Teecie and ran her hand over her curls. "Look, honey, isn't she adorable? Kind of makes you wish we'd had another child, doesn't she? A little girl?" Looking up and seeing Remus' horrified expression, Tonks laughed softly. "Don't worry dear, I'm not looking for any more kids," She assured him, while standing up.   
  
  
  
After turning out the lights, Tonks and Remus walked arm-in-arm, out of the tower and over to his living quarters, where they enjoyed one another's company for the rest of the evening.  
  
  
  
The next day was much more pleasant for Teecie. She spent the majority of it playing in the snow with the other students. She, James, and Peter built an enormous snowman, and then built an entire family for it.   
  
  
  
After a hearty lunch, the kids went back outside again, where James stood in front of Teecie and stared as she made snow angels on the ground. He was startled out of his trance by a snowball hitting him in the back of his head. Whirling around, he ducked just in time to miss a second snowball thrown by Sirius. Within minutes, all the children were embroiled in a snowball fight. Teecie hit Peter in the chest with a snowball, and Kali flew past them on her broom, with a bucket of snow that she dumped on everybody, laughing as she did so.  
  
  
  
Teecie was hit in the side by a very large snowball, and looked up to see that Professor Lupin had joined them. He was bent over gathering up more snow to throw at his next victim when Teecie took the handful of snow in her hand, ran up behind him, jumped on his back and dumped the snow down his shirt. Remus stood up before Teecie had a chance to let go and she remained clinging to his back as he tried to see who had done that to him.   
  
  
  
Remus reached around and grabbed Teecie, who smiled up at him. Holding her in his arm, he tickled her, laughing as she squealed in his hold. Peter saw the two of them and ran over to them, tackling his father's legs and sending him toppling down into the snow. James and Sirius watched and ran over too, throwing snowballs at their fallen father and jumping on him. Remus was crawling around in the snow, gathering the white powder in his hands and tossing it at the children, laughing the entire time. Kali flew past them again and dumped another bucket of snow on Remus. She was flying low enough for him to reach out and grab her by the ankle, sending her falling off the broom and into the snow. Keeping a hold of Kali's ankle, Remus grabbed a handful of snow and tossed it in her face. Kali twisted out of his hold and stood up before jumping on him. Remus barely felt her on his back and turned around, calling out to the kids to come inside for hot chocolate before grabbing Kali's legs and giving her a piggy-back ride back into the school.   
  
  
  
Tonks was waiting for the group as they tromped into the Great Hall. Remus set Kali down next to her and began to pour hot chocolate into mugs for all of the students. Once they'd gotten theirs and had taken seats around the Gryffindor table, he poured mugs for Tonks and himself. They sat together and watched as the kids chatted together. Sirius and Kali were talking about Quidditch, Peter was talking to the Engelmann kids, and James and Teecie weren't talking at all, but were looking into each other's eyes, as though trying to memorize one another. Remus couldn't help but think they were pretty cute together. He hoped they enjoyed themselves while their feelings were new and strong before they burnt away as most first loves did. Remus only wished for the two of them to remain friends once it was all over, for he didn't know if he could deal with his son's broken heart again.   
  
  
  
Once the kids had finished their drinks, they left the hall to go out to play again or to return to their common rooms. James and Teecie walked up to their common room while holding hands. Uncle Sev was walking out of his office just as they passed by. "Hi, Uncle Sev," Teecie called out, smiling at him. She'd decided to forget about Christmas and to just move on, even though he had scared her.  
  
  
  
Professor Snape stopped and looked at the two children. "My, my, what a happy couple you are. Just make sure you behave yourselves in public," He said to them before walking away. Snape smiled briefly to himself as he walked down the stairs. She was so much like her mother in so many ways...But his thoughts turned melancholic as he thought of Adriana and how happy she was with Lucius. Sighing, Snape thought that maybe someday, he'd find the right person for himself to be happy with. But someday seemed very far away right then.   
  
  
  
That evening, James kissed Teecie goodnight before she left for her dormitory. Teecie fell asleep that night thinking about James and how her holiday had vastly improved after returning to the school. 


	29. The Boggart Incident

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe3: I'm glad you approve of the using of the paintings, it seemed like the logical thing to do. I agree that Remus is one of the best father's there are, though Lucius seems to have turned into a pretty good dad too. Adriana is getting a little better, she just needs to get the whole new grandmother thing out of her system. Sorry for the wait for this chapter, I've just been trying to get ahead with the next few chapters before I posted this one. I've started planning Teecie's third year a bit more extensively. Well, I hope you enjoy this one, it was hard to write in some places, and fun in others, so let me know what you think!  
  
The Boggart Incident  
  
James turned 13 on 18 January, and the students of Gryffindor house celebrated with gusto. Like Teecie on her last birthday, they made him stand on the table while the house sang to him at breakfast.   
  
  
  
Teecie had gotten him a copy of Fire and Flight, the first book of her favourite comic, ElfQuest, and he'd been so excited they'd spent the entire afternoon lying on their stomachs on the floor of the common room, pouring over it. Every once in a while, when they were propped up on their elbows, one of them would lean over and kiss the other.   
  
  
  
Sirius had purchased butterbeer and provisions during his last trip to Hogsmeade, and the Gryffindors had partied late into the night, until Professor Lupin arrived and shut them down.   
  
  
  
The next day, Professor Lupin announced to his class that in one week's time, they'd be encountering a boggart. He was surprised at the class' reaction. Normally when he announced this, there were cheers or nervous whispers, but this year, the Gryffindors and Slytherins had responded to this revelation with complete and utter silence, glaring at one another accusatorily.   
  
  
  
Teecie took this news as best as she could, and tried not to show the utter terror that was making her insides quake. Glancing over at Lisette, she saw her looking calmly straight ahead, as though she'd encountered hundreds of boggarts before. Teecie worried about how Lisette would react to finding out what she was most afraid of. Lisette would tease her and use it against her. Her life would be miserable. The bodyguards worked to keep her gang at bay, but they couldn't stop all the harassment that she was capable of.  
  
  
  
Teecie had been worrying about Lisette lately. She'd been acting strangely towards Draco ever since Christmas break. Lisette had begun to stay after classes to talk and help Draco clean up. It had gotten to the point where Draco had begun keeping other students behind when the class ended, Teecie assumed, to make sure Lisette could never accuse him of doing anything inappropriate to her. He'd kept students behind to talk about homework and papers and had started giving out many more detentions in order to keep the students behind as well.   
  
  
  
Draco had finally called both Teecie and Kali to Uncle Sev's office one afternoon, a week after the new term had begun. He looked worried and paced the floor as he told them that Lisette had found out that Lucius was his father. He didn't know how she'd found out, but he was looking into it. It was only a matter of time before she found out that they too, were his children. Draco and Uncle Sev warned both girls to never go anywhere alone if they could help it. He told them that he and Uncle Sev would be keeping a close eye on them, to make sure nothing happened to them. Draco had told the professors who had classes with the second year and fourth year Slytherins and Gryffindors together about this as well, but Snape had convinced him to not tell that small aspect to the girls.   
  
  
  
Teecie still didn't know why it was bad for people to know that Lucius was her father, and Draco wouldn't tell her any more than that many of the Slytherins and their families felt that Lucius had turned against them by choosing not to live as a rich man as he used to. Teecie had heard about her father having a very different life before he'd met her mother, and never tried to ask him about it because he was very temperamental about the subject. Her father was such a kind and loving man, surely what he'd been like couldn't have been so horrible that people would want to hurt her for it.   
  
  
  
After that, Teecie had begun talking to more of the paintings who supported Professor Dumbledore in her room. They promised to keep an eye out for Lisette and the rest of the Slytherins and to report anything out of the ordinary to her. Edmund Halstead, to whom Teecie referred to as "Sir Ed," was quite indignant that a girl like Lisette would be allowed to attend Hogwarts. "See, that's just another example...Dumbledore would never allow a girl like her to stay. He'd have sent her packing a long time ago!"  
  
  
  
Sir Ed reported to Bernia Hadwin's painting each night with reports from the rest of the paintings. Sometimes he had news of what Lisette was planning, and sometimes there was nothing to report and he just came to chat. He was friendly with Patty and Paige as well, and within a couple weeks, he was reporting to them in their room or in the halls.   
  
  
  
Teecie knew she had these protections set up for her and the other students, but still did not want to show her worst fear to Lisette, or anybody else for that matter. Her fears were just that, hers, and not for anybody else to know. How could Professor Lupin be so cruel as to make the students share those with one another?   
  
  
  
For the rest of the entire week, Teecie fretted over the boggart. How could she get out of it? Each night, she tossed and turned, trying to think of a way out of it. She could run away again, or pretend to be ill. Maybe she could make herself ill for real. Surely there were potions out there that wouldn't kill her but would make her feel too sick to go to class. Maybe she could go to Uncle Sev and beg him to exempt her from this exercise. Or she could write to her father to get her out of it.   
  
  
  
Teecie spent time with Stephen going over her Transfigurations homework, and she found that helped her keep her mind off of it. Stephen had finally asked Olivia Blackfell out and was excited that she'd said yes. He was having fun getting to know her and thanked Teecie for giving him the courage to ask her out.   
  
  
  
Even though the tutoring was fun, it only helped keep Teecie's mind off her problems for a small amount of time. Classes, clubs, schoolwork, all of those helped with putting the boggart out of her mind for a time, but it always came back. It got so bad that within a couple days, Teecie couldn't eat anything. Her stomach was in a constant state of upset over the idea of the boggart.  
  
  
  
On Saturday, after her Cooking Club meeting, in which Teecie had burnt two batches of peanut butter biscuits, she went to talk to Uncle Sev. After going into his office, Teecie sat down in the chair across from his desk and squirmed in her seat while trying to think of the right thing to say. "So...Professor Lupin says we'll be seeing a boggart in a few days," Teecie said, in hardly more than a whisper.  
  
  
  
Snape could see that Teecie was obviously upset over this idea. "I see. That will be good for you to learn to deal with. You never know when you might run into a boggart, and knowing how to handle one is very important," He said, trying to calm her down.  
  
  
  
Teecie's eyes grew wide and her bottom lip began to tremble. "But, but why can't he just tell us what to do so we'll know how to do it if we ever need to? We don't need to actually try it," She replied.   
  
  
  
"You need to practice before you encounter one. They really can throw you off guard otherwise," Uncle Sev tried to explain.  
  
  
  
Teecie looked at Uncle Sev as tears began to roll down her cheeks. She spoke no words but began to sob uncontrollably, breathing in in heaving gasps. Snape sat and let her cry until she was finished. "But, if I, then she'll see...and she'll...tease me!" She gasped in between sobs.  
  
  
  
"Now, Teecie, we all have to deal with being teased in this life. Is that what this is all about? You can't let the fear of being teased by somebody stop you from doing your schoolwork," Uncle Sev said, frowning over the idea of Teecie being afraid of a little joking from classmates.  
  
  
  
Teecie took all of this in without saying anything. Automatically, her hand reached up and touched the ear that Lisette had damaged. She could only imagine what kind of "teasing" Lisette would do for finding out Teecie's worst fear.  
  
  
  
"What is your worst fear?" Snape asked her, folding his arms. Teecie hadn't even thought about that before now. She knew it wouldn't matter what it was, but Lisette would still use it against her. Thinking over what her fears were, the most prominent one she could think of was her fear of heights and flying. When she told him this, Snape explained what to do. "So, when you get in front of the boggart, and see yourself falling off a broom, just think of a way to make it funny," He instructed her.  
  
  
  
Teecie thought for a moment. "I know! I could pull out an umbrella and float back to the ground just like Mary Poppins! That'll work!" Teecie felt a little better, and thanked Uncle Sev before leaving his office.  
  
  
  
As she walked to her dormitory, Teecie thought about her new strategy. It was a great plan, but it still wouldn't stop Lisette from seeing it. And that was the real problem. So, nothing really had been accomplished at all. Teecie's stomach fluttered again as she started dreading the class.  
  
  
  
That afternoon, during her tea with Professor Lupin, Teecie was once again anxious and clumsy. "So...we'll be doing boggarts next week, eh?" She asked quietly, before taking a sip of her chamomile tea.  
  
  
  
"Yes, it should be very interesting," He replied, taking a bite out of his tea biscuit.  
  
  
  
"So, we're all going to just go together? First a Gryffindor, then a Slytherin, and so on?" Teecie's hand was shaking so much she had to set her teacup down in order to not drop it on the floor.  
  
  
  
"That's how I've always done it before. There's something unifying about going through an experience like this together with a group of people," the professor replied.   
  
  
  
Teecie realized her professor was being much too simplistic about this. That had to be the worst reason to do that as a group that she'd ever heard of. But how could she tell him of the error of his thinking?   
  
  
  
"There's nothing you could ever do to unify us! Why even bother?" Teecie asked, frustration overwhelming her.  
  
  
  
"Teecie! I'm surprised at you! Usually you have a better attitude about my class. You're just nervous about seeing your greatest fear, but once you do, you'll feel much better. Sometimes it's good to face one's fears," Professor Lupin replied.  
  
  
  
"Then why don't you just do it and show us how it's done? That way we don't have to!" Teecie said, sounding angry.   
  
  
  
"I have to face my greatest fear each month, remember?" the professor replied, folding his arms.  
  
  
  
"Then you won't mind doing it once more, now, will you?" Teecie said cheekily.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin leaned forward, looking into Teecie's eyes. "Now Ticia, let's not ruin a perfectly good tea together. Why don't you just calm down? The boggart will be over soon enough, and then the class will move on to other creatures. Don't fret about it so much," He said.  
  
  
  
Teecie stood up, a look of fury on her face. Her worries about Lisette were overwhelming. It was too much pressure for her. Lisette knew about Lucius being Draco's father, it was only a matter of time until she found out that he was her father as well. When Lisette found that out, and knew Teecie's worst fear, she'd be unstoppable. Teecie's life would be a living nightmare. She began pacing the room angrily as she spoke, more to herself than to the professor. "Don't fret? Don't fret about it? How can you say that! You're not the one who has to deal with everything that will come of this! I do! I have to make this all work! Do you even know how much work that will take? It's not easy, you know."  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin wasn't really listening to what she was saying, but was growing concerned for Teecie's mental well-being. Poor kid was losing it! He didn't want to upset the students so much that they started to go crazy. "Teecie, are you all right? Why don't you drink some more tea. It's chamomile, it's very soothing, and calming," He asked, trying to get her to sit back down.  
  
  
  
"How can I calm down when she's out there? She's going to find out and then what will happen to me? I'm tired of it! I hate her!" Teecie yelled, continuing to pace the floor, stamping her foot in frustration with the last few words.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin stood up and walked over to her. Putting his arm around her shoulder, he tried to get a good look at her. She seemed to have lost her mind. He knew this school demanded a lot from its students, and occasionally it grew to be too much for some of them. "Teecie? Are you feeling all right? Let's go for a walk, OK? Do you want to go for a walk with me?" He asked, leading Teecie towards the door.   
  
  
  
Teecie took a deep breath and calmed down a bit. "I suppose so," She replied, quietly, feeling exhausted as she walked out the door with him.   
  
  
  
After several minutes, Teecie found herself being led into the hospital ward. "What are we doing here?" She asked the professor.   
  
  
  
Professor Lupin called out to Master Wilkes, who walked over to them, smiling at Teecie. "Can I talk to you alone for a moment?" Lupin asked Wilkes. Wilkes nodded and the two of them walked away, leaving Teecie standing and waiting for them to finish. While they talked, she thought about what she'd said in Lupin's office. She couldn't believe how close she'd gotten to telling him about Lisette and the bodyguard business! She'd really have to be more careful. She was just so upset over what was going to happen that she'd gotten hysterical for a moment.  
  
  
  
After a few moments, the men walked back over to Teecie. "Teecie? I'm going to go and let you talk to Master Wilkes for a while. I think it'll help your mood. I'll talk to you later, all right?" Professor Lupin said as he squeezed her shoulder and walked away from her, leaving Teecie looking up at Master Wilkes.  
  
  
  
Once Professor Lupin had left the room, Master Wilkes guided Teecie over to a bed and sat down next to her. Looking at her with knowing in his eyes, he said, "So...Lupin tells me you were upset over what some girl was going to do to you. Let me ask you, how's your ear doing? You know, the one that the earring ripped out of after you fell and got all bruised?"   
  
  
  
Teecie sighed and looked away from him. Busted. She'd known it was only a matter of time before somebody figured it out. There must be a way to tell the truth, but not the whole truth. And where to begin, and when to stop? Teecie opened her mouth and began to talk. "All right, I didn't fall. There's this girl...and she and her friends bully me sometimes. She's the one who did that to my ear and hit me that day. But it hasn't been so bad lately, but I'm scared she'll do something when she finds out what I'm afraid of when we see the boggart in a couple days. It's been upsetting me all week. I can't eat, or sleep," Teecie sighed again, and rubbed her eyes in exhaustion.  
  
  
  
Master Wilkes put his hand on Teecie's shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. "Teecie, you really shouldn't keep such things bottled up like that, it isn't healthy. Now, I respect your right to keep the identities of the girl and her friends to yourself, but you must know that there are people here who would protect you from such bullying. And please, the next time you get so upset over something, come to me. Talk about it. It really does help. And you know, that as a healer, I cannot divulge anything we talk about to anybody else.   
  
  
  
"You know, you might do better to write out your troubles, so you can talk to your professors in a calm, mature way. That way you can tell them what you need, and they might take you more seriously. Do you think you could do that? Write down what you need to have happen for the boggart, so that you could present it to Professor Lupin in a better way? He might listen to you, you know," Master Wilkes smiled kindly at Teecie while he spoke.  
  
  
  
Teecie began to feel better. She could try that. But what to say to Professor Lupin? How could she get him to understand that he had to not go through with the boggart?   
  
  
  
After she left the hospital ward, Teecie returned to her dormitory to do some homework, feeling a little better. She listened as Paige practiced her lines for the play. Teecie must have memorized Hermia's part by now. Paige went over the lines every day. Several minutes passed after Teecie opened her Potions book before she slammed it shut. "O spite!" She cried out, quoting one of the lines. When Paige stopped practicing, Teecie asked her about the boggart and if she was nervous about it. Both Paige and Patty were nervous. Not only did they have to face their greatest fears, but they had to do it in front of all the Slytherins too.   
  
  
  
Teecie was relieved to find out she wasn't the only one losing sleep over this. The girls went down and found the boys sitting on the sofa talking. Teecie sat down next to James and wrapped her fingers in his. It turned out that the boys were scared too. They talked about how to deal with it. James told them it was impossible to get his father to change his mind about the boggart. There was nothing to be done but to go through with it. They tried to come up with ways to get out of it anyway.   
  
  
  
Teecie thought to herself about what to do. She had a twinkling of an idea. Kern had told her no less than one hundred times how the Balrog from the Lord of the Rings movies was the scariest thing he'd ever seen in his entire life. He'd even had nightmares about it when he was a child. If the boggart was anything like she'd read about, it would grow to be whatever size the fear of the person was. And a Balrog would be one heck of a big creature to face. That might just clear the room...send all the students scattering throughout the school, fearing for their lives. That might buy them one class time at least.  
  
  
  
When everybody had grown silent again, Teecie spoke up, "Kern? On Monday, when we go to Defense Against the Dark Arts, would you be willing to volunteer to go first? Please?" She looked knowingly at him as she asked this.  
  
  
  
Kern looked into her eyes. "But...but," He sputtered.   
  
  
  
Teecie could almost see the monster forming in his mind. "Please? I think it might be just what we need to get out of it, if you volunteered to go first," She said slowly and carefully.  
  
  
  
Kern seemed to understand. "Oh...right. Sure, I'll go first. Good idea!"  
  
  
  
"What's a good idea?" Daniel asked.  
  
  
  
"You'll see on Monday," Teecie said, grinning.  
  
  
  
  
  
Teecie spent the rest of the evening with James. They ate a pleasant pork chop dinner together, then walked hand-in-hand around the school, chatting and laughing together. While walking, they found a dark corner of the hallway. James led Teecie into it and kissed her. Teecie put her arms around him and felt his body press against hers. James put his hands on her hips and held her close to himself. They remained like this for some time, sometimes kissing, sometimes Teecie leaning her head against his shoulder. Teecie felt safe in his embrace and wished she could stay that way forever.  
  
  
  
James looked at Teecie and wished he could get his father to not go through with the boggart lesson. He knew how much it was upsetting her, and didn't want her to have to go through that. He knew that the Slytherins would make all their lives miserable after this and she'd have to do a lot of work with her business to make sure they were all protected, and that was making her really upset and stressed out. James did what he could to help, acting as a spy whenever he could, but he wished he was strong enough to just beat up all the bullies for her, and keep Teecie safe that way. He tried very hard in his Dueling and Fencing club meetings to beat his opponent, and sometimes he did. Maybe in a couple years, he'd get bigger and would be able to win more.  
  
  
  
The pleasant evening had to come to an end, unfortunately. Together, James and Teecie walked back to their tower. They kissed before leaving for their dormitories, and spent the next day studying together. James insisted on escorting Teecie to and from her afternoon tea with Professor Longbottom. She'd told him about Lisette knowing about Draco and Lucius. She'd sworn James to secrecy, but felt safe telling him about that. James felt he was protecting her somewhat, because most likely the girls wouldn't try anything if they saw Teecie was with a boy. He made sure not to say that to her though.   
  
  
  
That evening, the second year Gryffindors ate dinner in silence, and sat at the table together long after the rest of the students had left the hall. Tomorrow they'd be going up against the boggart. Nobody else had come up with any good ideas for getting out of it, besides the one Teecie and Kern were planning. It seemed there was nothing else to do but to endure whatever the bullies would do to them afterwards.   
  
  
  
The next morning arrived all too quickly, and Teecie was too nervous to eat much breakfast. They had Charms class first, which also flew past in what felt like a couple minutes. As a group, the Gryffindors walked towards their Defense Against the Dark Arts class. They sat down as closely together as they could, while the Slytherins sat across the room, as far from them as possible. Everybody looked sober and nervous over what was to come.   
  
  
  
When Professor Lupin arrived, even he seemed somewhat quieter than normal. As class started, the professor reviewed boggarts and how to deal with them. Next he rolled out a cupboard that he explained contained a boggart that he'd caught a week ago in the library. Turning to look at the students, he said, "Are there any volunteers?" The class remained still and silent. Teecie was careful not to look over at Kern. She didn't want Professor Lupin to see her trying to prod Kern on. She breathed a sigh of relief though, as she saw him raise his hand timidly. "Kern? Wonderful! Step up here, and stand right in front of the cupboard, OK?" Professor Lupin was happy to see the first volunteer walk over to him.  
  
  
  
Under her desk, Teecie crossed her fingers. Please be life size, please be life size, she repeated silently to herself. Her stomach was fluttering with nerves as Professor Lupin walked over to the cupboard and slowly opened the door. Even though she'd seen the movies countless times, she'd never seen the balrog up close and personal before. Within a second, a life-size balrog filled the first half of the classroom. It was the most terrifying monster Teecie had ever seen. It had horns and wings, and its body was made of lava that cracked at different spots, showing the glowing red flames underneath the surface. It was so large that it had to bend over to keep from hitting against the ceiling. It roared and breathed its fiery fumes on the students while cracking its whip and brandishing its sword of flame high above their heads. The students were rooted to the spot in sheer terror until the balrog took a step towards them. With the step, the balrog covered every surface with dust and ash, causing the students to cough, and shook the floor beneath their feet.   
  
  
  
Teecie was much more frightened of it than she thought she'd be. One student, she couldn't tell who, screamed, setting off the rest of the students. In a flash, the class had stood up, screaming and began running to the door to escape the balrog. "It's gonna get me! It's gonna eat me!" Paige screamed, tears flowing down her face as she ran blindly towards the door before tripping over a desk and flying to the ground. Daniel and Robert were behind her and bent down to pick her up and help her out of the room.   
  
  
  
Patty stood looking at it in awe. "Wow, that has to be the scariest thing I've ever seen," She said to herself while slowly walking backwards towards the door.  
  
  
  
Teecie watched as Lisette shrieked in terror and jumped onto Zeren's lap, but was dropped on the floor as he stood up and backed away from his desk and turned to run out the door. Zeren knocked over two other Slytherins on his way out. Lisette scrambled up and ran towards the door.  
  
  
  
Carl was standing still with his mouth open, looking up at the balrog in wide-eyed terror. Rey was trying to get out of the maze of desks and chairs, looked up and saw Carl, ran over to him, grabbed his hand, and pulled Carl behind him, out the door. Teecie didn't see where they went afterwards.  
  
  
  
Teecie opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. She tried to remember the words to make the balrog go away. The one's from the book and the movie. "Go back to the shadow," She whispered to it while taking a few steps backwards towards the door. It didn't work. "You shall not pass!" She squeaked, but again, nothing happened. When the balrog took another step, Teecie screamed, turned and fled from the room. She did permit herself to look over her shoulder as she ran out the door. Kern was following closely behind her. She could see Professor Lupin looking somewhat overwhelmed by what he'd just seen as he watched the kids run away, helplessly.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin hadn't seen anything this big created from a student's mind before. He watched as his kids fled from his room. There'd be no getting them to come back in today. Remus dreaded what the rest of the teaching staff would say to him for losing control of the class like this. After the last student had left the room, Remus turned to the boggart, which immediately changed its shape. It only took a few seconds for him to put the boggart back into the cupboard, and lock the door. Sighing, Remus ran his fingers through his gray hair, sat down at a desk, and tried to figure out how to get the students to come back to his class.   
  
  
  
Once outside the room, students scattered everywhere. James grabbed Teecie by the hand and quickly led her down the stairs and outside to get some fresh air. Together they sat on the front steps, Teecie with her head on James's shoulder, trying to calm down. James's eyes were wide, he was still in shock as he slowly said, "I see what you meant now about letting Kern go first."  
  
  
  
They stayed out on the stairs until the class period ended, then walked into the Great Hall to eat. All the second year Gryffindors sat huddled together, talking about what had happened. Rey was sitting with them, next to Carl. "I've never been more scared in my entire life!" Robert Bones exclaimed.  
  
  
  
"Me too!" Paige said, nodding her head.   
  
  
  
Patty put her arm around Paige's shoulders. "Not me! I thought it was cool!" She said, grinning.  
  
  
  
"Hey, me too!" Daniel said, smiling. He held his hand out, and Patty reached over and gave him a high five.   
  
  
  
When the chatting had died down and the students were eating in silence, Professor Lupin walked over to them, and sat down next to James. "So, I thought we should talk about what happened," He began. "Now, I realize that...creature, was very large and frightening, but it was still something that could have been dealt with. This is exactly why you kids need to learn to control boggarts. You never know when you might run into one of them, and you sure don't want to be facing that again, now, do you? So, why don't we go back to class on Wednesday, prepared to face our fears, and stay facing them, until you conquer the boggart? All right?"  
  
  
  
The students looked at one another in silence. They all knew what would happen if the Slytherins saw their fears. Suddenly, the one person who feared Professor Lupin more than anything else in the world, decided to face her fear earlier than she had to. "Professor?" Paige whispered, her mouth dry and feeling like it was full of cotton.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin looked shocked as he turned to look at Paige. He knew how afraid she was of him. "Yes Paige?" He asked, not wanting to sound too eager over this opportunity to speak with her.  
  
  
  
"I...I...well...," Paige stammered, her lips quivering and her entire body shaking as she looked at the professor. "I was wondering if we might...," Her voice trailed off.  
  
  
  
"Might what?"  
  
  
  
"Maybe we could...do the class with just the Gryffindors and just the Slytherins," She whispered. "One of us could go the first hour, the other the second hour."  
  
  
  
"Why do you want to do it that way?" Lupin asked, leaning forward.  
  
  
  
"Well...why...why should we see what they're afraid of? It's really embarrassing to have to show others what you're afraid of, why do we all have to do that?" Paige asked, her face completely drained of all colour.   
  
  
  
Professor Lupin remembered how upset Teecie had been on Saturday. He'd spoken to Master Wilkes later that day and had been assured that she was not in fact insane, but only horribly stressed over the prospect of the boggart. Looking around at the students, he asked, "Do you all feel this way? Daniel, how about you?"  
  
  
  
Daniel fidgeted with his fork, playing with his food. "Well...it would be nice to do it without the Slytherins watching..." He said quietly.  
  
  
  
"Patty, how do you feel?" Professor Lupin asked.  
  
  
  
Patty didn't want to show her fear to anybody, let alone the Slytherins. Trying to sound nonchalant, she replied, "I hope I get to see what all of the Slytherins are afraid of, so I can tease them forever!"  
  
  
  
"Well, there should be no teasing of anybody," the professor replied, disapprovingly.   
  
  
  
Teecie had listened to all of this with trembling hands and lips. This was their only chance. There would be no way to get out of it, but if they could do it away from Lisette and her followers, it would be all right. Finally unable to hold herself back any longer, Teecie began to speak. "But professor, that won't stop them from doing it to us! All we want is to do it in the privacy of our own group. Please?" Teecie's voice broke and tears spilled down her face before James reached over and drew her into his embrace. As he held Teecie, James shot an angry glare over at his father.  
  
  
  
Remus knew he'd been beaten. And when he thought about it, it really wasn't that big of a deal. All the students would have their turn, and he'd be overseeing it, they'd just be doing it separately. Looking at his son's angry expression as he tried to comfort his distressed girlfriend, Remus realized he couldn't take that hate from James for the rest of the year if he didn't let them do this. Sighing, Remus nodded his head. "All right...I'll split the class up. The Slytherins will go first, while you work on your papers in the library, then after the first hour, you'll switch places and take your turns in front of the boggart. I'll go tell them about this now," Professor Lupin said, standing up to leave.  
  
  
  
Once the professor left, the students breathed a sigh of relief. They were safe from the ridicule and danger of the Slytherins. The rest of the day passed pleasantly after that. Life seemed to be much more livable. Teecie felt so relieved she was finally able to eat dinner that evening.   
  
  
  
As she ate her plate of roast beef and roasted potatoes, Snowflake, her owl arrived with a letter for her. It was from her mother, telling her about what was going on back at the property. Reni was tired all the time, but Adriana had volunteered to look after Hunter to let her get some sleep. Hunter was adorable. Hunter was also, it seemed, a genius. Even though he was only a couple weeks old, Adriana could already tell he'd be the smartest boy she ever knew.   
  
  
  
Lucius had been in bed for the past few days with some type of fever. Adriana thought it was the flu, and had made him drink lots of water and juice until he'd felt better. Teecie thought of her father being sick and felt upset that she couldn't have been there to tend to him. She hated to hear about her father being sick or in pain, it scared her.  
  
  
  
Teecie thought about her father quite a bit during the next day. She missed him and wished she could see him soon. Teecie thought about the end of the school year in June, and realized that was a long way off before she'd see him again.  
  
  
  
Tuesday passed with relative ease, and the students were prepared for the next day's task. They spent the first hour in the library working on papers about boggarts before walking as a group to the classroom.   
  
  
  
After waiting outside for a few minutes, the door opened, and the Gryffindors watched as the Slytherins walked out of the room. They were all somewhat subdued, having been through a scary situation. Lisette made eye contact with Teecie for a few seconds before walking up to her. "Well, it's too bad I won't get to see what you're afraid of! It wasn't so bad, the boggart. I'm not afraid of anything!" Lisette said before knocking her shoulder against Teecie's while walking away.  
  
  
  
Rey walked over to Teecie as soon as Lisette was out of earshot. "That's not true, she's afraid of butterflies!" He whispered, smiling evilly. Teecie giggled, who'd be afraid of butterflies? "Good luck," Rey whispered as Teecie and the rest of the class walked into Professor Lupin's room.  
  
  
  
Once in their seats, the professor told the students that they'd be lined up to go before the boggart, until it got so confused it was destroyed. Teecie ended up in the middle of the line, with James in front of her, and Paige behind her.   
  
  
  
When everybody was ready, Professor Lupin opened the cupboard door, and watched the boggart come up the first student: Daniel. Daniel stood before the boggart, which had taken the shape of a very large frog. Daniel was sweating as he waved his wand and cried, "Riddikulus!" The frog was suddenly impaled on a stick and rotating over a fire.   
  
  
  
Professor Lupin looked oddly at the spinning frog before calling out for the next person to come forward as Daniel stepped to the end of the line. Carl was next. The boggart changed into a frightening looking mummy, although not an ordinary looking mummy, but what a mummy must look like under its wrappings. Carl's hand shook as he waved his wand. "Riddikulus!" He cried and the class watched as the mummy was suddenly made over with a trendy new outfit and make up.  
  
  
  
James was next. The boggart turned into a great big snake with hideously long fangs. James's lips were white, "Riddikulus!" he said as the snake tied itself into a bow.  
  
  
  
Teecie went up to the boggart, ready to see herself falling off a broom, and prepared to turn herself into Mary Poppins, but what she saw was not that at all. Teecie stood motionless, as though entranced by the sight before her. Her father was standing before her. At first he seemed fine, but a couple seconds later, he was bent over and writhing in pain, crying out to her to help him. "Daddy!" Teecie screamed before launching herself towards him.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin grabbed hold of Teecie just in time to keep her from touching the boggart. "Teecie, no! We don't know what happens if you touch it, it could be dangerous," He said. In the time it took Lupin to say that, the figure of Lucius had fallen to the ground and was now motionless, not even breathing.  
  
  
  
"Daddy!" Teecie screamed again, struggling against the professor to get to her father.   
  
  
  
Professor Lupin held Teecie by the arm tightly, gently shaking her out of her panic. "Teecie, this is what the boggart wants, it's winning. You have to think of something to make what you see funny," He said firmly.  
  
  
  
How could she make her father dying into something funny? Or even pleasant? He looked as though he was asleep. Slowly, Teecie raised the wand in her left hand. "Riddikulus," She croaked.   
  
  
  
Suddenly her father woke up, stood up before her, smiled and said, "It was just a joke, baby! I'm alive! I'm fine!" Teecie frowned as she stepped out of line to walk to the back. She couldn't stop thinking that this was a sign, that her father really needed her to be with him. She needed to go home.   
  
  
  
Looking up, Teecie watched as Paige encountered the boggart, which turned into Professor Lupin, with a mouthful of razor sharp teeth, and wild hair all over his body. Blood dripped from his teeth as he howled loudly. Teecie saw that the real Professor Lupin had his hand over his mouth and his head bent down in a sad manner. "Riddikulus!" Paige said quietly. The werewolf professor turned into a wiggly, adorable puppy.  
  
  
  
Patty was next, the boggart turned into an image of herself...only, more like a girl. Her hair was tied in pigtails and she wore a pink ankle-length dress. The class laughed as Patty cried, "Riddikulus!" Her image turned into the normal Patty, scowled at all the students laughing at her, and shouted, "Hey, shut up!"  
  
  
  
Robert saw a tiger about to pounce on him before turning it into a tame cat lying on its back, waiting to have its stomach patted.  
  
  
  
Last up was Kern, who saw the balrog once again. He faltered for a few seconds before casting his spell. The balrog suddenly had pink bows on its horns, and was wearing a pink tutu. It did a pirouette while the entire class laughed.  
  
  
  
The boggart started turning into several random monsters: a vampire, a slimy creature that reached out to them, and a hermit crab just to name a few. "All right, it's almost finished! One more should do it! Who wants to go again?"  
  
  
  
Daniel stepped forward and the boggart turned into a frog. "Riddikulus!" He cried, and the frog was once again on the spit for a couple seconds before bursting into a million pieces, and leaving only air behind.  
  
  
  
Once the students had calmed down from having successfully beaten the boggart, they sat down in their chairs to talk to the professor about it. "So, what did you all learn today?" He asked them.  
  
  
  
Patty called out without raising her hand, "That you'd better poke holes in a frog before roasting it or it might blow up!" The entire class was overcome with laughter, Lupin included.  
  
  
  
Most of the students were excited over their experience. Paige and Teecie, however, were much quieter than the other kids. When the class ended, they walked out together, talking quietly. "I didn't want to show him that. I didn't want to hurt him. I hope he's not too upset," Paige said, sniffling at the thought of hurting Professor Lupin's feelings.  
  
  
  
"I'm sure he's not upset. But maybe you could go talk to him sometime," Teecie replied encouragingly. She was thinking about seeing her father lying dead in front of her. She needed to write to him as soon as possible, to make sure he was all right.   
  
  
  
As Teecie walked into the Great Hall for lunch, she thought of how good it was that Lisette hadn't seen Lucius. She wasn't supposed to know about him. Teecie could only imagine what would have happened if Lisette had seen him. Breathing a sigh of relief over that, Teecie sat down next to James, and enjoyed her meal. 


	30. Teecie the Teenager

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Bluedress16: I'm glad you liked the Balrog, it was lots of fun to write! Unfortunately, Lisette is going to get much worse before she's stopped. Teecie's fun, innocent world is going to be changing soon. That's all I can say right now, so you'll have to keep reading to find out what happens!  
  
Arsinoe3: I'm so happy people liked the Balrog! It just made sense to me that people's worst fears would be these huge things, or psychological things like some of the kids had. I did have a few smaller ones to keep in with the spirit of JK too though. And as for intolerable cruelty, let's just say it's not going to get better any time soon. Keep reading to find out what happens next!  
  
Teecie the Teenager  
  
Lucius Malfoy had been inundated with letters from his daughter Teecie for the past several weeks. He received no less than two a day, many times, three. She was always asking how he felt, how he was doing. It was exhausting to keep telling her he was fine and in perfect health over and over again, especially when she didn't seem to believe him.   
  
  
  
Teecie's 13th birthday was in a week, and Lucius had been planning on how the two of them would celebrate. It was a tradition for him to take each of his girls on their 13th birthday, on a special trip for a day for just the two of them. Reni had chosen to go to Paris. They'd gone to the Eiffel tower, and had seen all the other famous sights of the city. He'd taken Kali to Dublin for the Wimbourne Wasps vs. Kemare Kestrals match the year she'd turned 13. Luckily the Wasps, both Kali's and Lucius's favourite local team, were victorious over the Kestrals.   
  
  
  
Lucius thought it might be fun to take Teecie somewhere closer to the school, since she didn't do too well flooing anywhere for too long. After much research, he'd decided on Edinburgh. He'd take her to see the castle, and there was a very interesting restaurant he'd read about that he thought she'd enjoy. Then there would be plenty of time for shopping afterwards.   
  
  
  
Lucius had found a jewelry shop to take Teecie to so he could buy her something with her birthstone in it. That was also a tradition. He'd gotten Reni a pair of silver earrings with garnets in them, and Kali had chosen a lovely gold ring with a heart-shaped peridot on it.   
  
  
  
Lucius discussed his plans with Adriana. She thought it was an excellent idea. They'd keep it as a surprise until the morning he came for her. Adriana thought it would be fun to come up in the evening. She could go to dinner with Teecie and stay for the school play afterwards, so both of them could have some alone time with her. Teecie had told her countless times about her friend Paige being the lead, so she felt it was important to see it with her. Lucius didn't want to be in a crowd with that many people who might have issues with his being there, so he planned to go back home to Reni and Hunter after his day with Teecie.  
  
  
  
A couple days before Valentine's Day, which was Teecie's birthday, Adriana wrote to Severus, telling him about their plans for surprising Teecie. She asked if it was all right for Lucius to floo up to his office while he called Teecie to it.   
  
  
  
Snape wrote back to Adriana to tell her that it was fine with him. He'd been subjected to Teecie visiting him almost every day after classes, pestering him about her father, and was ready for a break. It might be good for her to spend some time with Lucius, it might help get her over her worries. He made sure not to tell her anything before hand, secretly enjoying the idea of seeing the look on her face when he called her to his office.   
  
  
  
Teecie awoke on her birthday to see flowers at the foot of her bed. Looking at the card attached, she saw that they were from James. He'd sent her 13 red roses wreathed in baby's breath. He also sent her a bag of candy kisses. Paige saw the gifts when she woke up, and ran over to Teecie's bed. "Oooh, that's so romantic!" She squealed. "He's so thoughtful!"  
  
  
  
Teecie grinned. "Yes he is! And he's mine!" Teecie had forgiven Paige for her role in getting her and James together, but she always had to keep her eye on other girls who might want to steal James from her.  
  
  
  
There a couple more presents. Uncle Sev had gotten her a solid gold, engraved cauldron. It was shiny and beautiful. Draco had given her a set of beautiful fancy dress robes. They were far too elaborate for ordinary school functions. They were decadent, made of navy blue silk. Teecie thought she'd look like a princess in them. Teecie was upset to see no presents from her parents. Biting her lip, she hoped they'd arrive at breakfast.   
  
  
  
Once Teecie was dressed for the day, she left her room and went down to the common room. It was still early, but James was waiting on one of the sofas for her. "Happy birthday!" He called out to her, smiling.   
  
  
  
Teecie walked over to the sofa, sat down next to him, and hugged him. "Thank you for the presents," She said, kissing him. The two kissed for several minutes, until other students started trickling into the room. It was the longest those two had kissed before, and both were light-headed when they broke apart.  
  
  
  
The two held hands while they walked to the Great Hall for breakfast. Teecie stood on the table while the whole of Gryffindor house sang "Happy Birthday" to her. Once they were done, she sat down to eat a wonderful French toast and sausage breakfast. While eating, Teecie continued to feel upset. There had been no gifts or word from her parents. They had sent her presents first thing in the morning last year. Maybe they'd forgotten, what with Hunter and all. Perhaps they'd send something by the end of the day.  
  
  
  
Teecie and the twins walked together to their first class of the day: Charms. Paige was very nervous, because she'd be starring in the play that evening. She was sure she'd forget her lines, or be complete rubbish up on the stage. Patty and Teecie assured her that she'd be fine.   
  
  
  
Teecie was sitting quietly in her seat, taking notes, when the door opened. She turned and saw that a girl was walking towards the front of the room with a note in her hand. Professor Boot read the note, then quietly called for Teecie to come over to her. Teecie felt slightly nervous as she walked up to the professors' desk.  
  
  
  
When Teecie arrived at the desk, Professor Boot smiled at her and said in a quiet voice, "Miss Orendes, Professor Snape wants to see you in his office right away. You can pack your book bag, then go with the Miss Johansson," the professor pointed to the girl who'd given her the note, "to the office. She knows the password and can let you in."  
  
  
  
Teecie nodded silently and slowly returned to her desk and packed her bag. Her stomach fluttered with nerves as she wondered what Uncle Sev wanted to see her about. Hopefully nothing was wrong at home.   
  
  
  
Teecie's concern grew as she followed the girl to Uncle Sev's office. Once they arrived, the girl used the password and opened the door, and let Teecie go up the stairs by herself. Teecie's heart was pounding as she approached the door and knocked. "Enter" Uncle Sev called out.  
  
  
  
Teecie opened the door and walked into the room. "Uncle Sev? Professor Boot said you wanted to see me. Why? What is it? Is something wrong? I-" Teecie was looking concerned as she scanned the room and saw a familiar face looking up at her from a chair by the fire. "Daddy? Daddy!" Teecie screamed while running over to Lucius and wrapping her arms around him. "Oh daddy, I've missed you so, so much! What are you doing here?" She asked, looking at her father.  
  
  
  
"It's your birthday, I had to come see my baby!" Lucius replied, kissing his daughter's cheek. "I hoped we could go to Edinburgh for the day."  
  
  
  
"You mean I get to miss my classes?"  
  
  
"Yes"  
  
  
  
"Really? All right!" Teecie jumped up and down excitedly. "Can we go now?"  
  
  
  
"Sure can, why don't you go drop your bag off and change your clothes, then come back here."  
  
  
  
"OK, don't leave without me!" Teecie cried while she ran out the door and made her way up all the stairs to her dormitory.  
  
  
  
Once in her room, Teecie tossed her book bag on the bed, and quickly changed into her favourite black skirt and a striped red and blue knit jumper. After putting on her jacket, hat, mittens, and gloves, Teecie left the room to go back to Uncle Sev's office.  
  
  
  
Once back in the office, Lucius held out a vial of dark liquid for Teecie to drink. "We have to floo there, so you'd better drink this now. It'll help settle your stomach. I heard about what happened the day you came back here. I have another one for the way back," Lucius told her. Teecie took the vial and drank the gingery liquid as her father stepped into the fireplace, grabbed a handful of floo powder, and called out the name of the pub they'd be flooing to. After he was safely gone, Teecie took her spot in the fireplace, took a handful of the powder, and followed her father.  
  
  
  
It took several seconds to arrive, and she was prevented from falling on her face when Lucius caught her by the waist as she was spat out of the fireplace. "How do you feel?" He asked her, setting her straight on her feet.   
  
  
  
Taking a deep breath, Teecie said, "OK, I think," as she wobbled around for a few steps before regaining her strength. Luckily she didn't feel dizzy at all, which meant that her breakfast would stay safely inside her.  
  
  
  
"Good," Lucius replied, smiling. Taking Teecie's hand, he led her outside the pub and onto the street. They were now in the Muggle part of Edinburgh, and both felt more comfortable there. "So, I thought we could go for a tour of the castle. Does that sound like fun?"  
  
  
  
Teecie smiled. "Oh yes, it sure does!" She exclaimed. They were close by, so there wasn't more than a ten minute walk to the outskirts of the castle. Lucius bought tickets for both of them, and together they walked inside to explore.  
  
  
  
There was much to look at in the castle. There was beautiful architecture, and it resembled a somewhat plainer, non-magical Hogwarts. Teecie loved the gorgeous views of the city that could be seen from the castle. Edinburgh was such a beautiful city, that Teecie thought it might be fun to live there when she grew up.   
  
  
  
This castle had a Great Hall as well. It was filled with rows of armour, only these ones didn't talk or sing Christmas carols. But they were well polished and quite impressive, especially when Lucius and Teecie thought that people had once really worn them, possibly into battle, or at least while on duty guarding the castle.  
  
  
  
They walked to the Royal Apartments, where several rooms were preserved in the state in which they'd been lived. One of the rooms had been where Mary, Queen of the Scots, had given birth to her son, James, who became King of both Scotland and England. Teecie wondered what it would be like to be a queen, ruling all the people in the land. It must have been lots of fun.  
  
  
  
They saw St. Margaret's Chapel, which had been built by the Normans over 900 years ago. It was one of the oldest chapels in all of Britain. Teecie imagined what it would have been like to have gone to church there every Sunday. Her mother had told her enough about Catholic rituals to have an idea of what the ceremonies would be like. She wondered what it would have been like to sit for hours, listening to words spoken in Latin and not understanding. How could somebody's soul be saved if they couldn't understand what was being said? That had never made sense to her.  
  
  
  
In the Esplanade, or the open middle area of the castle, there was a well in one corner, called the Witches Well. Many people had been killed in that spot during witch hunts in the past centuries. Teecie thought of her mother and half-sister Eleanor. Would she have allowed Adriana to be burned at the stake? Her own mum? What a scary time it must have been to be a witch, she thought to herself. Teecie grabbed her father's hand, and leaned her head against his stomach for comfort. Lucius looked down at her and ran his fingers over her curls. He'd been thinking about the same thing as well, and was horrified at what Muggles were capable of doing out of fear. As he thought of the masses of Muggles who'd tortured and killed countless magical folk over the years, he realized that there were some good reasons to hate Muggles and their ways, and to protect the Wizarding world from them.   
  
  
  
Lucius and Teecie explored the castle for several hours, and just as they were leaving, a loud sound startled both of them. The One O'clock Gun had just sounded. Apparently it went off every day except Sundays.   
  
  
  
Once back on the street, the two decided it was time for lunch and headed to a nearby restaurant that Lucius had researched, and thought that Teecie might enjoy. The Witchery By the Castle was at the foot of the castle, on Castlehill. Teecie was amazed as she walked in the door. Dark oak wood walls, ornately carved, covered in intricately designed tapestries, filled her view. It was the most decadent place Teecie had ever been to before. She looked around in complete silence, her eyes wide in amazement. As they followed the Maitre 'D into the dining room, Teecie saw that the tables were covered with white linen cloths, and each one had a lovely golden candleholder on it. There was real silverware, and crystal glasses at each setting.   
  
  
  
The Maitre 'D helped Teecie into a seat, and gently pushed her up to the table while Lucius sat himself. The two poured over the menu, Teecie occasionally asking her father what something was. Lucius had to convince Teecie that she wouldn't like the Steak Tartare, he promised her she'd hate it, and when he finally told her what it was, she wrinkled her nose and continued on to look through the menu.  
  
  
  
Teecie had never seen such fancy food before. She could barely understand what most of it was, because they were all described with words she'd never heard of before. What the heck was a Bearnaise sauce? And what was a Poilet Noir? In the end, she chose the Highland venison poached in red wine and juniper berries. Lucius ordered the Monkfish in Parma Ham "En Papillote".  
  
  
  
Teecie and Lucius sat and talked while their food was being prepared. As it was after the main lunch time, the restaurant wasn't very crowded. There was plenty to look at. Teecie looked up after a while, and saw that the ceiling had been painted. After pointing this out to her father, they both enjoyed looking up at it. For a moment, Teecie was reminded of the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall at Hogwarts, but in the end, was more impressed with the painted ceiling, because it meant that a person had actually gotten up there and done the work himself.  
  
  
  
After Teecie had looked around and seen all there was to see, the food arrived. Teecie's venison tasted like the most succulent, tender beef she'd ever had in her life. It really seemed as though it might melt in her mouth. The venison came with crispy roasted potatoes and sauteed spinach with garlic. It was a meal Teecie would remember for the rest of her life.   
  
  
  
Lucius's monkfish was wrapped in thin slices of salty ham. It came with potato gnocchi and the sauteed spinach as well. They ended up sharing all the food, because it was too delicious not to try everything.   
  
  
  
Lucius was equally impressed with the food and the ambiance. There had been oysters on the menu, as well as an extensive wine list, since it was a hotel, people could stay there overnight. He decided he'd have to take Adriana here for a holiday sometime.   
  
  
  
As Lucius ate, he looked at Teecie, the last of his children with Adriana. She was growing up so fast, it made him feel sad to know that she was no longer the adorable little baby who'd depended on him for everything in her life. Teecie was already interested in boys, she even had a boyfriend. Soon she would be running to him for comfort, and leaving Lucius behind. It seemed like it was only yesterday that she'd been the cute two year old who'd followed him around everywhere, and tried to do everything he'd done until finally he let her help him.   
  
  
  
Lucius thought about moments in Teecie's life that he'd never forget. He remembered the first time he'd let her help him make dinner when she was three. She'd been pestering him while he was trying to cook, so he'd given her some bread dough and a miniature loaf pan to play with at the kitchen table, while he'd prepared the meal. Every few minutes he'd looked over his shoulder and watched as she kneaded the dough by smacking it with her little hands before putting it in the loaf pan. He'd helped her put it in the oven while she watched him finish cooking. Once the bread had finished baking, they took it out of the oven, tore it into pieces, and shared it at the dinner table with Reni and Kali. Everybody had enjoyed it and Teecie had been beside herself with excitement over it.   
  
  
  
He remembered reading her The Little Mermaid every night before carrying her off to bed when she was younger. Teecie would snuggle against his stomach while sitting on his lap, and suck her thumb while he read. She never made it the entire way through the book before falling asleep.  
  
  
  
Lucius thought of all the times Teecie and Kali had played together while he'd given Reni her schooling lessons. They'd loved to build forts out of the card table, chairs, and blankets. They'd play in a fort for days, with their dolls, or books. He'd tried to get them to take it apart each night, but they'd just rebuild it the next day, until finally, he'd allowed them to keep it up on the days that Adriana was at Hogwarts, teaching. He could still hear their giggles as they played under those blankets.  
  
  
  
Lucius smiled and tried not to laugh as he remembered the time when Teecie had been five years old and had run into the house from the barn, crying and terribly upset that one of the sheep was attacking one of the ewes. Lucius wasn't sure what she'd meant by "attacking", and had followed her back to the barn, to make sure everything was all right. The sheep turned out to be mating, and Lucius realized that it was time for his precious child to have a rudimentary education in the birds and the bees. He'd lead her from the barn and gently explained to her that the sheep weren't hurting each other, they were making babies. He'd told her that's how animals have baby animals. Teecie had looked thoughtfully up at him for a minute before saying, "Oh, I see! Is that what you and mummy do to have babies? Kali says you jump on the bed, but maybe you just jump on mummy!" Lucius had turned beet red and led Teecie more quickly into he house where he'd given her a snack and sent her to her room to play. Adriana had come home that evening, and he'd let her talk to Teecie.   
  
  
  
Lucius wished there was a way to freeze time, and keep all of his children young and happy. It had been the greatest pleasure of his life to be able to have cared for his children. Then he thought of going back to the property that evening where Reni would most likely hand Hunter over to him, and lock herself in her room, and it made him rethink that entire idea. Maybe being a grandfather was the greatest pleasure that life had to offer.  
  
  
  
Once they'd finished their meal, they looked through the pudding menu to decide what to eat next. There were lots of wonderful sounding items, so they chose to share a sampler plate with several different things on it. Teecie loved the bittersweet chocolate torte while Lucius ate the plum tart tatin with relish. They tried everything and soon the plates were empty.  
  
  
  
When the meal had ended, and Lucius had paid for it, Teecie took his hand and together they left the restaurant. They decided to do some shopping to work off the meal they had just eaten. Lucius bought Teecie several books and some new clothes and shoes.   
  
  
  
Lucius and Teecie slowly made their way over to the jewelry shop that Lucius had researched. Once there, they looked around. Teecie was speechless over the beauty of the pieces of jewelry in the shop. She saw the most beautiful necklace that she'd ever laid eyes on before. A golden Celtic knot in a circle, with a jewel in the centre, on a delicate gold chain. Lucius had been looking at cufflinks when he noticed that Teecie hadn't moved from the spot she'd been standing in for about ten minutes, and went over to investigate. Silently, Teecie pointed to the necklace, while Lucius smiled at her. The store attendant approached them and asked if there was anything they were interested in. "Yes, I would like this necklace," Lucius said, pointing to the one Teecie was looking at, "But it needs to have an amethyst in the centre, can you do that for me?"  
  
  
  
The attendant looked at the necklace for a few seconds, then excused herself to look in the back of the store. Several minutes later, she emerged with a small white box in her hands. "Would you like to try this on?" She asked Teecie, who merely nodded.   
  
  
  
After the attendant put the necklace on her, Teecie walked over to a mirror and looked at herself. It was absolutely breathtaking. Lucius walked over to her and looked in the mirror as well. "What do you think?" He asked quietly.  
  
  
  
"I look like a princess!" Teecie whispered breathlessly.  
  
  
  
Lucius patted her head, turned to the attendant and said, "We'll take it!"  
  
  
  
"Really?" Teecie asked, squealing in excitement.  
  
  
  
"Yes, really," Her father replied, hugging her.  
  
  
  
Teecie thanked him a dozen times during the rest of their shopping. After a couple more hours, they walked back to the wizard pub to floo back to the school. Teecie was sad to see her perfect day end, but was happy to have had such a wonderful time with her father. She would never forget this day for as long as she lived. Lucius gave Teecie the vial of motion sickness potion in his pocket, and had her floo back first. Once she was safely ahead of him, he took his turn, and soon found himself back in Snape's office, where Adriana was waiting for them.  
  
  
  
Teecie was already telling her mother about their trip when Lucius arrived. Adriana caught him when he was shot out of the fireplace, put her arms around him, and gave him a kiss in greeting. Teecie watched them with a grin on her face, and didn't notice Uncle Sev quietly arranging papers on his desk, and looking away from them.  
  
  
  
After several seconds, Adriana pulled away from Lucius. "So, I hear you two had a great day! And Teecie showed me the necklace you bought her. I am impressed!" Adriana said, smiling.  
  
  
  
Snape had stood up during this time and tried to get Adriana's attention. "Excuse me, Adriana? If you're done with this love fest, they'll be serving dinner soon, so we should go now," He said, frowning.  
  
  
  
"OK, just give me a minute," Adriana replied. She stood on her toes and kissed Lucius for a while before breaking away and walking over to Severus.  
  
  
  
Teecie ran over to Lucius, put her arms around his waist. "Thank you daddy! This was the very best day of my entire life!"  
  
  
  
Lucius returned the hug. "I'm glad you had fun. I had a great day too. Now you be good, and as soon as you know it, you'll be back home for the summer!" He said to her before stepping into the fireplace and flooing back to the property.  
  
  
  
Teecie walked in between Uncle Sev and her mother, holding one of each of their hands and telling them all about her day. Snape could never get over how Teecie could talk a mile a minute and not get winded. He could feel a slight headache growing as Teecie chattered. He had to shut her up. "Teecie, didn't anybody ever tell you that children should be seen and not heard?" He interrupted her.  
  
  
  
"Severus! That was rude! She's only excited about her birthday," Adriana said, disapprovingly.  
  
  
  
"That's OK mum, Uncle Sev always thinks I talk too much," Teecie said sullenly, looking up at him. Snape sighed and rolled his eyes. "So anyway..." Teecie started her chattering up again, talking to Adriana about the day. Why do I even bother? Snape thought to himself.   
  
  
  
The group arrived at the Great Hall a couple minutes later. Teecie and Adriana walked to the Gryffindor table, while Snape continued walking until he reached the professor's table. Teecie hugged and kissed James, who blushed when he saw Adriana looking at them.   
  
  
  
While they all ate, Teecie told Patty and the rest of her classmates about her day. Paige hadn't come down to the Great Hall. She was too nervous to eat, and was preparing for the play in a couple hours.   
  
  
  
A few of the boys found Adriana quite attractive, and tried to show off for her. Ashford showed her how he could juggle a goblet, an orange, and a spoon. Adriana applauded him when he'd finished. Daniel told her all about his Quidditch moves. He talked at great length about what a good player he was, and how he'd be the best there ever was when he made the Gryffindor team. He even flexed his muscles for her to show what good shape he was in.   
  
  
  
From down on the other end of the table, Sirius had gotten up and walked over to them. After pushing James out of the way, he'd sat down near Adriana and tried to talk to her. "So, what brings you here? You know, I'm the fencing champion of the school. I've beaten every opponent I've ever faced. Teecie's getting better at fencing though. I give her some pointers whenever I can, but she's doing pretty good since she switched hands. I could show you how to fence sometime, if you want to. You could come up to the school and I could give you private lessons," Sirius was babbling away, staring at Adriana, while down at the other end of the table, Pamela Weasley was glaring at him.  
  
  
  
"Well, I don't know that I have the time for fencing lessons. Why don't you just work with Teecie instead?" Adriana replied, smiling politely at Sirius, ending their conversation.   
  
  
  
Pamela had gotten up from where she'd been sitting and walked over to Sirius, tapped him on the shoulder, and frowned when he looked up at her. "Oh, hi! Pamela, this is Adriana, Teecie's mum. Adriana, this is Pamela," Sirius said, introducing them.  
  
  
  
"I'm his girlfriend," Pamela said, glaring back and forth at Adriana and Sirius. "It's time to go back to your seat," She said, while grabbing Sirius's arm and yanking him backwards.  
  
  
  
Adriana smiled and went back to her meal and was uninterrupted after that. When the meal was over, she and Teecie walked up to Gryffindor tower and into Teecie's dormitory. There were presents from her parents on Teecie's bed. Teecie sat on her bed and opened them while Adriana smiled and watched.  
  
  
  
Teecie's parents had gotten her more clothes, several more of the Amaris Bradford books, and a few cookbooks. Lucius had already given her her main gift of the necklace, but Adriana had wanted to give Teecie something special for her 13th birthday too. She had already given things from her childhood to Reni and Kali, and didn't have much left. But there was still one small item she'd held onto. Something she'd loved and that had brought her great comfort in her youth.   
  
  
  
Adriana bit her lip as Teecie opened the small box containing her gift. Teecie lifted the lid and took out the small item. It was a cross shape with a man on it. She frowned in confusion and looked up at her mother to explain what it was. "That's called a Crucifix. It goes on a chain that you wear as a necklace. You remember what I told you about when I was Catholic, before...Well this is what that was all about. That man is Jesus, and he's on the Cross. You know the story, I've told you before. I used to wear this under my robes while I went to school here. I never wore it outside the robe, because many of the witches and wizards disapproved of Muggles and their religion, but I always thought of them as connected. It's all I have left from that time in my life. I hope you'll take good care of it, and whenever you look at it, you'll remember that I love you very much, and always will," Adriana's voice wavered as she spoke.  
  
  
  
Teecie ran her small fingers over the metal crucifix. Her mother was giving her the last memento from her childhood. That had to be a difficult sacrifice for her. Teecie's eyes filled with tears and she stood up and hugged her mother tightly, laying her head on her shoulder. "Thank you mum," She whispered before kissing her cheek.  
  
  
  
Teecie and Adriana remained embraced for a minute before Patty came into the room. Teecie showed her everything she'd gotten that day. Patty couldn't understand why Teecie needed so much clothing.   
  
  
  
They were talking together when Sir Ed arrived in Bernia's painting for his daily report. Teecie's eyes grew wide and Patty ran over to deal with him. If Adriana found out what they were doing...That couldn't happen, so Patty sent Sir Ed off, telling him to return tomorrow.  
  
  
  
The play would be starting in less than an hour, so the three people left the dormitory and walked down to the Great Hall, which had been transformed into a theatre. The stage area where the professors ate, now had a huge red curtain across it, and there were chairs filling the entire floor, with an empty space down the middle to create an aisle.   
  
  
  
Teecie and Adriana sat next to James, who was soon joined by Tonks, Professor Lupin, and Peter Lupin. Remus had invited his wife and youngest son up to see the play, to spend Valentine's Day with him. The majority of people in the audience were Weasleys, or related to them. There were red-heads as far as the eye could see.   
  
  
  
Teecie and James sat next to each other, holding hands and whispering. The adults whispered about them while stealing glances at the happy couple every few minutes. Peter watched them with fascination showing on his face.   
  
  
  
Once the audience was full, the lights dimmed and Master Wilkes, the head of the Drama Club, stepped out onto the stage, and introduced the play to them. After a few minutes, the play began. A Midsummer Night's Dream, Teecie hadn't read it yet, but knew Paige's lines. Teecie had difficulty following the words, but enjoyed it nonetheless. Paige was beautiful in her simple dress that women wore in ancient Greece, and was a great actress. Rey played Bottom, a man who grew a donkey head and fell in love with the fairy queen. Professor Weasley had transfigured his head into an actual donkey's head that was able to speak. It was quite impressive.  
  
  
  
When the play ended, the audience gave the actors a standing ovation as they took their bows. Students and parents mingled together, talking and laughing while refreshments were brought to several tables at the back of the Great Hall.   
  
  
  
Kali and Paul walked over to Adriana. Adriana gave her daughter a hug and smiled at Paul. Everybody was talking happily when Teecie slipped away to get a glass of punch. She had the unhappy experience of running into Lisette at the refreshment table. Lisette was holding Zeren's hand as he poured her a glass of punch. "Well, if it isn't the perfect family over there," Lisette smirked, glaring at Teecie.   
  
  
  
Teecie was frowning and trying to think of what to say when Adriana joined them. "Teecie, aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?" She asked, smiling at Lisette and Zeren.  
  
  
  
Suddenly Lisette transformed into a nice person. She was sickeningly sweet as she turned to Adriana. "Hello! I'm Lisette, you must be Teecie's mum. She's told me all about you. We're absolutely the best of friends!" To emphasize this, Lisette grabbed Teecie's wrist tightly and pulled her to her side.  
  
  
  
"Well that's good to hear," Adriana replied. "Call me Adriana," She instructed, holding her hand out to shake Lisette's.   
  
  
  
Draco was talking to one of his students when he looked up and saw Teecie and her mother talking to Lisette across the room. What the hell were they doing? After quickly ending the conversation with the student, Draco walked over as fast as he could to break up the group before something disastrous happened. Lisette and Adriana were just about to shake hands when Draco approached them. "Miss Crabbe, I believe I saw a few of your friends in the corner of the hall, why don't you and Mr. Travers go see if they'd like some refreshments," He said, trying to get them to leave.  
  
  
  
Lisette grabbed Draco's hand and pressed her body against his. "But I was talking to Teecie's wonderful mother here. You don't want me to be rude and just leave her, now, do you?" She asked, batting her eyes up at him.  
  
  
  
Draco tried to remain calm and collected. He could see Adriana looking at him with confusion. Looking down at Lisette and gently peeling her off of him, he said, "Perhaps, Miss Crabbe, if you cannot listen to my requests, I'll have to come up with some type of punishment to help improve your hearing."  
  
  
  
Lisette looked at him as though hoping he'd come up with the most delightful thing for him to do to her, when Zeren finally grabbed her arm and dragged her away. She walked with him, but looked over her shoulder at Draco the entire time.   
  
  
  
Sighing, Draco looked at Adriana. "That's Lisette, she can be a handful. Just take whatever she says with a grain of salt," He said, sounding tired, before turning and walking away, feeling proud at having averted a catastrophe.  
  
  
  
"Oh...professor," Adriana called out after him, "Tell the boy who played Bottom that he did a wonderful job. He's one of yours, isn't he?"  
  
  
  
Draco stopped walking and turned around, carefully scrutinizing her. He sensed nothing but goodwill. "Yes, he's one of mine. I'll make sure to pass the word on to him. Goodnight," With that, Draco turned around again and walked back to the other end of the room.  
  
  
  
Everything had happened so quickly that Teecie hadn't had time to take it all in. Lisette had grabbed her and talked to her mother. It had been a good thing that Draco had broken it up so quickly, or her mum might have said something on accident.  
  
  
  
After Teecie and Adriana walked back to the group they'd been sitting with, Teecie took James's hand in her own and they talked for a few minutes until Adriana announced that it was time for her to return home to the property. Teecie ran over and hugged her mother and watched as she walked away. Adriana was stopped by Peter Weasley on her way out the door. He handed her something that looked like a letter. Teecie assumed it was for Reni.  
  
  
  
The party died down about a half hour later, and all the students returned to their common rooms. Teecie and James found an overstuffed chair in a dark corner and after James sat down in it, Teecie sat down on his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. James wrapped his arms around her waist and returned her kiss. Teecie could feel a hardness pressing against her leg as she sat on his lap. She was used to this, as he was almost always like that when they kissed. Teecie began to feel hot and the throbbing in her abdomen grew intense and was almost overwhelming. She didn't want this to end, like her perfect day, she wanted it to go on forever. But nothing could last forever, so Teecie slowly pulled away from James and stood up before walking up to her dormitory.  
  
  
  
That night, Teecie fell asleep with a smile on her face.  
  
Author's Note: Both the castle and the restaurant that Teecie and Lucius went to are real and you can visit them in Edinburgh. The food that they ate at the restaurant was taken from the menu currently offered at the restaurant, however, I don't know what they will really be serving 10 years from now when this story takes place! 


	31. The Baby in the Bulrushes

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe3: Lucius has become a great father hasn't he! I've never been to Edinburgh before, but all the research I did made it sound like a wonderful city. If I ever get a chance to go to Scotland, I have to check that restaurant and the castle out too! This chapter was for an idea I got a long time ago, and it's kind of silly I think, but Teecie's young and is allowed to do silly things occasionally. Let me know what you think!  
  
The Baby in the Bulrushes  
  
Springtime at Hogwarts was the most wonderful time of the year. Time had passed quickly, and soon the weather was improving and growing warmer. The last snow of the winter had fallen and melted weeks before, and nice breeze was blowing across the grounds, waking up all the plants and animals from their long winter's nap. Buds were beginning to sprout on the trees and birds were singing once again in the morning. By the end of March, Teecie only needed a light jacket to stay warm outside.   
  
  
  
Teecie found herself once again, falling into a comfortable rhythm of going to classes and club meetings, and spending whatever free time she had with James. She cherished her weekend teas with Professors Lupin and Longbottom. She wrote regularly to her parents, and enjoyed reading the letters they wrote back.  
  
  
  
Things with the bodyguard business were going well. It had been difficult to establish, but once she had gotten it off the ground, it almost ran itself. Students looked out for each other in exchange for services. But Teecie was starting to worry when she realized that a large amount of her bodyguards were seventh years and would be leaving after the school year ended. Luckily her class would be third years, and beginning to grow stronger and more able to look after themselves and the younger students.  
  
  
  
But Teecie wasn't thinking of any of these worrisome things as she played with James outside one lazy Sunday afternoon. The two of them were chasing each other around the grounds.   
  
  
  
They had run all the way to the edge of the Forbidden Forest and saw some broken branches lying on the ground. James picked one up, pointed it at Teecie and cried, "En garde!" his voice cracking as he spoke. Teecie smiled but didn't say anything about it. James's voice had been squeaking and cracking a lot lately, and he was quite self-conscious about it.  
  
  
  
Running to the pile of branches, Teecie picked another one up and began to sword fight with James. "So, I am Captain Jack Sparrow, and you are Captain James Hook!" Teecie told him, "And we're fighting to see who wins the right to sail the seven seas! The loser has to walk the plank!" James smiled at her and began to lunge at her with his stick, and soon the two were laughing and sword fighting.  
  
  
  
"Argh!" Teecie growled, whacking James on the leg while he yelped and jumped away from her.  
  
  
  
"Yo ho ho, and a bottle of rum!" James cried, tapping Teecie's backside while she giggled.  
  
  
  
"Dead men tell no tales!" Teecie said as she grabbed at James's arm and missed.  
  
  
  
They played like this for about fifteen minutes until they were both out of breath. Teecie had stopped to catch her breath when James ran up to her and poked her in the stomach with the branch. "Got you!" He said, laughing.  
  
  
  
Teecie dropped her branch and clutched at her stomach. "No!" She cried. She began to wobble around, as though she was dying. Moaning and groaning, Teecie finally fell to her knees before collapsing entirely to the grassy ground underneath her. Once she was "dead", Teecie flopped around for a few seconds before becoming completely still.  
  
  
  
"Oh no! Teecie! You're dead!" James cried, smiling. Walking over to her, he knelt down. "If you're not alive, then I don't want to be either!" With that, James took his branch and pretended to stab himself with it, falling down "dead" right next to her.  
  
  
  
"Oh James, just like Romeo and Juliet, that's so romantic!" Teecie said, turning on her side and looking at him. James turned on his side, and leaned in to kiss Teecie.  
  
  
  
After a minute or so, Teecie's arm got tired and she lay back down again, James moving to lean over her. They had kissed for a few minutes before Teecie felt something brush against her lips. She realized it was James's tongue, and almost instinctively, opened her mouth. Her heart pounded as he slipped his tongue inside her mouth. It darted about her mouth, with no real purpose it seemed, until it made contact with her own tongue. She brushed her tongue against his, while trying to breathe at the same time.   
  
  
  
As they tried this new form of kissing, which Teecie was finding more and more pleasurable, James's hands slipped down from her face, brushed her shoulders, and landed on her chest, where he began to gently touch her with his fingertips. Teecie made a sound that was part moan, part surprise, yet didn't immediately push him away. Just as his fingers brushed against a particularly sensitive area of Teecie's chest, she heard a small cry coming from somewhere inside the forest. A tingling sensation ran from Teecie's torso all the way down to her fiercely throbbing abdomen when she heard the cry. It was a baby.  
  
  
  
What was a baby doing in the Forbidden Forest? Breaking away from James, Teecie sat up. "Did you hear that?" She asked, as the baby cried again.   
  
  
  
Standing up, James held his hand out for Teecie to grab, and helped her to her feet. "It sounds close," He said as they began walking to the forest's edge.  
  
  
  
The baby's cries were getting louder and more urgent. Teecie started to feel frantic about finding it. "We have to find it James, it sounds hurt or scared. What is a baby doing in the forest? Where are its parents? Why would a parent let their baby cry for so long without going to it? James, where is it?" Teecie was sounding slightly hysterical by the time she'd finished talking.  
  
  
  
James turned and put his hand on Teecie's arm. "We'll find the baby. Come on, let's go in," he said, as they stepped into the forest.  
  
  
  
Teecie looked around as they entered the forest. Even though it was daytime, it was dark inside. The tall trees stood imposingly around them, Teecie felt as though they were closing in around them. She wondered if any of them could walk or talk, but didn't have time to find out because the baby was crying even more loudly now. The crying seemed to be coming from their left, so they started walking in that direction. There was a small stream trickling at their feet, so they followed it. Teecie started to run as the crying grew louder. "I'm coming!" She cried out.  
  
  
  
After several minutes, Teecie saw a bundle on the ground by the stream. It seemed to be tangled up in the long grass on the edge of the stream. Running up to the bundle, Teecie dropped down to her knees and looked carefully at it. James ran up beside her and began to open it up. Inside a red plaid flannel blanket was a baby. It wasn't wearing any clothing, and they could see that it was a girl. She had a small patch of brown hair on her tiny head and her face was all red and pinched from crying. Who would abandon a naked baby in the forest?   
  
  
  
The baby's cries grew louder as her little body was exposed to the cool spring forest air. "Cover her back up, James!" Teecie ordered. "Poor little thing's freezing to death. I bet she's starving too, that's why she was crying. And she's scared 'cause she's all alone. Here, let me hold her." Teecie picked the baby up and began rocking her back and forth gently. Almost instinctively, she started to bounce the baby gently at the same time. "She needs milk! What are we going to do?" Teecie asked.  
  
  
  
"Maybe we can get some from the house elves," James suggested, leaning over to take a look at the crying infant.  
  
  
  
"Babies don't drink that kind of milk! That would make her sick. She needs her mummy to feed her," Teecie cried.  
  
  
  
"Well...you're a girl, you have...you know. Why don't you try to feed her?" James suggested, his face flushing at the thought.  
  
  
  
"I don't think it works that way. I think you have to have your own baby for the milk to come," Teecie explained. "We need to get her back inside the school where we can make a potion for her or something. Unless you can get to Hogsmeade really quick and buy some type of formula for her."  
  
  
  
"Why don't we take her inside. But where? We can't let anybody see her or they'll take her away from us," James said, looking worried.  
  
  
  
"How about your room?" Teecie suggested.  
  
  
  
"All right. None of the guys will be any problem," James replied. He watched as Teecie stood up with the baby in her arms and started to walk. He walked next to her, looking down at the crying baby. "We can't take her inside like this, she's too loud. Hold on," James took his wand out, pointed it at the baby and said, "Placidus," and immediately, the baby's cries quieted down.   
  
  
  
While they walked, James directed Teecie where to walk so she didn't trip with the baby in her arms. After a while he stopped. "It's my turn to hold her," He said, reaching out to take her. Teecie frowned and opened her mouth to protest. "It's only fair! You held her for a long time and I haven't even held her once yet!" Grumbling, Teecie handed the baby over to James, who grinned and looked down at the baby in his arms. "Hi baby!" He greeted her.  
  
  
  
The couple managed to sneak the baby out of the forest, across the school grounds, and into one of the many side entrances without any incident. As this was happening, a lone centaur walked to the stream and saw that the child he'd placed there had been taken. Hopefully it would be properly cared for. It should, for he had seen it foretold in the stars the night before. Feeling satisfied that all would be well, the centaur walked further into the forest and away from where the humans had so recently been.  
  
  
  
Teecie walked in front of James as they traveled up the staircase towards their tower. They covered the baby up carefully with the blanket so nobody could see her as they walked into the Gryffindor common room and tried to make their way up to James's dormitory.   
  
  
  
James carried the blanket-covered baby in his arms and walked as quickly as he could towards the stairs to his room. To make it look like there was nothing unusual going on, Teecie stayed behind in the common room for a few minutes before following him. Once in James's dormitory, Teecie ran over to his bed and sat down next to the baby. Unwrapping the blanket from over the baby, Teecie took a better look at her. She was very small, smaller than Hunter, she couldn't be older than a couple months or so.  
  
  
  
"Can you stay with her while I go get my potions books?" Teecie asked. When James nodded his head, she stood up and left to go to her dormitory. Once there, Patty and Paige, who'd been reading, asked what she was up to. Teecie said they could come see if they could keep a secret, so the girls got up and helped carry Teecie's books back to James's room.  
  
  
  
Paige saw the baby on the bed and squealed. "A baby!" She cried, running over to her, practically shoving James out of the way to get a good look at her. Teecie went over to them and sat down on the other side. James stood up and moved over to where Patty was standing and together, they watched as Paige and Teecie giggled, squealed, and cooed at the baby.  
  
  
  
Teecie finally broke away from the baby and walked up to Patty, taking her potions books back. Sitting on the floor, she began pouring through them, looking for a potion to use to feed the baby. Part way through one of the many books Uncle Sev had given her, on household and domestic potions, there was an entire section on potions for babies. "Feeding Potions for the Working Witch," was the title of the chapter. Teecie read through them and found that none of them were particularly difficult to prepare. She began calling out the ingredients she needed, and James ran around the room and got them from his store of potions ingredients. Once they were all gathered, Teecie began working on preparing the potion. In a short amount of time, she had a finished potion for the baby, but realized she had nothing to feed her with. "We need a baby bottle! Where the heck are we going to find one?" She asked the group.  
  
  
  
Everybody paced around for a couple minutes, thinking about what to do until Paige gasped. "One of my dolls I keep packed away in my trunk has a baby bottle that really works! Let me go get it!" She said as she turned to run out of the room. She returned about five minutes later, smiling and held out the bottle to Teecie.  
  
  
  
"Thanks Paige!" Teecie said, taking the bottle and opening it to pour the potion contents inside. Once it was full, Teecie stood up and walked over to the bed, and carefully picked up the baby. The baby was whimpering, but quickly opened her mouth and began drinking greedily, her little fingers kneading against Teecie's hands as she held the bottle. Teecie could hear the baby swallowing as quickly as she could. She mustn't have been fed in days.  
  
  
  
The baby drank two bottles of the potion before her eyes began to droop wearily. After a few minutes, her eyes closed, and she sighed. Teecie pulled the bottle out of her mouth and sat, staring at her, mesmerized. Every few seconds, the baby's mouth would start making sucking motions, even though there was no more bottle.  
  
  
  
James brought Teecie back to reality by whispering, "Where are going to find clothes for her? I bet those dolls of Paige's are too small to fit her."  
  
  
  
Everybody thought for a few minutes. "We could try shrinking some of our clothes," Patty suggested.  
  
  
  
"I bet the house elves could make some for us. And if we asked them not to tell anybody about it, I bet they'd keep it a secret," Paige suggested.  
  
  
  
Everybody agreed that this was the best choice, so Teecie stood up, handed the sleeping baby to James and told the group she'd go see Nili about that right then. She could come up to the room and measure the baby or whatever she needed to do.   
  
  
  
Within a half hour, Teecie returned to the room, and a short time later, Nili appeared. Nili looked carefully at the baby, made some calculations in her head, then snapped her fingers, and suddenly, there was a pile of clothing on James's bed, including nappies. "Thank you Nili!" Teecie cried, hugging her.  
  
  
  
"You is sure to tell Nili if you is needing help looking after the baby. Nili is used to looking after babies," Nili squeaked as she was being held tightly by Teecie.   
  
  
  
After Nili left, the group of children gathered around the sleeping baby, looking down at her as she snored quietly, her tiny mouth parted slightly. "Who wants to put her nappy on?" Teecie whispered. Patty, Paige, and James looked at each other and simultaneously took a large step back from the bed. Teecie smiled and shook her head. "Wimps!" She exclaimed. Kneeling down before the baby, Teecie picked up a nappy, gently undid the baby's blanket and put the nappy under her bottom, and tied it into place. Next, she picked out a little shirt, skirt, and socks and gently put them on the baby before standing up again.   
  
  
  
Teecie walked over to James and put her hand in his, laying her head on his shoulder. "Isn't she adorable?" She whispered to him. James nodded his head and squeezed Teecie's hand. Teecie thought about what it would be like to have her own baby. Maybe James would be the father, and they'd stand around the crib, looking fondly at him. Teecie saw herself married to James, with three or four children. They'd live in a nice house, with nice furniture. She thought about her name, what it would change to after she was married. Mrs. James Lupin. Teecie Orendes-Lupin. Teecie Lupin...James Orendes, now that had a nice ring to it!   
  
  
  
Just as Teecie was wondering what their children's names would be, the door opened and Carl and Robert entered the room. Carl walked to his bed and sat down, while Robert glanced around the room. Spotting the sleeping infant, Robert pointed and spoke in an amazed voice, "Whoa, a baby!"  
  
  
  
Carl stood up and walked over to James's bed. "You're right, it is a baby! But how did it get here?" He asked.  
  
  
  
"We found her, Teecie and I did, in the Forbidden Forest," James said. He told them about hearing her crying and running into the forest to find her. Everybody agreed that it was horrible to abandon a baby in the forest like that.   
  
  
  
The group stood around the bed, looking at the baby, and trying to think of what to do for her. Every few minutes another roommate would come in, see her, and they'd have to tell the story of finding her all over again. Not everybody seemed too enthusiastic about hiding her in their rooms. Daniel in particular flatly refused to touch a dirty nappy, feed her, hold her, or interact with her in any way. "Babies are for girls. Take her to your room and take care of her yourself," He told Paige and Teecie.  
  
  
  
"You might have a baby of your own someday! You'll have to take care of it then!" Paige said, putting her hands on her hips.  
  
  
  
"Not if I have my wife do it for me!" Daniel retorted, squaring off with Paige.  
  
  
  
"You are such a pig!" Paige exclaimed.  
  
  
  
James walked over to the bed, picked up the baby and handed it to Teecie. "Maybe you girls should take her back to your room. It's probably best if she stays with you," He told them. Patty and Paige gathered up all the baby clothes and books and stomped out of the room.   
  
  
  
Carefully, each girl went across the common room and up to their dormitory. Once all were safely there, they tried to think of where to put the baby. Teecie wanted to keep it in her bed, but was afraid she might smother her. Paige and Teecie looked through their toys and didn't see anything that would work. In the end, it was Patty who suggested taking a drawer out of a dresser and putting blankets in it. "You can set it on the floor by your bed," She explained to Teecie. Teecie thought it was a good idea.  
  
  
  
The next thing to figure out was a name for the baby. Nothing sounded right to any of the girls. "How about Moses?" Teecie asked.  
  
  
  
Paige laughed. "But that's a boy's name!" She exclaimed.  
  
  
  
"I know, but we found her just like Moses was found, in the reeds by the water. And besides, lots of girls have boy names. There are boys with girl names. What do you think Patty?"   
  
  
  
"I don't care, you can name her Elmer if you want to," Patty said, looking at the baby.   
  
  
  
"Patty! Don't you even care about this baby? Don't you want to be her auntie? Teecie's her mummy, James is the daddy, and we get to be her aunties. Don't you think that's cool?" Paige asked.  
  
  
  
"No, it's just a dumb baby," Patty replied, walking over to her bed and sitting down.  
  
  
  
Paige rolled her eyes and went to her own bed. "I guess Moses is all right with me," She called out to Teecie after several minutes of silence.  
  
  
  
Teecie had just finished setting up the bed that Moses would be sleeping in when she woke up and began crying. Teecie went over to her to see what she needed. Her nappy was wet, so Teecie changed it, then she went to work on preparing a potion to feed her.   
  
  
  
Teecie loved the feeling of holding Moses in her arms and feeding her. The little baby depended on her for everything. It made Teecie feel very grown up.  
  
  
  
Once the baby had eaten and been burped and fallen back asleep, Teecie thought about how to take care of her while in classes. It would be tricky, but it could be done. She'd recruit Nili to take care of Moses during school hours, then come back and take care of her until her club meeting. Then one of her classmates could hopefully look after her for that hour she'd be gone before coming back to take care of her again. Nili might even be willing to look after Moses so Teecie could go down to dinner, otherwise, she'd have to see if she'd send a plate of food up to her room for her instead.   
  
  
  
Teecie asked Patty and Paige if this plan sounded good, and they thought it should all work out pretty well. They hoped Daniel wouldn't rat them out since he hated the idea of keeping Moses there with them. Teecie wondered what she should do to get him to keep his mouth shut. There was one thing she could do, but she'd only use it as a last resort.  
  
  
  
After she'd gotten everything planned, Teecie began doing some of her homework that was due the next day. When dinnertime came, Teecie didn't want to leave the baby, and she couldn't take her with them, so Paige volunteered to bring up a plate of food for her. Teecie thanked her and went back to her homework.  
  
  
  
The rest of the evening went pretty smoothly. Teecie fed Moses a couple more times, and left a cauldron of the potion already made for when she had to feed her during the night. Luckily, Moses only woke up twice that night needing to be fed. Unfortunately, she was awake for two hours each time. Teecie used the Placidus charm on Moses to keep her from waking up the twins. Needless to say, Teecie was quite exhausted when she woke up the next morning.   
  
  
  
Just as planned, Nili arrived in time for Teecie to get ready for classes and go down for breakfast. Teecie showed Nili where the extra potion was to feed Moses whenever she got hungry. She also showed her where she'd put the nappies and clean clothes.  
  
  
  
Teecie almost fell asleep during breakfast, and used the time during History of Magic class to take a nap. The rest of her day improved after that.  
  
  
  
When classes were over for the day, Nili left Moses to Teecie and went back to the kitchens. Teecie had decided to eat in her room, so Nili sent up a plate of food for her. Paige babysat that evening during Teecie's Charms club meeting.  
  
  
  
The rest of the week passed like this. Moses woke up twice every night, like clockwork. Teecie was tired each morning, but never regretted taking care of her.  
  
  
  
The only bad incident had been Thursday night, when James had been looking after Moses during Teecie's Potions club meeting. Daniel had been trying to study and Moses had been fussy, so she'd distracted him. He was quite upset by the time Teecie returned to pick her up. "I don't want her here if I'm here! She cried all night long and I couldn't write my paper! If she's here again when I am, I'm going to turn her in to Professor Snape. She shouldn't be here, you know!" Daniel yelled at Teecie.  
  
  
  
"But-"  
  
  
  
"No! She's not supposed to be here! Besides, she needs an adult to look after her. It isn't our job!"  
  
  
  
Teecie was trying to think of how to handle the situation. "But she's doing fine here with us!"  
  
  
  
"But we're just kids! We shouldn't have to take care of a baby! You know, this was a really stupid idea, it doesn't surprise me that you came up with it," Daniel yelled at her.  
  
  
  
James stood up and tried to get in Daniel's face at this point in time. "You can't talk to her like that! You know it was my idea too!" He yelled.  
  
  
  
Teecie was furious. How dare he say her idea was stupid and that it didn't surprise him it had been hers. Did that mean he thought she was stupid? She'd show him who was stupid! "Look Daniel, if you don't want to look after Moses, that's fine. But she's staying, so get used to it. And if you ever do try to go to Uncle Sev about this, I'll cut you off from your bodyguard. You won't have my protection anymore. You'll have to defend yourself against those Slytherins on your own," Teecie threatened.  
  
  
  
"You wouldn't!"  
  
  
  
"Oh I would, believe me!"  
  
  
  
Daniel's face turned red and he glared at Teecie for several seconds before turning around and storming away from her. Teecie felt triumphant over having beaten him, though she chose not to say anything to him. Instead, she gathered Moses up in her blanket and kissed James goodnight before returning to her own room.  
  
  
  
Daniel was no longer a threat after that, though he was no longer speaking to Teecie, either. Teecie wasn't sure how she felt about this. She didn't like that Daniel was so upset with her. She didn't like that she'd used her business the way she had. But she did like that he wasn't going to turn the baby in. Teecie decided it had to have been done that way, and hoped that she'd be able to work it out with Daniel soon.   
  
  
  
Another week passed without incident. Teecie had learned to do things she never thought she'd have to do over the last couple weeks. She'd learned to hand wash baby clothes in the tub. She'd learned to bathe Moses in a little porcelain tub that Nili had procured for her. The girls kept it in their room and heated up water in their fireplace each night to bathe her.  
  
  
  
Moses had also gained weight in the short amount of time she'd been with the girls. She was a chubby, happy, adorable little baby. She seemed perfect. But one night, something happened that made Teecie wonder just what Moses was, exactly.  
  
  
  
Teecie was asleep one Tuesday night, a few weeks after she'd found Moses, when she'd been rudely awakened by the sound of barking. It sounded like a little puppy had gotten loose in the room. Sitting up and looking around, she listened for the sound, and found it was coming from next to her bed. Finding her wand and lighting it, Teecie slid out of her bed and knelt down next to Moses. Moses was whimpering and barking. What the hell? Teecie thought to herself. Teecie picked the baby up and held her closely to herself. Moses started licking her arm, pawing at Teecie, and whimpering.   
  
  
  
After several minutes, the barking grew loud enough to wake up the twins. Teecie set Moses on her bed and stood back to watch what was happening. Patty turned on the lights and soon, all three girls stood around the bed, watching Moses. She continued to bark, whimper, and even howl occasionally. "Um, what's wrong with her?" Paige finally whispered.  
  
  
  
"I have no idea," Teecie replied, looking around to see if any of her books would be able to explain.   
  
  
  
Glancing around the room, Paige's stomach fluttered as she saw that moon was full tonight, and shining brightly. "Uh oh...look," She said, pointing to the moon. "She must be a werewolf!" She whispered, her eyes wide with terror.  
  
  
  
"But she didn't turn into one," Patty said, looking back at Moses. "Maybe she's just mad."  
  
  
  
Teecie ran to her books and started pouring through them to see if they said anything about barking babies, but had no luck. "We're going to have to do some research in the library tomorrow, to look up information on babies who bark," Teecie said.  
  
  
  
Teecie used the Placidus charm to quiet Moses down, and eventually, the girls went back to sleep. The next morning, Moses was back to normal.   
  
  
  
During their lunch hour, the girls poured through books, looking for any information on children who made animal sounds, but had no luck. At dinner that evening, they told the boys what had happened and asked if they'd ever heard of anything like that before. None of them had, but they tried to come up with possible theories about it. "Maybe...her mum was an Animagus and she transferred some of her animalness to the baby?" James suggested.  
  
  
  
"Maybe somebody transfigured a dog into a baby, and it's starting to turn back into a dog?" Kern suggested.  
  
  
  
"Those are the stupidest ideas I've ever heard of in my entire life!" Patty said, folding her arms. "Who in their right mind would turn a dog into a baby? And Animagi don't work that way. My aunt Hermione's one and none of her kids act like birds!"  
  
  
  
It seemed that the partial werewolf theory was the only one that wasn't completely ridiculous. "We'll have to research it, maybe there are books in the library about it," Teecie said.  
  
  
  
The girls spent their lunch periods for the next two days looking up werewolves in the library but came up with no information on people who acted like them, but didn't change into them.  
  
  
  
At dinner on Friday night, it was decided that James and Teecie would ask Charlie about it the next morning during their Cooking club meeting. They'd just say it was for a paper they were doing and they needed help with the research.   
  
  
  
Moses had been normal ever since Tuesday night, and Paige felt comfortable looking after her during the meeting on Saturday.   
  
  
  
Teecie and James stood side-by-side as they worked on a loaf of whole wheat cornmeal cheddar bread, trying to think about the best way to ask Charlie. Once the meeting ended a couple hours later, both kids lingered afterwards and helped Charlie clean up. Teecie took a bite of the bread she'd made before approaching Charlie. "So, we were wondering if you could help us with some research. We've been looking up some things about this paper we have to write, and haven't had any luck finding any answers. Maybe you'd know," She said.  
  
  
  
Charlie smiled and sat down at the table across from James and Teecie. "What kind of things do you need to know?"  
  
  
  
James cleared his throat before speaking. "Well, do you know different causes of what could make a person make animal noises?"  
  
  
  
"Beg your pardon?"   
  
  
  
"Uh, well, let's say there was a person who, I don't know, barked, for instance. What would make them do that?"  
  
  
  
"Well if they're a right nutter, that might be one reason," Charlie said, feeling confused.   
  
  
  
"Let's say this person, is too young to be a nutter, like it's a baby, what then?"  
  
  
  
"I couldn't really say," Charlie replied, his brow furrowed. "What class is this for?"  
  
  
  
"Transfigurations," Teecie said.  
  
  
  
"Defense Against the Dark Arts," James said, at the same time.  
  
  
  
"Er, it's for both actually," Teecie replied, thinking quickly. "Professor Lupin and Professor Weasley assigned us a paper on the same subject! Isn't that funny?"  
  
  
  
"Hilarious," Charlie said, dryly. He obviously wasn't buying their story.  
  
  
  
Teecie stood up and grabbed James by the arm. "Well, we'd better get going and work on our papers some more, they're due soon," She said, smiling.  
  
  
  
"Oh? When are they due?" Charlie asked, folding his arms.  
  
  
  
"Tuesday," Teecie replied.  
  
  
  
"Thursday," James said at the same time. "Er, Tuesday for Transfigurations and Thursday for Defense Against the Dark Arts," He said, standing up and walked to the door of the kitchens with Teecie.  
  
  
  
"I'll look into it for you!" Charlie called out after them, with a grin on his face. This was going to be fun, and interesting.  
  
  
  
Once out of the kitchens, Teecie groaned. "We're dead! He's going to talk to your father and then your father's gonna ask us about it and then he's going to kill us!"  
  
  
  
"Well, we'd better enjoy our last moments on this earth then," James said, pulling Teecie into a dark corner of the hallway and kissing her. They kissed for a long time, experimenting with that new form of kissing they'd discovered a few weeks ago.  
  
  
  
The happy couple broke away after a while and went upstairs to their common room. Teecie went up to her dormitory and took over with Moses while Paige went down to lunch. Teecie had eaten during the club meeting and didn't need to eat again.  
  
  
  
Once Paige was done eating, she told Teecie to go spend some more time with James. "You know, they say children can be a strain on the relationship. Go and have some fun with James," She instructed Teecie while picking up a book to start studying. Teecie thanked Paige and walked back to the common room, found James, and asked what he wanted to do.  
  
  
  
"I think everybody is out of my room right now..." James said, grinning.  
  
  
  
"Oh? Perhaps we should go and find out," Teecie suggested, taking his hand and pulling him out of his seat. Together, they walked up to James's dormitory.  
  
  
  
The room was indeed empty. Teecie and James walked to his bed and sat down before beginning to kiss again. Things were going very well. Teecie was allowing James to touch her chest again. He'd just lowered his hand to the hem of her skirt and was about to move further up when they were interrupted by a voice. "Whoa! You guys are about to, like, do it, aren't you?" Startled, James and Teecie stopped snogging and sat up to see Robert gaping at them. James could have killed Robert right then.   
  
  
  
After Robert moved to his desk to start working on his homework, James and Teecie contented themselves to reading comic books on the bed afterwards.  
  
  
  
Several hours later, Teecie went down to Professor Lupin's office to have her afternoon tea with him. Remus could smell James's scent on Teecie and knew they'd been snogging. Noticing the rumpled state of her blouse, and the fact that the top two buttons were unbuttoned, he did have to wonder what else was going on.   
  
  
  
Professor Lupin and Teecie were chatting happily when there was a knock on the door and Charlie stuck his head in the room. "Ah, Remus, glad you're here, mate," Charlie said, stepping into the room. "Oh, and you're here too!" He said, looking down at Teecie and smiling.  
  
  
  
Teecie's stomach started to feel fluttery with nerves. "Uh, hi Charlie," She greeted him.  
  
  
  
"So, I was just going to ask Remus for information to give you, but now that you're here, you can just ask him what you need for your paper," Charlie said. Turning to the professor, he smiled and said, "You know, it's funny that both you and Professor Weasley would assign the same papers due the same week, isn't it?"  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin looked confused. "What paper? I didn't assign a paper," He said, his gaze slowly turning to Teecie. Teecie tried to remain calm and look as though nothing out of the ordinary was happening. "Teecie, what's he talking about?"  
  
  
  
"Don't you remember the paper you assigned us? I clearly remember you telling us about it. It's due on Tuesday," Teecie said, trying not to squirm in her seat.  
  
  
  
"Thursday," Charlie corrected her.  
  
  
  
"Oh right, Thursday," Teecie laughed nervously.  
  
  
  
"So, what was it you wanted to ask me about this paper?" Professor Lupin asked, getting into the act too. He was enjoying watching her squirm.  
  
  
  
"You know, I don't even remember anymore! It seems to have slipped my mind," Teecie replied, smiling coyly at the professors.  
  
  
  
"That's OK, I remember," Charlie said. "You were asking about barking babies, and what would make them do that."  
  
  
  
"Right, so I was," Teecie said, nodding her head.  
  
  
  
"Barking babies? What do you mean?" Professor Lupin asked.  
  
  
  
Teecie knew it was all over, there was nothing more than to admit defeat, but not without one more last ditch effort. Standing up, Teecie started to walk towards the door. "I have to go, I just remembered I needed to do something," She said.  
  
  
  
"You know what I think you need to do?" Professor Lupin asked, standing up, "I think you need to sit down, now, and tell me what's going on."  
  
  
  
In a move that sealed Teecie's fate, Charlie walked to the door and leaned against it, barring her exit from the room. Looking back and forth between the professors, Teecie's face turned red as she tried to think of what to do. "Spill it kid," Charlie called out to her.  
  
  
  
Whimpering, Teecie sat back down in her seat. She proceeded to tell them everything about Moses, where she and James had found her, where they'd been keeping her, and what had happened during the full moon. Both Charlie and Professor Lupin were shocked. How had she managed to not get caught for so long? "So, were all eight of you involved in this?" Lupin asked. Teecie thought about who had been involved the most. It wasn't fair for everybody to get blamed. "You and James, and I'll bet Paige is taking care of her right now." Teecie nodded. "Anybody else?" Teecie shook her head. "All right. I want you to go get this baby, and all of her things, and tell James and Paige to come to Professor Snape's office immediately. You'll have to explain all of this to him," Lupin said, looking unhappy.  
  
  
  
Charlie escorted Teecie up to her common room, and went to get James while she got Paige and Moses. Teecie was crying by the time they all made their way back to the common room. They were going to take Moses away from her. Teecie held her close, while Charlie put his arm around her shoulders and walked with the group to the headmaster's office.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin was already there, pacing the floor, waiting for them to arrive. Professor Snape had been briefed on the situation and was not pleased, to say the very least. He barked at all three students to sit down and demanded to know everything that had happened.   
  
  
  
Between the three of them, Snape heard the entire story. He was livid that Teecie and James would enter the forest without any regard to the rules, or their safety. And while the baby looked to be in good health, it wasn't right for her to be looked after by a group of children and a house elf all day long. "But you hid Reni for months here, and Nili took care of her then!" Teecie wailed as she hugged Moses.  
  
  
  
"That is not even the same type of situation! Your sister was in danger, this child is not! Don't you dare try to compare the two," Uncle Sev snapped at Teecie. "I'm going to have to contact Potter to come over to collect the child." Teecie knew from the twins that Harry Potter ran the local orphanage. "And what is this about her barking?"  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin walked over to Teecie and looked down at Moses. "It makes one wonder...She was abandoned after a couple months. Perhaps the baby's mother was bitten by a werewolf while she was pregnant. The child wouldn't be a werewolf, but might take on some of the traits, hence the barking and licking. She'd never be able to transmit it to anybody else though."  
  
  
  
Professor Snape sighed and shook his head. "I can't believe this," He muttered. "All right, you and you," He said, pointing to the girls, "since you fancy yourselves good mothers, will write me a paper on magical child rearing. Four rolls of parchment, and they must be written separately." Professor Snape turned to James. "And you, will write me a paper of the same length, on magical child birthing techniques." James turned pale and squirmed in his seat uncomfortably. Snape glanced up at Lupin for a moment. Lupin smiled and nodded his head in agreement. Maybe that would keep him and Teecie from going too fast. "Now that is my punishment, I don't know if your father has more in store for you," Snape looked at James, then turned to Teecie, "Or is Draco will have any punishment for you. And Miss Weasley, I'll be writing to your parents to tell them about this stunt. Now, the child will be left with me, and you are all to return to your rooms and begin on your papers."  
  
  
  
Teecie was still crying as she left the room. She wasn't able to concentrate on the paper she was supposed to write and didn't get much work done before she was summoned back to Uncle Sev's office.  
  
  
  
Once there, she saw Uncle Sev standing up with his arms folded as Harry Potter sat in a chair next to the baby. "I thought I'd let you say goodbye," Uncle Sev said, waving his hand towards Moses.  
  
  
  
Teecie slowly walked over to the baby and picked her up. Tears flowed down her face as she kissed Moses and told her she loved her and always would. She cuddled with her for a few minutes before Harry came over to her. "Teecie? It's time I took Moses with me. She'll be well cared for, I promise. And I'm sure she'll be adopted very soon," He said to her in soothing tones. Slowly, Teecie handed Moses over to him. Still crying, Teecie turned around and ran out of the room and all the way down to Draco's office.  
  
  
  
Teecie blindly ran past a couple of students outside his office before running into it and pushing the door shut behind her. Draco was sitting at his desk and saw how upset she was. Walking over to her, he told her to tell him what had happened. Teecie quickly explained what had happened. Draco was far from happy over what she'd done, but understood that she was upset to have to let the baby go. Sighing, Draco said, "You know, Teecie, I really should ground you, since father isn't here to do it. Sometimes I just don't know what to do with you. I can tell you this though, it's exhausting to be your brother." Instead of yelling or being harsh towards Teecie, he pulled her into an embrace and let her cry until she was feeling better.  
  
  
  
Once Teecie had calmed down, Draco told her she was grounded for the next two weeks, which meant no club meetings and no James. Teecie was too tired to pout, so she nodded her head and turned to leave the room. It wasn't until she reached the door that she saw it was slightly ajar. As she left the room, she saw a dark figure hurrying away and turning the corner at the end of the hall. Teecie felt nervous over who that had been and just what they had heard, but felt too sad to think about it too much.   
  
  
  
The sadness of losing Moses was strong for a few weeks, but began to fade afterwards, into a dull ache. As the weeks continued to pass, Moses became a fond memory that Teecie would always look back on with a pang of sadness in her heart.   
  
  
  
Teecie's life was full with the research paper she had to write and all of her classes, and within days, she had forgotten about the shadowy figure in the hall. It wouldn't be until a long time from then that she would find out the consequences of that meeting with her brother. 


	32. The Day The Earth Stood Still

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe3: Yes, it is a mystery...but time will tell! This is a huge chapter, and very important for the lives of everybody in this family. You have a big week for my and ElfFlame's stories! I hope you're up to it! Just remember, all will be well, in the end at least! Let me know what you think!  
  
The Day The Earth Stood Still  
  
Adriana didn't think anything of it when she let Lucius sleep in that morning. He'd been rather tired lately, and had fallen asleep immediately after making love to her the night before. Usually he was up with the sun to milk the cows and gather the eggs, but he was still sound asleep when Adriana woke up the next morning. She let him sleep in while she went and did the morning chores.  
  
  
  
Lucius finally woke up late in the morning, around ten or so. He told Adriana he had heartburn again and wasn't hungry for any breakfast. Lucius had been having bouts of heartburn for weeks now, and none of the potions he took were helping at all.   
  
  
  
Adriana took a good look at him. His face was gray and he looked drained of all energy. It was a warm day, and Lucius was sweating as though he was in a desert. After asking if he wanted to go back to bed, Lucius shook his head and told her he was going to spend the day in the hammock, reading a book.  
  
  
  
As Lucius left the house to walk to the hammock, he greeted Reni, who was sitting on the back porch, looking at the apple blossoms on the trees as they swayed in the warm breeze. Hunter was inside, asleep, allowing her a few precious moments of peace. She held her acoustic guitar and sang out loud while tapping her feet against the stairs.   
  
The words filled the air and blew around the house. Adriana listened as her daughter sang:  
  
Cold, late night so long ago   
  
When I was not so strong, you know   
  
A pretty man came to me   
  
Never seen eyes so blue   
  
You know, I could not run away it seemed   
  
We'd seen each other in a dream   
  
Seemed like he knew me   
  
He looked right through me, yeah   
  
"Come on home, girl" he said with a smile   
  
"You don't have to love me yet, let's get high awhile  
  
But try to understand, try to understand   
  
Try, try, try to understand I'm a magic man"   
  
Reni watched as her father hobbled over towards the hammock. She hated to watch him struggle with walking. He was such a strong person in every other sense, but that one. Reni's heart started to pound as she watched him stop walking and saw his cane slip out of his hand and fall to the ground. Lucius grabbed his left shoulder, bent over in pain, and collapsed. Standing up, Reni screamed for her mother, and began to run to her father.  
  
  
  
  
  
Teecie's life was going well. She'd made up with Daniel about a week ago. The school year had flown by. Her exams had come and gone with as little pain as possible. She'd even managed to pass all of them. Teecie had debated for a long time over which classes to sign up for next year and finally settled on Runes and Care of Magical Creatures. She'd lived on a farm all her life, and thought it might be interesting to see what it was like to take care of exotic creatures.  
  
  
  
It was a lovely warm day in June, and Teecie sat under a shady willow tree, holding James's hand. They were talking about their summer holiday plans. It was a sad thought that it would be two whole months before they saw one another again. James invited Teecie to his house and she thought that would be fun.   
  
  
  
They were planning their day together when Stephen Weasley walked up to them. "Teecie, Professor Snape asked me to come and get you. He wants to see you in his office right away," He said. Teecie could tell by the look on his face that it was something serious. Her heart began to pound as she stood up and silently walked away with him.  
  
  
  
Stephen left her at the door of Uncle Sev's office. Teecie knocked on the door and walked inside. She was startled and frightened to see Kali and Draco already there. Both were sitting in chairs in front of Uncle Sev's desk. Kali was looking nervous and patted the chair next to her for Teecie to sit in. Draco, on the other hand, looked subdued. He was slumped down in his chair, with his chin in his hand, wore a closed expression on his face, and didn't say anything.  
  
  
  
Snape watched as Teecie sat down and looked up at him with huge eyes. Kali reached out and grabbed her sister's hand and held it tight as they both worried over what had happened. Rising from the chair he'd been sitting in, Snape stood up, walked to the front of his desk, and folded his arms. After taking a deep breath and clearing his throat, he spoke, "Ticia, Kalare, I'm afraid I have some bad news to tell you. There really isn't an easy way to say it, so I'm just going to say it." Snape looked at both of the girls and found he couldn't stand to look into their eyes. Turning his gaze away, he continued, "Your father had a heart attack this morning. He's still alive, but in a very weakened state right now. Your mother took him to St. Mungo's. Renata and Hunter are there now, too. You'll be leaving school now to go to him. I've had Wilkes prepare a potion for you, Ticia."   
  
  
  
Both girls sat in stunned silence as they tried to take all the information in. Teecie felt cold suddenly and began to shiver, even though it was a warm day. Next to her, Kali gave a strangled cry and sat with her mouth open. Draco slid out of his chair, knelt before the girls, and scooped them up into his arms and held them tightly. Teecie felt herself thawing out a little bit. Her father, her daddy, what if he...Teecie couldn't even bring herself to think about that. Slowly, tears formed in Teecie's eyes and spilled down her cheeks. Soon she was sobbing into Draco's sleeve as he continued to hold onto both of his young sisters.  
  
  
  
Teecie felt Kali twist out of Draco's hold. Looking over at her, she saw her sister stand up and walk over to embrace Uncle Sev. He seemed taken aback for a moment, but put his arms around her and held her while she cried. After a minute, Teecie heard Kali ask if they could go to the hospital now. Uncle Sev said yes, and Teecie could feel Draco pulling away from her and standing up, then helping her to her feet.  
  
  
  
Uncle Sev handed Teecie the motion sickness potion. While she drank that, he told Draco that he'd owl Tanith for him. Draco would go with the girls to the hospital. The next few minutes were all a blur to Teecie, and soon she found herself standing in St. Mungo's hospital.   
  
  
  
Draco led them to the front desk and asked about Lucius. The woman behind the desk directed them to the right floor and soon they were walking up several flights of stairs until they arrived. Draco opened the door and the girls walked onto the floor that the healers were working on Lucius. They began walking down the stark white hallway and as they turned around a corner, they saw Reni, with Hunter in her arms, and Adriana, sitting in chairs along the wall.   
  
  
  
Teecie and Kali broke into a run until they reached their mother. Adriana hugged them tightly as they cried in her arms. Draco walked over and hugged Reni. Several minutes passed before Kali asked Adriana how Lucius was doing. Adriana sighed. "They won't tell me anything. The doctors are still working on him. They said they'd tell me once they'd finished working on him. We've been here for two hours already!" Adriana stopped talking, she was about to start crying soon if she didn't. Each word she'd spoken had been gasped as though trying to keep from sobbing. Adriana felt as though she might start screaming soon. She couldn't lose control. She had to be strong-for Lucius and the girls. They were all looking to her to pull them through this situation.  
  
  
  
Draco stood up and walked over to the main desk on the floor and began speaking to the man behind the counter. Teecie couldn't hear what he was saying, but he must have been trying to get answers from him. After a couple minutes, Draco walked back over to them. "Anything?" Adriana asked him. Silently, Draco shook his head and sat back down, looking furious.  
  
  
  
It was another two hours before one of the healers emerged from the room Lucius was in. Waiting had been the hardest thing Teecie had ever done in her entire life. She had tried sitting down, but had been too nervous to stay in her chair for long. She spent most of the time pacing the floor and trying not to think about anything. She counted how many paces it was from one end of the hall to the other. She counted how many seconds it took to walk back and forth across the hallway.   
  
  
  
Teecie was at the far end of the hall when she saw the healer walk up to her family. Her heart pounded as she ran to hear what he had to say. Adriana had stood up to talk to him, but Draco approached them and gently pushed her out of the way. "How is he?" He asked the healer.  
  
  
  
Looking back and forth between Draco and Adriana, he spoke. "He's alive, but it took a lot of effort to pull him through. It'll take time for him to recover from this. He's going to need lots of bed rest, and it'll be at least a week before he can leave here," He said.  
  
  
  
There was a collective sigh of relief as they heard the good news. "How is he now? Is he awake? Can I see him?" Adriana asked, stepping in front of Draco to speak to the healer.  
  
  
  
"He's very weak right now. But...are you Adriana?" Adriana nodded. "He's been calling for you. I guess you could see him, but alone. I don't want him over stimulated right now." Adriana took a deep breath and followed the healer into Lucius's room.  
  
  
  
Draco and the girls sat down, taking in all the news of their father being alive, but not well. Every once in a while, one of the girls would try to talk. "What will happen if he-" Teecie asked but was cut off.  
  
  
  
"Shut up! Don't even say something like that!" Reni shot back at her, glaring as she hugged Hunter to her.  
  
  
  
Kali buried her head in her arms and sobbed quietly. Teecie leaned against her and tried to comfort her.  
  
  
  
Adriana emerged from the room several minutes later, brushing tears out of her eyes before reaching the group. "He's sleeping now," She informed them. "I...I think I'm going to stay with him tonight. I don't want to leave him. I'll write to Severus, maybe he can come and stay with you girls. You need your sleep, and besides, somebody needs to take care of the animals. You can come back tomorrow to see him," Adriana said, rubbing her throbbing temples.  
  
  
  
"I'll owl him for you," Draco said quietly.  
  
  
  
Adriana looked over at Draco with a haunted look in her eyes. "Thank you," She said in a hoarse whisper.  
  
  
  
Draco went with the girls to the fireplace, and flooed to Black Manor after they'd returned to the property. He owled Snape about looking after the girls, then spent the rest of his day talking to his solicitor.  
  
  
  
The girls waited for an hour or so, sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the floor or the window, not speaking, waiting for Uncle Sev to arrive. Finally, Teecie spoke up. "Somebody has to take care of the animals," She said, to nobody in particular. When nobody responded, Teecie sighed, stood up, walked to the back door, and left the house.  
  
  
  
Once in the barn, Teecie milked the cows, gathered the eggs, fed the chickens, and climbed the ladder to the hay loft. It took quite a bit of work to throw enough hay from the loft to then haul over to the animals to eat. After that was watering the animals and mucking the stalls. Teecie finally finished about two hours later, then walked back and forth three times to bring all the eggs and milk back to the house. She felt like her legs were going to fall off once she was finally done.   
  
  
  
Teecie hadn't seen Uncle Sev arrive and was startled to see him cooking in the kitchen when she went inside the house. She'd never seen him cook before, and wasn't sure what to make of it. "You know, cooking is a lot like making potions," He told her when he saw the look on her face.   
  
  
  
"Actually...baking is. Cooking is much...less precise," Teecie replied. "What are we having?" She asked.   
  
  
  
"Lasagna," Uncle Sev replied. "I found the recipe for it in this book," He said, pointing to a cookbook on the counter in front of him. "I've gotten it all assembled, now it just needs to be cooked." Taking his wand out, he pointed it at the casserole, and said, "Infervesco." Teecie watched with wonder as the lasagna grew hot and the cheese bubbled. "You'd better go wash up and call your sisters," Uncle Sev said, reaching into the cupboard for plates.  
  
  
  
Soon, everybody was gathered around the kitchen table. Teecie looked at Uncle Sev, who had unknowingly sat in her father's usual seat. Biting her lip, she began to cry. "I know you're upset, Teecie, but try to eat something. It'll help you feel better," He told her.  
  
  
  
"But-but-you're sitting in daddy's chair!" Teecie cried, gasping with each word and sobbing. Uncle Sev looked around at the girls and saw how upset they were. Without speaking, he picked his plate up and moved to the other end of the table, closer to Teecie. Dinner proceeded in silence after that.  
  
  
  
Once everybody had finished eating, Teecie went and took a long shower to clean up from working in the barn. The hot water felt good on her skin as some of the horror of the day washed away with the dirt. It was relatively early still, but all the girls were exhausted and decided to go to sleep early. Reni took Hunter to her room while Kali and Teecie went to their own rooms to change into their nightclothes. Teecie was surprised to see her school trunks in her room. They'd been packed for her, she wondered if the twins had done it, or the house elves. She'd have to ask Uncle Sev.   
  
  
  
After she had changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top, Teecie had gotten into bed and tried for about a half hour to go to sleep, but found she couldn't. Getting up, she walked to Reni's room. The door was closed, but she could hear Uncle Sev inside, talking while Reni was crying. Not wanting to interrupt, she walked to Kali's room, but didn't want to wake her up if she was already asleep. Since the door was closed, she couldn't tell.   
  
  
  
Teecie walked into the kitchen. All the lights in the house had been turned off, but she had every inch of the house memorized. Making her way through the dark to the refrigerator, Teecie took out a plate of the leftover lasagna, found a fork in a drawer, and sat down in the corner of the room, on the floor. While leaning her head against the cupboard door, Teecie started to eat. She was about halfway through the lasagna when Kali came into the room. She saw Teecie's dark form in the corner of the room and came over to sit down next to her. Kali was wearing a large, over-sized shirt to keep from getting too hot on the warm night. They sat side-by-side, in the dark, not talking. Every once in a while, the sound of Teecie's fork scraping the plate would shatter the silence. After several minutes, Kali reached over and took the plate away. "You don't need that. You already ate dinner," She said quietly.  
  
  
  
Teecie hadn't really been hungry, so she wasn't too upset. Instead, she began tapping the fork nervously on the floor. Thoughts of her father began to seep inside of her mind. Though she felt scared for the most part, a small part of her felt angry, for some reason. Her anger grew until she suddenly threw the fork across the room, sending it clattering noisily to the floor.   
  
  
  
A few minutes passed before the girls saw Uncle Sev walk into the room. "What are you girls doing in here?" He asked, coming to stand next to them.  
  
  
  
"Where's Reni?" Teecie asked.  
  
  
  
"She's asleep, finally. And you two should be too."  
  
  
  
"I can't sleep," Teecie said.  
  
  
  
"Me neither," Kali replied.  
  
  
  
Uncle Sev sighed and sat down next to the girls. "Would you like to talk about it?" He asked. Normally, Snape would have willingly dug his heart out with a spoon before talking about feelings, but he did want to help the girls, and it seemed that sharing feelings was a good way to do that.  
  
  
  
The girls asked Uncle Sev a lot of questions, many of which he had no answers for. Questions like, why did this happen to him? Was he going to be all right? Teecie was still feeling angry and couldn't help asking, "Why did he do this to us?"  
  
  
  
Uncle Sev put his arm around Teecie and pulled her to his side. "He didn't do this to anybody, his body did this to him. The heart is a delicate part of the human body. Not eating the right foods or not getting enough exercise or being too stressed can all put a strain on the heart."  
  
  
  
"What is he stressed about?"  
  
  
  
Snape thought about the possible reasons that Lucius had to be stressed out. The fact that his oldest daughter dropped out of school and then had a baby out of wedlock; the fact that his other two daughters were growing up very quickly, experimenting with boys; the fact that his son and his lover couldn't stand one another; the fact that he'd been keeping his past from his kids their entire lives. Then there was all the physical torture he'd endured during Voldemort's second rise. That had to have weakened his heart significantly. There was no way he could say any of that out loud, so he said the only thing he could think of to say: "Just...life."  
  
  
  
The girls clung tightly to Uncle Sev until they fell asleep. One-by-one, he carried them to their rooms, and tucked them in before going to the couch and falling asleep himself.  
  
  
  
Teecie woke up with the sun and went out to the barn for the morning chores. After repeating the things she did the night before, she went back to the house to get ready to go back to St. Mungo's.   
  
  
  
Uncle Sev had prepared the potion Teecie needed before flooing, so after she'd taken that, everybody took turns in the fireplace flooing to the hospital. Uncle Sev didn't stay long, he hugged Adriana and talked to her privately for a while before apparating back to Hogwarts.  
  
  
  
Adriana told the girls that Lucius was too tired to see everybody at once, so they could go in for a little while one-by-one. Teecie sat in a chair, kicking the legs with her feet while she waited for her turn. She was nervous to see her father. What if he looked very sick? What if he looked scary? Would there be all sorts of tubes and needles stuck in him like on all those telly shows? Teecie's insides were twisting with nerves as her mother called to her and said it was her turn to see her father. Teecie stood up slowly and walked to the door of his room. She bit her fingernail nervously as she stood in the doorway for a few seconds.   
  
  
  
Teecie looked at her father before entering the room. There were no needles or tubes. Only a bed and a few chairs and a desk. Her father, normally so big and imposing, seemed small and helpless as he lay in the hospital bed. His normally pale skin was gray and he wasn't moving very much. Suddenly, Lucius opened his eyes, looked over at Teecie, and smiled. "Hi baby," He said in barely more than a whisper. "Come in."  
  
  
  
Teecie took a few steps into the room before stopping to look around. The walls were pale blue, while the floors were a creamy yellow. While it was probably intended to soothe the eyes and nerves, Teecie still felt the opposite. The centrality of the bed made it difficult for her to focus on anything but her father, and she was still afraid to look too closely at him. She walked to the edge of his bed, and began to play with the hem of his bed sheets, not looking up at her father. "I'm sorry I scared you Teecie. I hate that this happened to you," Lucius said weakly. "Are you all right?" He asked.  
  
  
  
Teecie bit her lip and nodded her head. She twisted the sheet in her fingers, still not looking up at her father. "Are you sure?" He asked.  
  
  
  
Teecie shook her head as hot tears started to fall from her eyes. "No! I was so scared!" She began to sob and climbed up on the bed next to him, sitting down near him, but being careful not to touch him.  
  
  
  
Lucius moved his arm carefully and grabbed hold of Teecie's hand. "Baby, don't cry. I'm going to be all right. Hey, I want to show you something," Lucius said, trying to calm his daughter down. "Look over there on the desk. Your classmates sent me a get well card. Why don't you go over there and read it," He told Teecie.  
  
  
  
Teecie calmed down and sniffled while climbing down from the bed and walking to the desk. Next to a green vase with yellow carnations, probably something Adriana had gotten for the room, was a large handmade card. Picking it up, Teecie opened it and saw a photograph of her classmates spellotaped to the inside. They were all smiling and waving. Each one had written a message. A couple caught her eye.   
  
  
  
Dear Teecie's Father, the one from Paige had begun, I hate to hear that you're so ill. Teecie is one of my best friends in the world, and whatever makes her sad, makes me sad too. I hope you get better very soon, and that your heart doesn't attack you again. That must hurt a lot. Love, Paige Weasley.  
  
  
  
James's note made Teecie laugh. Dear Mr. Malfoy, I hope you get better really quick because otherwise, who will walk Teecie down the aisle at our wedding? If you get better soon, we might even name our first son after you! And tell Teecie for me, that my dad said that she can come over next month. She knows what I mean. Sincerely, Your Future Son-In-Law, James Lupin.  
  
  
  
When Lucius heard Teecie's laughter, he smiled. "That boy! I'm going to have to have a talk with him soon. Can't have him taking my little girl away from me too soon, now," He said weakly.   
  
  
  
Teecie set the card down and walked over to Lucius. Gently laying her head down on his shoulder, she said, "He'll never take me away from you, daddy. I love you." After Teecie kissed his cheek, Adriana appeared in the doorway and told her it was time to let Kali have her turn. Teecie kissed her father one more time before leaving the room. She felt much better after seeing him. He was weak, but would get better.  
  
  
  
Once all the girls had spent time with their father, Kali and Teecie decided to walk around the hospital for a while, to help pass away the hours.   
  
  
  
Several hours later, after they'd grown bored from looking at all the babies in the maternity ward, and had eaten lunch in the tea room, the girls walked back towards their father's room. As they walked, they ran into Reni who was walking with Hunter to go to the tea room. She told them that Adriana had apparated to the property to shower and pack a bag for herself before returning to the hospital. After Reni went back to going in search of food, Teecie and Kali walked to the door of their father's room. Kali pulled Teecie to the side, away from the door, when they heard Draco's voice. Carefully peaking inside, Teecie saw that Draco was in the room with another man, who was holding a stack of papers and a feather quill pen. The girls heard what Draco was saying to Lucius. "Father, you must consider it. Under the circumstances, it's the smart thing to do. The girls will be taken care of, if anything happens to you. They'll come and live with me. I'm only looking out for their best interests," Draco was saying, trying to convince Lucius to do something.   
  
  
  
Teecie didn't know what he was talking about, but apparently, her father did. "Draco, I see your point, and I do appreciate that you want to look out for your sisters. But I could never do that to Adriana. She's their mother, and she will raise them...if anything should happen to me," He said.  
  
  
  
"But father-" Draco began, but was cut off when Teecie burst into the room, followed by Kali.  
  
  
  
"You stop bothering him Draco! He needs his rest!" Teecie cried, looking up at her brother and putting her hands on her hips. Looking over Draco's shoulder and seeing the man with the papers in his arms, she spoke again. "And you! Who are you? My daddy doesn't need to be harassed by strangers! You leave him alone! Go on! Get out of here!" Teecie turned around to look at her father and saw that Kali had stood in front of him and had put her arms out behind her, shielding Lucius from them.  
  
  
  
Kali made eye contact with her brother before glaring at him. "You're doing it again!" She growled. Teecie didn't know what she meant, but Draco, who'd been walking over towards them, stopped cold.  
  
  
  
"This doesn't concern you girls. Go outside and wait until we're finished," Draco said coldly.  
  
  
  
Neither Kali nor Teecie moved. Finally Lucius spoke up. "Girls, I'm fine. Everything is all right. Why don't you go wait in the hall until I'm done talking to your brother?"  
  
  
  
The girls still didn't want to leave, but did as their father wanted, and silently left the room. Teecie turned around in time to see the man with the papers shut the door behind them.  
  
  
  
The girls waited in the hall. They sat down in chairs and waited in silence, each thinking about what had just happened. "Kali, what did Draco mean about going to live with him? Does he mean like for the summer? And what did you mean that he was doing it again? What did he do?" Teecie asked.  
  
  
  
Kali took a deep breath and folded her arms. "I don't know what he meant about going to live with him. And he didn't do anything...I was just upset. It didn't make any sense to me when I said it," She replied, looking up at the ceiling as she spoke.  
  
  
  
"Oh," Teecie replied. Several minutes passed in silence before Adriana reappeared. "Hi mum!" Teecie said, smiling. "Draco's talking to father in his room. We can't go in there until he's finished."  
  
  
  
Adriana smiled, though it didn't seem happy. "Oh he is, is he? Well, I think I'll just slip in and say 'hello' to Draco."  
  
  
  
As Adriana opened the door, the girls heard Draco talking. "At least let me give them their parties!" His voice said before fading away as the door shut once again.   
  
  
  
Kali and Teecie stood up and ran to the door. They pressed their ears against the door to hear what was being said. "Draco, so nice of you to come today, and I see you brought your solicitor with you. You won't be needed today. Lucius won't be signing anything any time soon. But it was good of you to stop by. It is too bad that you can't stay any longer," They heard Adriana say, her voice growing louder until they heard a thumping noise against the door. The girls jumped back and ran back to their chairs as the door opened and the man with the papers in his arms backed out of the room slowly and closed the door behind him. He then turned around and walked as quickly as possible, away from the room.   
  
  
  
The girls ran back to the door to keep listening to what was being said. "So, what are you harassing your father about?" They heard Adriana ask, accusingly.  
  
  
  
"This is family business, it's none of yours!" Draco shot back.  
  
  
  
"Oh? Which family? The Malfoys? Or the Orendeses? Of which I am the head, and you are not a part? Because if this has anything to do with my children, which I wouldn't put past you, you must know that nothing is going to happen to them."  
  
  
  
"Why don't you just let me talk with my father alone? We don't need you here to interfere!" Teecie was used to her mother and her brother fighting. They made it into an art form.   
  
  
  
"Will you two be quiet!" Lucius said, as loudly as he could. "This is not a competition. Stop using the girls to fight over me! It's not about them! I know what this is about. I love you both. And I know you're both scared about what happened to me, but I'm still alive! I'm not going to die! I'm not leaving either of you!"  
  
  
  
Suddenly the door opened while Teecie and Kali were still leaning against it. Draco had opened the door to leave, and was met with two girls falling at his feet. He was still very angry from the encounter with Adriana. Snarling, he bent down and grabbed each girl by an arm and yanked them up off the floor. "Get up! Now!" He growled, pushing them out the door with him.  
  
  
  
Draco dragged them to the chairs and pushed the girls down into them. "You girls have been interfering all afternoon! Now sit down and stay put! I don't want to see either of you out of those seats again! Got it?"  
  
  
  
Kali narrowed her eyes at her brother. "What if I have to go to the bathroom sometime?"  
  
  
  
Teecie felt inspired by her sister. "Yeah, what happens when school starts next year? Should I still be sitting here? And what about when I want to get married?"  
  
  
  
Draco looked angry enough to slap both of the girls. He stood over them, glaring down at them, until suddenly, he arched his eyebrows, and sat down next to Teecie. "You want to get married some day, eh?"  
  
  
  
The girls looked at their brother warily, wondering where he was going with this train of thought. "Well...yes, of course," Teecie replied.  
  
  
  
"That's good to hear. Well, I must be off. You girls stay out of trouble," Draco replied, standing up to leave.  
  
  
  
After a couple more hours, all three of the girls were ready to go back home. They said goodnight to their parents and flooed back to the property.   
  
  
  
Teecie took care of the chores, then took a shower. "Uncle Sev, can we have a picnic for dinner?" She asked when she came into the kitchen. Uncle Sev was standing at the kitchen counter, flipping through cookbooks.  
  
  
  
Kali and Reni were sitting at the kitchen table, reading magazines. "Ew, I don't want to eat outside! That's declasse!" Reni said sullenly.  
  
  
  
"Yeah, that's kind of gross," Kali said, not looking up from her latest edition of Quidditch Weekly.  
  
  
  
Teecie couldn't believe nobody else wanted to have a picnic. It was a beautiful night, and they'd been stuck indoors for the past couple days. Now that the stress had been somewhat alleviated by seeing their father, a picnic was the perfect celebration. Growing frustrated, Teecie bit her lip. "Fine! I'll just have my own picnic, by myself! Alone! And you can't come!" She cried, walking to the refrigerator and opening it up to see what there was to eat.  
  
  
  
Teecie found a plate of cold fried chicken, cold pizza, a pitcher of lemonade, and a bowl of lemon-mint couscous salad. Taking all of these from the refrigerator, she began to take trips outside, dropping everything off on the porch steps. When all the food was out, she found a blanket, plates, glasses, silverware, and napkins and hauled all of those outside. Teecie marched down to the pond and set up her picnic.   
  
  
  
Partway through her meal, Uncle Sev came out of the house and joined Teecie. He grabbed a plate and tried all of the food that she'd taken out with her. After taking a careful look at the pizza, he took a bite. He seemed to like it, for he finished the entire slice. "It's good isn't it?" Teecie asked, smiling at him.  
  
  
  
Uncle Sev nodded. "I've never had pizza before. Normally I don't hold with Muggle food, but this pizza's not bad," He replied.  
  
  
  
While the two ate, they talked about school and potions. Teecie sometimes thought it was funny that Uncle Sev never talked to her about anything except school or potions, like they were his entire life or something. Sometimes she wished they could talk about other things, like art, or politics, or gardening-anything really. She decided to see what happened when she brought up a new topic. "So, how about what the Ministry of Magic's been doing lately? I've heard some things," Teecie said knowingly. She had no idea what the Ministry had been up to lately, but thought he might tell her.  
  
  
  
Uncle Sev looked at her for a minute with his eyebrows raised before speaking. For a moment, Teecie thought he might smile, but he didn't. "Well...you know the Ministry...always up to something. But that one thing, you must know the one I'm talking about, that was terrible I will admit. Something must be done, or they'll just do that again," Snape said, taking a sip of lemonade to hide his smile.  
  
  
  
"I totally agree," Teecie replied, nodding her head before turning back to school as their next topic.  
  
  
  
Once the picnic was over and the sun had set, Uncle Sev gathered everything up and floated it all back into the house. Since it was still early, Teecie gave him a lesson on how the telly worked. She showed him all the buttons on the remote and what they did. Since Uncle Sev liked potions, she figured he might like a science programme, so she turned it to the Science Channel and sat down next to him on the sofa. A show about forensics had just started, and he seemed very absorbed in the show, but Teecie found it very boring. She curled up next to him and laid her head on his arm, wrapping her arms around the one her head was laying on. She felt Uncle Sev stiffen under her hold, but she didn't let go. He relaxed after several minutes. By the time the show was half over, Teecie felt her eyelids drooping. Unwrapping herself from Uncle Sev, she spread out across the sofa, putting her head on his leg to use as a pillow.   
  
  
  
Uncle Sev looked down at Teecie and felt a sudden surge of warmth in his heart for her. When he could hear her steady little snores, he moved his hand to pet her curly head until the show was over. The next morning, Teecie woke up to do the morning chores, tucked into her bed, with her stuffed pink unicorn doll next to her.  
  
  
  
The next morning began as the last two had, and soon, they were all back at the hospital. Lucius was eating a bowl of porridge when Teecie had her turn with him. When her father asked her how things were going at home, Teecie told him all about the barn and how she was taking care of it for him. "It takes a couple hours, but it's not so bad really. I kind of like it," She said. Teecie was surprised to see that her father's eyes had narrowed, and a look of anger had appeared on his face.   
  
  
  
Lucius began tapping his spoon against the bowl. "You've been doing all that work by yourself? What have your sisters been doing? Why haven't they been helping?" He asked in a controlled voice.  
  
  
  
Teecie shrugged. "I dunno. I suppose they didn't want to do it. But I don't mind, I like-" She was cut off by her father.  
  
  
  
"Go get your sisters, now," He instructed her.  
  
  
  
When Teecie stepped out of the room to find her sisters, Adriana asked why he wanted to see them all together. When she explained what they'd been talking about and his reaction to it, Adriana ran into Lucius's room.   
  
  
  
Teecie called her sisters into the room, and by the time they'd all come inside, they saw that Adriana was holding their father's hand. "What do you two mean by not helping Teecie? I wanted all three of you to work in the barn together! Now, tonight, you will all work together, understand? You girls are old enough to be trusted, or so I thought! I hope I won't hear about anything else like this! Got it?"   
  
  
  
Both Kali and Reni were looking at the floor. They nodded their heads silently. "I want to come home in a few days, knowing all three of my girls worked hard, as a team, to help out. Can I count on you?" Lucius asked them.   
  
  
  
"Yes father," All three of them murmured.   
  
  
  
"Good, now I want you all to go out to the chairs and think about what you're going to do in the barn tonight," Lucius instructed, trying to feel in control of the situation.  
  
  
  
The girls filed out of the room and sat down in the chairs. Teecie felt nervous as she knew both her sisters weren't too pleased with her right now. She decided to go for a walk by herself and returned several hours later to spend more time in her father's room.  
  
  
  
That evening, the girls were leaving to go out to the barn when Reni suddenly said she didn't feel well. Teecie looked at her with her hands on her hips. Reni wasn't sick, she just didn't want to help. "Yeah, right, Reni. Like I believe that! You heard what mum and daddy said. You have to help too, or else! I bet they'll cut your allowance off!" She said, sneering at Reni.  
  
  
  
Reni looked upset and walked over to Uncle Sev who was sitting at the kitchen table, looking through a food magazine, deciding what to make for dinner. "Uncle Sev! I'm sick! How can I work in the barn when I'm sick? I won't be a good caregiver to Hunter, my pride and joy, if I'm too ill to be near him. And if I can't be near him, then who will take care of him?" Reni laid her head on his shoulder and put her arms around him as she said this.  
  
  
  
Uncle Sev turned to look at Reni, and carefully unwrapped her arms from him. He put his hand on her forehead, frowned and felt behind her ears. Next he felt her pulse and looked into her eyes. "Well, you do seem to have some sort of a fever, and your glands are swollen. And your pulse is weak and thready. Your eyes are dilated. It can only mean one thing...you have...Labouritis. It has been known to be fatal before. It's symptoms are laziness and poverty. There's not much time left. The best cure for it is hard work. So, why don't you go help your sisters? I'll take care of Hunter. Go!" He said, pointing to the door.  
  
  
  
Reni stood up, anger clouding her features. "Fine! I'll go! I can't believe you're making me do this! I thought you loved me!" Reni walked to the door and started pushing Kali and Teecie outside, grumbling to herself the entire time.  
  
  
  
Taking care of the chores was far from pleasant that evening. Kali, while a good flier and very athletic, wasn't very strong when it came to lifting things, and couldn't bear to touch anything so dirty as a cow's teat, so was useless when it came to the milking. Mucking the stalls and gathering the eggs was out of the question as well, so she climbed the ladder to the hayloft and threw down hay to feed to the animals.  
  
  
  
Reni wasn't about to do anything that Kali wasn't willing to do, and spent most of her time directing Teecie in what to do. Teecie had to resist the urge to skewer Reni with her pitchfork. Once everything had finally been done, all the girls helped carry the eggs and milk back to the house.   
  
  
  
The rest of the week passed as pleasantly as possible. The family was sitting in Lucius's room the day before he was scheduled to return home, talking about the plans for the house and the farm now that Lucius wouldn't be able to help. Everybody had a job to do.  
  
  
  
Reni was going to be in charge of shopping for the family. Since she'd be out doing the shopping, she'd also be in charge of selling the items the farm produced at the local shops. The family produced more eggs, milk, butter and goat cheese than they could eat themselves, so they sold the surplus to the specialty shops closest to the property. Reni was also free to ask her sisters to baby sit Hunter, but they were under no obligation to do so, and she must also compensate them, either monetarily, or in exchange for some service, for their time.   
  
  
  
Teecie would be in charge of gathering the eggs each morning and evening, as well as feeding and watering the chickens, while hired men would take care of the rest of the farm work. It would also be her job to make sure the vegetable garden was weeded.  
  
  
  
Adriana needed Kali's help in the wheat field, so she'd be doing that over the holiday. She'd also have to help Teecie with weeding the garden. When she had free time, Lucius wanted Kali to get back on the broom and practice her Quidditch.   
  
  
  
Adriana would be spending most of her time in the wheat field, taking care of everything there.  
  
  
  
Lucius would be resting and getting very light exercise. He'd be following a careful regiment of potions as well.   
  
  
  
When the girls had free time, they could enjoy their holiday in any way they wanted. There should be plenty of time for fun and friends if they used their time wisely.  
  
  
  
The biggest announcement came when Adriana told them that they would be hiring a housekeeper. There was too much work to be done, and nobody to do it. If they hired somebody, the house would be kept up, and nobody would have to worry about cooking. Adriana had already looked into a few choices and had hired a friendly older woman to help them. Her name was Elsie Donovan, and she'd be flooing over first thing on Monday morning.  
  
  
  
The girls sat in silence, taking all of this in. Teecie would be doing some very important things for the family. It made her feel grown up, which she liked. She knew that Kali and Reni probably hated to have to do so much work, they really weren't meant for the kind of work they'd have to do, but Teecie was looking forward to doing her share. She wanted to do anything she could to help her father. He'd taken care of her for her entire life, and now it was time to help him when he needed her most. He deserved it.   
  
Chapter References: The song Reni sings is "Magic Man" Sung by Heart. 


	33. Change of Venue

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe de Blassenville: Hmm, a name change eh? Cool! Well, I'm very relieved that you didn't get too upset over the heart attack. He's had a hard life and it just seems to be a part of all of that. This chapter is a little bit more fun, I hope! I'm trying to enjoy the last few chapters before third year starts, because, I'll just warn you now, Teecie's third year will not be very much fun. Also, I don't know if you've read the latest chapter of Dragon's Tears by ElfFlame, but she posted it on Friday, and it's the most amazing chapter of the entire story, if not the entire series! Check it out if you haven't already! Here's the next chapter, enjoy!  
  
Change of Venue  
  
Teecie's summer holidays were going better than she'd expected. Every morning she did her chores before it got too hot outside, then spent the rest of the day caring for her father. She was also spending a lot of her time babysitting Hunter, and earning money and favours from Reni. Reni was out of the house a lot over the holiday, spending time with Peter Weasley. They had been getting pretty close lately. He was even spending time at the house. Though Lucius seemed to hate Peter, Teecie could tell he really liked him, but wasn't about to let Reni know that. Reni always did the opposite of what her father wanted. Peter was good for Reni and Hunter, and Lucius wanted to make sure he stuck around.  
  
  
  
Teecie also spent time with the new housekeeper. Mrs. Donovan was a wonderful housekeeper and cook, and was fun to be around. She taught Teecie lots of things about taking care of a house.   
  
  
  
The best part about the holiday, though, was watching her sisters grumble and moan about having to do their chores. Every morning, Reni would go with Hunter to do the shopping and selling. She'd spend her entire time during breakfast complaining about all the work she had to do. Apparently it wasn't easy to put tins of food into the trolley and wheel it to the check out counter.   
  
  
  
Kali hated to get dirty, so weeding gardens and working in the fields was pure torture for her. Each evening she'd spend most of her time washing and re-washing her hands. She also used almost a whole bottle of lotion a week on them. And of course she bemoaned the fact that her hands were in such poor shape by the end of every day.  
  
  
  
Teecie was far from perfect as well, though. Weeding the garden made her back and legs sore and tired, and it seemed like a losing battle most of the time. Each morning, there were all new weeds to deal with. The only thing that made it tolerable was the knowledge that at least she didn't have to deal with garden gnomes. Though she tried her best, sometimes she couldn't help but complain to her father. "It's such a tiring job, daddy! It's not fair!" She told him one afternoon while sitting on his bed next to him.  
  
  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry, baby. Tell you what, next time, you have the heart attack, and I'll work in the garden. Is that a deal?" He asked her, grinning and pulling one of her curls gently.  
  
  
  
Teecie loved her afternoon ritual of sitting with her father on his bed while working on her schoolwork. She'd work while he read books. In the afternoon, Teecie and Lucius would take a short walk for exercise.   
  
  
  
Adriana had bought Lucius a pile of books to read over the holidays while he was staying in bed and resting. He'd never heard of most of them. Roots, by Alex Haley; Of Mice and Men, and The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck; Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo; To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. Most of them had been written by American authors, and Adriana had read them during her times in the States.   
  
  
  
By chance, Lucius had chosen to read Les Miserables first, and found it hit pretty close to home. While his past has been hideously worse than Jean Valjean's had been, Lucius knew what it meant to walk away from one life and to embrace another. He knew what it was to try and make up for the past, yet at the same time, keep the past a secret from those he loved.   
  
  
  
Lucius often wondered what the best course of action was for his children learning about his past. Should he tell them himself, or let them find out on their own? If he said nothing, there was always the slim chance that they'd never find out. He dreaded the day when the world he'd worked so hard to create with his children was shattered when they found out about him.  
  
  
  
During the first week of July, Teecie sat on the bed writing a paper for her History of Magic class about the Goblin Uprising of 1659, chattering while her father attempted to read To Kill A Mockingbird. "Daddy, why do I have to write this stupid paper about this stupid goblin fight? Professor Binns is so boring! He's absolutely the worst teacher in the entire school! I don't see why I have to learn about this, it's the past, it's pointless!" Teecie whined.  
  
  
  
Lucius put the book down and wrapped his arm around Teecie's shoulders. "I know it seems pointless now, but, once you get older you'll see the importance of things like..." Lucius's voice trailed off as he realized, he'd never gotten anything out of those history papers either, "Well, look at it this way, it's part of the curriculum, so you just have to do it, whether you like it or not."  
  
  
  
Teecie rolled her eyes and went back to writing her paper. Once she'd finished, she joined Mrs. Donovan for a lesson on knitting. Teecie had grown very close to Mrs. Donovan over the holiday. She saw her as the grandmum she'd never had. Mrs. Donovan knew all sorts of interesting things like knitting, sewing, needlepoint, crocheting, tatting lace, and quilting. Teecie wanted to learn all of those. Her parents encouraged her to spend a lot of her free time practicing since she enjoyed it so much. Mrs. Donovan was a never-ending source of patience with Teecie. She had no grandchildren of her own to pass all these skills down to and was excited to have somebody to teach them to.   
  
  
  
Mrs. Donovan looked like the perfect grandmum. Her gray hair was kept in a tidy bun at the nape of her neck. She smelled of lemon verbena. There was a twinkle in her green eyes, and she had a wonderful smile. She was also a great cook. Everybody enjoyed eating the food she prepared-even Kali. The entire family loved her.  
  
  
  
A few weeks passed pleasantly before it was time for Teecie to go to James's house for the day. Lucius called Teecie over to the sofa as he sat watching the telly to lecture her about behaving properly at the Lupin household. She wasn't to do anything that would shame the family. And she must always remember that Professor Lupin was her professor, and he must be treated with the respect he deserved.   
  
  
  
As Teecie hugged her father, he looked at the outfit she was wearing. She wore a skintight red tank top that bulged in certain spots, a blue miniskirt that ended far above her knees, and red flipflop sandals. Lucius had never really thought of his youngest child as anything more than a little girl before, so he was shocked to see that she was growing into a young woman, and all that went along with it. Though he liked James, he kept having visions of him groping his baby, which he couldn't let happen. As she pulled away from him, Lucius asked, "Teecie, is that what you're wearing today?"  
  
  
  
"Yes," Teecie replied, looking down at her outfit.  
  
  
  
"No you're not. Go change. No daughter of mine is leaving the house dressed like some cheap two knut whore," Lucius said, waving Teecie off.  
  
  
  
"But daddy! I-"  
  
  
  
"No buts, just go and change into something less...revealing," Lucius said sternly, ending the conversation. Grumbling, Teecie turned around and walked to her room to change into a tee shirt and shorts. She didn't want to change, but she didn't want to upset her father in his condition. He wasn't supposed to be stressed out, so Teecie had been careful to be obedient to him all holiday long.   
  
  
  
Teecie returned to the living room where her father looked her over before approving of her outfit. She sighed, drank her potion, and flooed to James's house. James caught her as she arrived and hugged her tightly to him. "Hi," He said, grinning.  
  
  
  
"Hi," Teecie replied, looking into his eyes. He'd grown since she'd seen him last. They were the same height now. Teecie put her arms around his shoulders and kissed him. She liked not having to lean down to kiss him. After a minute or so, the sound of a throat clearing, startled them. Teecie looked up to see Professor Lupin standing by a chair.  
  
  
  
"Good morning, Teecie. How's your father doing? And how are you doing?" He asked, walking over to her, taking her by the arm, and pulling her to one side of him while James walked with them on the other side, out of the room.  
  
  
  
"Pretty good. My father's doing well," She replied.  
  
  
  
"That's wonderful to hear. We were all worried about your family when we found out."   
  
  
  
Teecie looked around the house as they walked. James and his family lived in a cozy four bedroom house in a small Muggle suburb of London. The walls were a lovely butter yellow, and there was a dark blue carpet under their feet. Simple furniture adorned the room. She soon found herself in the kitchen, where the rest of the family was. She suddenly felt shy, being in a strange house, with none of her own family around.  
  
  
  
Sirius helped her warm up by hugging her. Peter seemed shy too, and smiled but didn't speak. Mrs. Lupin smiled warmly at Teecie and welcomed her to the house. "Thank you for letting me come over today, Mrs. Lupin," Teecie said, smiling.  
  
  
  
Mrs. Lupin hugged Teecie. "Please, call me Tonks," She said. "It feels so nice to have a girl in the house!"   
  
  
  
"OK, we said hello to the family, now can we go up to my room?" James asked impatiently.  
  
  
  
"James! You know the rules," Remus admonished his son. James grumbled and kicked at the kitchen table.  
  
  
  
"Now, you can bring the things you want to show Teecie down to the living room and show her there," Remus told James.  
  
  
  
"Fine...like there's any point to that," He mumbled to himself, though he knew his father could hear.  
  
  
  
James grabbed Teecie's hand and pulled her out of the kitchen and into the living room. He sat down on the sofa and patted the seat next to him. Teecie grinned and sat down. "I've missed you," He said to her.  
  
  
  
"I've missed you too," Teecie replied, leaning her head on his shoulder and taking his hand in hers. After they cuddled for a couple minutes, Sirius and Peter joined them in the living room.  
  
  
  
"Why don't you snog her already?" Sirius asked, grinning shamelessly, sitting down in a chair as though to watch them. Peter sat down next to Sirius, looking like he was about to take notes on courting girls. "Have you two French kissed yet?" Sirius asked, folding his arms and sitting back.  
  
  
  
"You shut up Sirius! What we do is none of your business! You two go up to your rooms! Or better yet, Sirius, go lock yourself in the bathroom with your latest This Witch magazine! Wanker!" James said, sneering at Sirius.  
  
  
  
"James William Lupin! You watch your mouth!" Remus stormed over to the couch, glaring down at James. Remus was beginning to wonder if having Teecie over for the day had been a good idea. "Look, it's a beautiful day outside. Why don't you all play in the yard for a while. I set up the charms around the house so you can play some Quidditch if you like," He informed the children.  
  
  
  
The kids filed out of the house, into the front yard. There were several brooms, and as soon as Teecie saw them, her stomach began to twist. She hadn't flown since the Weasley family reunion a year ago. "Maybe I should just watch you boys play...I don't know how to play Quidditch," Teecie said quietly to James.  
  
  
  
"That's alright, we can teach you!" James replied.  
  
  
  
Teecie walked over to the brooms, put her hand out over one, and said, "Up!" When nothing happened, she sighed, then bent down and picked it up. After mounting the broom, Teecie kicked off and hovered a couple feet above the ground. She was still afraid of heights and had no interest in going any higher. "Hey Teecie!" James called from behind her. Teecie turned around and screamed as a large red ball came flying towards her. Ducking, Teecie missed being hit by the ball, but slipped off her broom and ended up back on the ground, scowling at James. "That's the Quaffle! You try to catch it and throw it back and forth, not duck from it!" He explained.  
  
  
  
Teecie glared at James before walking over to the Quaffle and picking it up. "You mean like this?" She asked before hurling the ball at James's head. James watched as the ball sailed about four feet to his left.   
  
  
  
"Yes, but more in the general direction of the person," He replied.  
  
  
  
Teecie growled to herself, then mounted her broom again and kicked off the ground, once again hovering a few feet off the ground. James tossed the Quaffle to her more gently. She was able to catch it this time. "Now what?" She asked.  
  
  
  
"Now you try to throw it through the goal. See that hoop?" He asked, pointing up to a wooden hoop on a pole in the middle of the yard. "The hoop can come off, so if a Muggle sees it, they just think it's a flagpole. Anyway, there's a person there, the Keeper, and they try to block you from scoring," James explained.  
  
  
  
Teecie was nervous. She'd have to fly higher to reach the goal hoop. Very slowly and carefully, Teecie allowed the broom to take her higher up in the air. Her heart pounded while she held onto the Quaffle. Peter was in front of her, trying to block her from making a goal. "Um...I don't know what I'm doing," She informed him.  
  
  
  
Teecie was about six feet from the hoop, and tossed the Quaffle, underhanded, towards it and watched as the ball fell about three feet short of its goal and slowly floated back to the ground. "That's...that was good," Peter said feebly, trying desperately not to laugh.   
  
  
  
"Hey Teecie!" A voice called out behind her. Turning around she saw Sirius holding a closed fist up and waving it around. "Wanna see what the Snitch does?" Sirius asked this while opening his fist and releasing a small ball that began to fly around on wings. It was so fast that Teecie only saw it as it started to fly, then it seemed to disappear. She could hear the whirring of its wings though. "Keep an eye out for it and try to catch it!" Sirius told her.  
  
  
  
Teecie craned her neck in every direction, looking for the small golden ball. After a few minutes, the whirring of the Snitch sounded louder and louder, until it stopped suddenly. The next thing Teecie knew, she was being pulled backwards. She gripped her broom tightly and flew backwards for a while. She felt her hair being pulled as well. Reaching a hand back, she felt a small round object tangled up in her hair. It was so tangled that Teecie was sure they'd have to cut it out. Screeching, Teecie flew back to the ground, which was difficult under the circumstances. The Snitch was quite powerful and kept pulling her backwards.  
  
  
  
Once on the ground, she dropped the broom and walked towards the house. Professor Lupin had been sitting on the porch steps, watching the children. He stood up and met her partway there. "What is it Teecie? What's wrong?" He asked.  
  
  
  
"I think that Snitch thing is stuck in my hair," She replied as her head was yanked backwards by the Snitch.  
  
  
  
Professor Lupin walked behind her and looked at her hair. Entwined in her curls was the Snitch, its tiny wings tangled beyond anything his fingers could work on. "Let's get you inside where you can sit down," He said, putting his hand on the back of her neck to support it when the Snitch pulled her head back, and helped her walk inside. The boys had flown back to the ground and followed them inside to watch.  
  
  
  
Tonks was attempting to bake chocolate chip biscuits in the kitchen when she heard Teecie. "Ow! It's hurting me! Get it out!" She cried. Tonks turned around and saw her husband ushering the girl into the room.  
  
  
  
"Here, sit down," Remus said, helping Teecie sit down. Looking up at his wife, he explained. "The Snitch got caught in her hair."  
  
  
  
"Hey, that means you won the game!" Tonks said, congratulating Teecie before walking over to look at the snitch. It was so tangled that for a few minutes, Tonks also wasn't sure if they'd have to cut it out of her hair or not. "Now, how are we going to get it out?" She asked.  
  
  
  
Tonks made Teecie lean forward, with her head on her folded arms, so she and Remus could examine the Snitch. "What if we...," Teecie heard Remus mumble before her hair was pulled hard. Teecie screeched, for which he apologized.   
  
  
  
After several more tugs and pulls, Tonks took her wand out. "What if we tried this: Capillus laxo," She said. Teecie felt as though a thousand tiny fingers were massaging her scalp. It felt wonderful. "I straightened your hair, love, this will help us untangle the snitch," Tonks informed her.  
  
  
  
"My hair!" Teecie cried, struggling against their hands as both Tonks and Remus worked to untangle the Snitch.  
  
  
  
"Don't worry, it'll get curly again as soon as we're done," Remus explained.  
  
  
  
It took several more minutes before they could free the Snitch from Teecie's hair. "See?" Tonks said, setting the Snitch down on the table in front of Teecie. "It's all done. Hold on, Capillus crispo," Tonks said. Teecie felt her scalp being tickled this time as she assumed her hair was re-curling itself.   
  
  
  
Teecie sat up and petted her hair. It felt normal, so she felt better about it. "Thank you," She said to Tonks and Remus.  
  
  
  
"No problem," Remus replied, smiling at Teecie. "Well, that seems to be it for Quidditch today, I'd say. What would you kids like to do next?" He asked.  
  
  
  
"We could go to the sweet shop!" Peter exclaimed. Turning to Teecie, he explained, "It's a Muggle store, but it's got the best sweets! James says you like Muggle things, you'd probably like it too! And it isn't far from here."   
  
  
  
"That sounds like fun!" Teecie said. "What do you think James?"  
  
  
  
James smiled and took her hand. "Sure, let's go!" He replied.  
  
  
  
The kids set off on their walk to the nearby store, and spent over an hour going up and down the aisles. Teecie bought a few Mars bars and a roll of Necco wafers, while James picked up the latest issue of Amazing Spider Man. Sirius spent his time in the magazine aisle as well, flipping through magazines with scantily clad women on the covers. Peter bought a pound's worth of pence candy, and soon, all the kids were walking back to the house with bags of treats to share after lunch.  
  
  
  
Once the kids returned to the house, Remus had prepared a wonderful macaroni and cheese lunch for them. They all sat around the table, eating and sipping on bottles of butterbeer. Teecie and James played footsies under the table while they laughed at Sirius's jokes.  
  
  
  
When the meal was over, James took Teecie to the backyard to show her the tree house. Peter and Sirius had gone up to their rooms to work on homework, allowing the young couple to be alone for the first time all day.  
  
  
  
Compared to playing Quidditch, Teecie wasn't as nervous about climbing the tree to the house set in the branches. It wasn't very large, just big enough for about three adults to sit in comfortably. Teecie sat next to James, holding his hand and snuggling up next to him. James loved the way she felt against him, and turned to wrap his arms around her waist and pressed his lips to hers.  
  
  
  
The two kissed for a while before James's hands started to wander over Teecie's body. Teecie leaned back until she was lying on the floor of the tree house.  
  
  
  
  
  
Remus sat at the kitchen table talking to Tonks as they sipped cups of tea. "So, Nym, Peter and Sirius are upstairs, where are James and Teecie?" He asked.  
  
  
  
"James told me he wanted to show her something in the backyard. That was a while ago though," She replied.  
  
  
  
"Oh?" Remus said, feeling concerned about their absence. "I think I'll go check on them, see if they're all right," He said, standing up and walking to the back porch. He'd made it to the base of the tree house and was about to start ascending the ladder when he heard Teecie and James talking.  
  
  
  
"James! Don't do that! James! Don't touch me there!" He heard Teecie say.  
  
  
  
"But, why not?" James asked.  
  
  
  
"'Cuz I said so, that's why."  
  
  
  
"But...I thought you wanted to do it."  
  
  
  
"Do it? If you can't even say it, we're not ready for it yet."  
  
  
  
"OK, I'll say it: Sex. There, I said it. Now can we do it?"  
  
  
  
"No! I don't want my first time to be in a tree house! That's hardly romantic." Remus breathed a sigh of relief.   
  
  
  
"But I thought you loved me!"  
  
  
  
"That is so unfair to say! Besides, my mum says boys say things just like you're saying right now to get girls to sleep with them. Is that all you want from me? 'Cuz that's not love."  
  
  
  
Remus listened to the sounds of rustling and thumps for several seconds before anybody spoke again. "Ow, James! I told you to stop! I'm going back inside the house now," Teecie said, sounding angry.  
  
  
  
"Fine! But did you have to hit me?" James asked loudly, equally upset.  
  
  
  
"Yes! And I'll hit you every time you don't stop when I tell you to!" Teecie cried. Remus saw her foot touch the first rung of the ladder and quickly ran back to the house before either of the kids saw him.  
  
  
  
A minute later, Teecie entered the kitchen and sat down next to Remus, who was pretending not to know what had happened. James slammed the door open and stomped inside after her several seconds later. "Teecie!" He yelled at her.  
  
  
  
Teecie looked up at James. "I'm not talking to you right now," She replied calmly.  
  
  
  
"Fine!" James yelled, walking out of the room. Teecie, Tonks, and Remus could hear him storming up the stairs, down the hall, and into his room, where the door slammed shut.  
  
  
  
"Um..." Tonks said. She had an idea of what must have happened in the tree house, but didn't say anything. Instead she asked Teecie to help her make biscuits, and the two spent the rest of the day baking together and talking girl talk.  
  
  
  
When it came to floo back to the property, James didn't even come down to say goodbye to Teecie. She was still very angry with him and didn't care that he was ignoring her. She said goodbye to the rest of the family and drank her potion before flooing home.  
  
  
  
Teecie worked off some of her anger by gathering the chicken eggs and feeding and watering the clucking and pecking animals. When she entered the house to wash up, she saw Peter and Reni sitting on the couch, talking quietly. Teecie smiled. She liked Peter and thought he'd make a nice edition to the family some day...if all went right that was. Peter had just taken Reni's hand in his when Teecie walked out of the room and outside to the porch.   
  
  
  
Teecie thought that if Peter was at the house, most likely, Paul was too. She was correct in her assumption, for she could see the shapes of two figures flying side-by-side on brooms as they skimmed their feet in the pond.  
  
  
  
Teecie turned her attention to her father. Lucius was on the back porch with Hunter in his arms. He sat on the porch swing, rocking the sleeping baby gently. Each night he normally he sat with Adriana who'd lean her head against his shoulder, with her fingers entwined in his, but she was nowhere to be seen tonight. Teecie had walked past him as she'd gone back inside, but came back out to talk to him. "Hi honey, how was your day with James?" Lucius asked her.  
  
  
  
"It was fine," Was all that Teecie said. Seeing her sisters so happy with their boyfriends made her feel even more upset with the way James had acted. When Teecie sat down next to him, Lucius looked over at her and smiled. "Where's mum?" She asked, snuggling next to her father.  
  
  
  
Lucius wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "She's tired, so she's in the bedroom. Draco came over today while you were gone. He wanted to know if you'd visit him. He said he'd enjoyed your stay last year so much he hoped you'd visit at the Manor for the rest of the holiday. Adriana wasn't too happy about that and they ended up fighting for a while over it. But they're both alive, and everything is still standing, at least from what I can see, and now your mum says you can go to the Manor if you wish," Lucius explained.   
  
  
  
Teecie sat in silence for a while as she took all of this information in. "I'd love to go back there...but I don't know if I want to stay for the rest of the summer. That's more than a whole month!" She said.  
  
  
  
"Well, just think on it for a while. Draco said he'd stop by tomorrow morning to talk to you."  
  
  
  
"Don't you want me to stay here? Don't you need me?" Teecie asked, looking up at her father, her brow furrowed with concern.  
  
  
  
"Of course I do, baby. I just want you to be happy. I know you ended up having fun last year, and Draco had some fun things planned for if you came again this year. I think it might be good for you. And just think, you'll get out of your chores for the rest of the summer!"  
  
  
  
Teecie grinned. She did like that thought. She spent the rest of the evening thinking about going to stay with Draco. She was still unsure the next morning when Draco arrived to talk to her.   
  
  
  
Draco led Teecie out to the back porch to talk to her privately. Sitting down on the steps next to her, Draco smiled. "So, you were gone yesterday when I stopped by. Where were you?"  
  
  
  
"I was at James's house. We played Quidditch and he showed me his tree house. It was pretty fun," Teecie said.   
  
  
  
Draco blinked a few times and took a deep breath before speaking. "Oh, I see. Well, you know Teecie, I wanted to ask you to come to stay with me again. I've talked it over with father and he agrees that I should give you a very special party in your honour, that is, if you agree to it. You see Teecie, you're growing up. And it's time that you had this opportunity. This party is a chance for you to meet some new people, boys, to see if you like any of them. It's kind of a special birthday party, belated, but I'd still like you to have it. How does that sound to you?"   
  
  
  
"A party? I don't need a party," Teecie replied, squirming uncomfortably.  
  
  
  
"Sure you do! You're a very special person to me, and I want to show everybody how much I love you! And you know what? All the guests will have presents for you...," Draco said, smiling at Teecie.  
  
  
  
Teecie thought about this. She did like presents, and she did like staying at Black Manor. Having a party wouldn't be bad, it could be lots of fun really. "I guess I could come to visit...," Teecie said quietly.  
  
  
  
"Great!" Draco exclaimed. "Why don't you spend today packing and father can drive you over tomorrow? This is going to be a lot of fun!" Draco stood up to go talk to Lucius for a while before flooing back to the Manor.  
  
  
  
Teecie spent the rest of her day packing to leave the next morning. She was very excited about going to stay with Draco, but nervous about leaving her father. Who would go for a walk with him when she wasn't there? Who would take care of him? Lucius assured her that he would be fine. Her sisters and mother and Mrs. Donovan would be around the house the whole time. He'd also be seeing her at the party, so they had that to look forward to as well.  
  
  
  
Teecie was too nervous and excited to sleep much that evening or to eat breakfast the next morning. Lucius, though he was supposed to be taking it easy over the holiday, decided that driving wasn't too stressful, and took Teecie over to Draco's himself, even though Adriana thought that it might be too much for him.  
  
  
  
Teecie had managed to fit everything she wanted to take with her in one trunk. She wasn't taking any of her dolls or toys this year, though she did take the Magical Fun oven. It was convenient for late night snacks. She also thought that the cooks woud kick her out of the kitchen if they ever caught her rummaging around for food. She'd learned last year to stay out of that room. Edith, the head cook, was quite temperamental and territorial.   
  
  
  
She'd also packed some new clothes. Teecie had outgrown many of her clothes from the last summer, and had gone shopping with her mum for more. She now had a bright red bikini that she loved. Lucius hadn't been exactly pleased, but was in no condition to yell at her for it when he'd seen her wearing it to sunbathe by the pond. Teecie had also packed a lot of her favourite books, and hoped to do some reading now that she'd finished all of her homework assignments.  
  
  
  
As Lucius drove the car up to the Manor, they talked about what Teecie wanted to do for the rest of her holiday. She seemed interested in the party Draco wanted to have, and her father seemed pleased over this. They were enjoying a few moments of silence as Lucius parked the car. The two walked hand-in-hand as they approached the front door.  
  
  
  
The morning passed much as it had the previous year. They were led into the parlour and waited for Draco to arrive. Teecie sat in silence while her father and brother spoke to each other. When Lucius stood to leave, she hugged him while he kissed the top of her head. Draco saw him to the door while Teecie ran to the room that was to be hers again.   
  
  
  
Teecie knew Draco would most likely take her to Diagon Alley again and buy her some horrible clothes to wear while she was there, but she was determined to have fun. She wanted to have a great summer holiday, and so far it had been, but wanted to make sure she continued to do so until the school year began in September. 


	34. Teecie's Party

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlame@hotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe de Blassenville: I thought you might like the reading choices Lucius made, I thought it was terribly important for him to read that book, personally. Yes, James is quite aggressive in what he wants from Teecie, but she is holding her own, so far. And yes, she is back at Draco's but it's her choice this time, and it's going to be a lot more fun than the year before, as this chapter will hopefully show. Let me know what you think! Enjoy!  
  
Katie: I'm so glad to hear from you! Thank you for taking the time to review. I've had a lot of fun writing this story and it's so nice to hear that others are enjoying reading it. Well, here's the next chapter for you to read. Enjoy!  
  
Teecie's Party  
  
Just as Teecie had expected, Draco had taken her to Diagon Alley the day after she arrived at the Manor. This year, though, he let her design the clothes with Madam Malkin while he browsed through Flourish and Blotts. He'd informed Madam Malkin of what he was looking for in the finished clothes, and had picked out a few different colours and materials for Teecie to choose from, but allowed her to make the final choices.   
  
  
  
After several hours, Draco returned to see Teecie wearing a midnight blue floor-length dress and matching slippers. Teecie grinned up at her brother and twirled around. "Can I wear this home?" She asked excitedly. Draco was very happy to see his sister excited about the new clothes and gave her permission to wear the dress home, even though it was not exactly appropriate for wearing on a dirty street.  
  
  
  
As a special treat, Draco took her to Notable Notions, a small trinket shop with all sorts of fascinating things to look at. Teecie was looking at a singing teapot with a grin on her face. "It's just like Mrs. Potts!" She cried. Draco didn't know what she meant, so she explained to him about one of her favourite Disney movies, Beauty and the Beast. Teecie wandered up and down the aisles, amazed at all there was to see.   
  
  
  
There was an odd feeling in the air of this shop. She'd heard the story of how her parents had met, and there weren't too many trinket shops in Diagon Alley. This must be the place. The place where her mother had knocked her father down, leaving him looking up at her in wonder. Teecie smiled at the thought, and imagined her father and mother doing that. She couldn't see her father doing that now, but he must have been a very different person then.  
  
  
  
As Teecie gazed out the window, she thought she saw a familiar face outside the shop. Lisette! Teecie ran to the window and looked to see where she was going. She seemed to be looking in baskets and barrels outside the store windows. "I'll be back!" She called out to Draco before dashing out one of the shop doors. Teecie ran for a minute into the crowd before she realized that Lisette wasn't there anymore. Turning around to walk back to the trinket shop, Teecie realized that she wasn't in Diagon Alley anymore. Looking at all the stores, she saw that everything was dirty and dingy. The people in the street looked poor and shabby and were dressed in dark clothes.   
  
  
  
Teecie took one step back towards the trinket shop before being stopped by a dirty looking man with greasy brown hair, stained and rotted teeth, and stubble all over his face. "Now, what's a pretty little girl like you doing here?" He asked, his voice slurring as though he'd been drinking. The man put his hand on Teecie's elbow and tried to pull her towards him.  
  
  
  
Teecie gasped and tried to wrench her elbow out of his grasp. The man tightened his grip and pulled her even closer. Teecie could feel his hot breath on her cheek; it reeked of alcohol. She suddenly had flashes of her last Christmas, with Lucius dunking Draco's head in the rain barrel before throwing him out, and Uncle Sev yelling at her for pouring out all the bottles of alcohol. Trying to scream, the only thing that emitted from Teecie's mouth was a small squeak. Just as the man was reaching with his other hand to touch her face, Teecie raised her foot and kicked him sharply in the shin. The man cried out in pain, let go of Teecie and bent down to nurse his sore leg. Teecie took the opportunity to turn around and run away, back to the trinket shop.  
  
  
  
Once back in the shop, Teecie leaned against a wall for a few minutes to catch her breath and calm down again. After she was no longer shaking, Teecie walked back over to where she'd last seen Draco. He was still standing there, looking in a case of miniature soldiers that were busy battling each other with tiny guns. Realizing his sister was standing next to him, he looked down at her, smiled, and asked, "Where did you run off to?"  
  
  
  
"Oh, nowhere. I thought I saw somebody I recognized, but I was wrong. So, are you going to buy some of these?" She asked, pointing to the figurines.  
  
  
  
"Not today. Where did you see this person?" Draco asked, trying to steer the conversation back to the real issue.  
  
  
  
"Just right outside the shop, not too far," Teecie replied, tapping on the glass of the case.  
  
  
  
Teecie looked at her brother and watched as his eyes dilated. "You went outside? But you just came from the other side of the store...where did you go outside? Show me," Draco demanded.  
  
  
  
Teecie pointed to the window. "It was just outside there, but I came right back in-" She said before being cut off as Draco took her by the hand and started pulling her towards the entrance to Diagon Alley.  
  
  
  
As Draco fumed and muttered to himself, Teecie tried to find out what was wrong. "What's the matter? Draco, it was an accident, I didn't know there were more exits, and I didn't know there were more places than Diagon Alley!" She cried, struggling against him.  
  
  
  
"You went somewhere without my permission! That's what's the matter!" Draco growled before going back to muttering to himself. Teecie heard a few snippets as he talked. "Knockturn Alley...caught...father...find out," Were the only words she could make out, and none of them made any sense to her.  
  
  
  
"Draco, why do we have to leave? I wanted to buy that teapot! Did I do something wrong? I told you I didn't know about that place. I'm sorry!" Teecie cried.  
  
  
  
Draco slowed down a bit, but didn't stop walking. "Teecie, I'm not angry with you, I'm just concerned. You have to be more careful where you go. You never know what kind of people you'll be faced with. I just want to make sure you're always safe, and I can't do that if you wander off. Now, it's time I got you back to the Manor, so let's go," He said, squeezing her hand lovingly, and leading her back to the Leaky Cauldron.  
  
  
  
Teecie sighed and followed her brother to the pub before flooing back to the Manor. To help make up for being so cross with her, Draco spent the rest of the day talking to Teecie about the party he wanted to give her. He'd already made some plans, but since it was in her honour, she'd be able to make some choices too. He had lists of things for her to choose from, like what foods to serve, what flowers to have, and what colours to decorate with.   
  
  
  
Teecie looked through all the pictures and samples that Draco gave her. She chose a pale rose linen for the tables, with cream coloured runners. She thought the pale pink peonies matched the linens very well, as they were speckled with pale cream spots. Draco was quite insistent on a third colour. Teecie chose moss green coloured china to serve the tea and food on. They'd just finished choosing matching green sashes for the doors, and ribbons for the banisters by dinner time.   
  
  
  
Teecie had trouble sleeping that evening, she kept seeing images of that dirty man from the dark alley she'd stumbled upon. She could smell his breath, and feel his hand on her skin. She couldn't talk to Draco about it, so Teecie got up early the next day and went outside to talk to Lindon, the gardener. Lindon was a wonderful man, who always helped Teecie feel better about life. He helped her feel less scared by telling her to imagine something nice or pretty every time her mind wandered to the image of that man.   
  
  
  
Teecie didn't have time to think about that man anymore that day though, because Draco had a lot more planning to do. They worked on a menu. There would be lots of lemonade, punch, tea, coffee, and biscuits. Since there'd be no time for a formal meal, there needed to be foods that were quick and easy to eat. Teecie chose finger sandwiches, shrimp puffs, spanikopita, an assortment of meat skewers and kebabs, petit fours, baklava, cheesecake squares, and fruitcake bars. Draco wouldn't allow her to add crisps, ice cream, or the barbequed ribs that Teecie thought sounded delicious.   
  
  
  
Once that was all sorted out, Draco sent for a seamstress to come to the Manor to fit Teecie for a formal dress. He thought that the moss green colour of the decorations would suit her skin and hair well. While waiting for the seamstress, Draco also told her that she'd be taking more etiquette lessons, and also dancing lessons everyday to get her prepared for this party.   
  
  
  
Draco carefully explained about what this party was for. Teecie sat in silence and took it all in. He told her that this was a very formal and important party, and that she had to be on her best behaviour the entire time. She'd be meeting many people that day, and they would all be watching to see how she acted. Draco had made a list of families with sons to invite. She'd be meeting and dancing with all the boys, and if there were some that she liked, then he'd arrange an opportunity for her to meet with them again. This was a chance for her to make friends with the boys. There was no pressure for her to like all or any of them, but Draco wanted to show her that there were more boys out there for her to choose from.  
  
  
  
Teecie felt nervous when she heard all that was expected of her. She remembered back to a year ago when she'd been sent to the Manor for the first time. She'd been upset over the thought of Draco arranging a marriage for her. This sounded suspiciously like that. But then Teecie thought of her day at James's house and his behaviour when she'd refused to go any further with him. Maybe it was good to meet other boys. They couldn't all be as eager as James, could they? She didn't like feeling pressured by him, and even though she was very fond of James, it might be a good idea to see what being with other boys was like.  
  
  
  
"I don't have to marry any of them if I don't want to, right?" Teecie asked, looking concerned and nervous.  
  
  
  
"No, of course not. I only want you to be happy. I just want to give you the chance to meet some new people. If you like one of the boys and it eventually leads to more, then that's great, and if not, that's fine too," Draco reassured her, running his fingers through her curls.  
  
  
  
"Cool," Teecie replied, smiling. "Hey, I don't need to learn how to dance! I can dance, let me show you," She said, abruptly changing the subject. Teecie stood up in front of her brother and started gyrating and throwing her arms into the air. Every once in a while, she'd kick a leg into the air and wiggle her bottom. After a minute, she stopped and looked back at Draco. "See?"   
  
  
  
Draco tried to keep from laughing. He took a deep breath and bit his lip. "Yes, I do see, you are a very good dancer. But, there are many different types of dancing, and learning to do them properly can't hurt. Besides, it'll be fun," He said.  
  
  
  
The rest of the day passed pleasantly. The seamstress arrived and the three of them designed a beautiful dress for Teecie to wear. Draco was being very generous, and indulged Teecie in her design wishes. She chose a lovely moss green silk for the dress. A layer of georgette that was a deeper shade of green, covered the sleeves and bodice of the dress, and hung in loose panels over the skirt. The georgette covering the bodice and sleeves were embroidered in a deep evergreen, in a lovely abstract butterfly design, and held the two materials together. The georgette covering the skirt began at her waist, and swooped down on either side and into the back, leaving an open part on the front. It was also delicately embroidered to symbolize butterfly wings, but wasn't attached to the dress itself, so it floated and fluttered as she walked. A long ankle-length crinoline lined in silk helped the skirt puff out slightly. Teecie felt like a fairy princess.  
  
  
  
The dress would be accompanied by matching green slippers. Teecie would wear her amethyst necklace from her father, and Draco was having a matching ring and bracelet made. He didn't know why she didn't want to wear matching earrings, but respected her decision not to. The rest of the details, like hair and make up, would be left to Tanith as she went with Teecie to find the right hair things. Draco had no interest in that and he trusted Tanith's judgment in those sorts of things.  
  
  
  
Teecie was exhausted that night and fell asleep immediately. Draco had told her that the dance instructor would be arriving the next morning for a crash course in dancing. The party was in a week, and there was no time to loose. After dancing lessons came etiquette lessons with Madam Geary, who Teecie had worked with last year. Teecie needed practice in the art of small talk in order to get the most out of the short conversations she'd be having with each boy she'd be meeting that night.   
  
  
  
Teecie's dance instructor was named Jeremy Harwood, and was a nice older gentleman. He had graying hair and a handsome chiseled face that was tanned and had smiling brown eyes. He was a never ending source of patience with Teecie and never raised his voice when she made a mistake or accidentally stepped on his foot, which she did several times.  
  
  
  
After a couple hours, Teecie began to get the hang of it, and found she was actually a very good dancer. Draco, who insisted on watching the lessons, was impressed with how quickly she picked up the art of dancing. He also liked seeing how much Teecie was enjoying herself. She spent much of the time laughing and joking with Mr. Harwood while learning all the moves. Draco did wish he could break her of the habit she had of interacting with the servants as though they were equals. She needed to learn her place in the world, and realize that there were certain things a girl of her station did not do. But there was still time to work on that later.  
  
  
  
The rest of the week passed quickly, and soon Teecie found herself traveling with Tanith to Diagon Alley on Friday, the day before the party. They met up with Adriana and spent the day shopping for last minute items. They found fluttering, sparkling butterflies that clung to her hair and acted as barrettes. Adriana bought four of them, all different shades of light pink, for her daughter's hair.   
  
  
  
Tanith found a tube of body glitter that Teecie could put on her skin to give it an iridescent glow. She also found a tube of light pink, cherry scented lip gloss that would look good on her.  
  
  
  
Adriana acted oddly at times during the trip. Sometimes she was quiet and looked sadly at Teecie, and sometimes she laughed, and had fun with them. Teecie noticed this and put her arm around her mother while they walked to another shop. "What's the matter, mum? Aren't you excited about the party tomorrow?" She asked.  
  
  
  
Adriana looked at her daughter and was shocked to see her looking straight into her eyes. When had Teecie grown so tall? She was growing up so fast, it hurt to watch. "I'm happy that you're so happy about the party. I just...your brother and I see things differently, that's all. I know it's not the same thing, and that he's not controlling you, but I can't help but think of the marriage my father arranged for me. I just don't want that to happen to you. Whichever boy you choose, whether it's one you meet tomorrow or not, make sure you know him very well before you marry him. And make sure you wait until you're old enough to do so. Will you promise me this?" Adriana stopped walking and embraced Teecie in a tight hug.  
  
  
  
"Yes mum, I promise. I don't want to get married any time soon anyway!" Teecie replied, hugging her mother back.  
  
  
  
The rest of the trip was fun as they finished getting last minute items for the party the next day. As they sat at lunch talking about what would be happening, Teecie was suddenly hit with a wave of nervousness. What if something horribly embarrassing happened? She'd been told what was expected of her, how she would be given a chance to dance with all the boys and the best things to say to them to see what they were like, but most of them would be complete strangers. She knew the routine for what was going to happen. The boy was the one to ask her out, if he liked her. If she liked him, she could say yes, if she didn't, she could say no. The boys she said yes to would be the ones she'd get to see again in a one-on-one situation.  
  
  
  
Teecie'd been practicing her dancing every day until her toes ached, and she was confident that she'd do all right, except for the final dance with her father. She'd practiced with Mr. Harwood on the best way to dance with her father, who couldn't move too quickly these days. His foot and heart didn't permit for lively dancing. They'd practiced waltzing at a slower cadence to accommodate him. She'd also practiced dancing with Draco, who'd be sharing her first dance. She also had tried her dress on and danced in it, to adjust to the long material at her feet. Teecie knew that she'd probably end up stepping on several toes throughout the day.  
  
  
  
Adriana noticed how quiet she was and asked if everything was all right. "Oh mum! What if I mess it all up? What if I fall flat on my face while dancing? What if none of the boys ask me out? What if I get pimples all over my face tonight? What if I spill food all over my dress? What if I-" Teecie was nearly hysterical before Adriana embraced her.  
  
  
  
"Darling, you have nothing to worry about. Just remember that all the boys there are going to be as nervous to be meeting you as you are of meeting them. Everything will be just fine. This is supposed to be fun, don't lose sight of that," Adriana said, comforting her daughter.  
  
  
  
"Your mum's right Teecie, you have nothing to worry about. Tomorrow's going to be so much fun, you'll see," Tanith said, patting Teecie's back.  
  
  
  
Teecie began to feel a little better after that and enjoyed the rest of the day. That evening, after dinner, Draco called her to the library to discuss the party. He reviewed everything that was going to happen, and reminded her about being on her best behaviour. Things would be carefully monitored to make sure that nobody was trying anything inappropriate. He also reiterated to Teecie that she was under no pressure to choose any of the boys. This was for fun.  
  
  
  
The next morning, Teecie woke up while it was still dark outside. She was too excited to go back to sleep. She picked at her eggs and bacon while everybody else ran around finishing up last minute tasks and plans. The party started at ten in the morning, and at eight, Tanith ushered Teecie off to her room upstairs to be dressed by the maids. They preened, tucked, folded, and teased until she was completely ready.   
  
  
  
Teecie walked to the full-length mirror and looked at herself. She hardly recognized herself. She looked much older than she was used to looking. It almost scared her at first. Her curly red hair was held off her face by the enchanted pink butterfly clips. They were mesmerizing as they fluttered their wings in her hair. It made her head look as though it had a glittery halo around it. The moss green dress wasn't low-cut by any means, but it showed off her body in an attractive, yet wholesome way. Teecie wore the amethyst necklace her father gave her on her birthday, and a matching bracelet and ring given to her by Draco.   
  
  
  
Tanith walked up behind Teecie and looked at her in the mirror. "You look beautiful, dear. The boys are really going to enjoy dancing with you today," She said, smiling. "Are you ready to go?" When Teecie nodded her head, she instructed her, "Now pick up your skirts so you can walk and not get them dirty, all right?"  
  
  
  
Teecie leaned down and gathered her skirts in her arms and hiked them up to her knees so she could walk more freely. After a few minutes, Tanith glanced at Teecie over her shoulder and gasped. "Teecie! Not like that!" She ran back to Teecie and showed her the proper way to hold her skirts in her hands while walking.   
  
  
  
Teecie felt all right until they came to a staircase. She felt like she might trip and fall if she couldn't hold onto the railing, but she couldn't do that, since her hands were full. "Tanith, I can't see my feet! I'm gonna fall!" She cried out in a panicked voice. Tanith turned around and took Teecie by the arm and helped her walk down the stairs.  
  
  
  
Draco was waiting for them at the foot of the stairs and was amazed to see his baby sister's transformation. He couldn't believe what she looked like. She was...pretty. He stared at her for a few moments, trying to think of the right thing to say before turning to Tanith. "That's it, take her back upstairs and lock her up. I can only imagine what all the boys will be thinking today when they see her..." His said, his voice trailing off. Tanith couldn't tell at first if he was kidding or serious until he grinned and chuckled. "Come on, let's go," He said, holding his arms out for them to take. Draco looked down at Teecie. When she looked up and met his gaze, he smiled. "You know...you look really beautiful. Any of those boys will be lucky to have your affections," He said softly. Teecie blushed and leaned her head on her brother's arm for several moments while they walked to the car.  
  
  
  
Leland, the chauffeur, drove them to the rented hall that everybody would be coming to for the party. They were the first people to arrive and Teecie looked at her surroundings while there was nobody else in them. There were tables with the tablecloths and flowers that she'd chosen set up at one end of the room. Long tables filled with food, beverages, plates, cups, and silverware were set up by the tables. One half of the room was empty, the dancing would take place there. A small group of musicians was setting up chairs and music stands to provide live classical music for the dancing.   
  
  
  
The hall was decorated in the moss green sashes and ribbons that they'd picked out, and above a large round table, there was a huge banner bearing the Black and Malfoy family crests. Teecie and her family would be seated at this table.   
  
  
  
Draco showed her a small table set up by the door that had a small pink book with a delicate matching pink ribbon, on it. As the guests arrived, the boys would sign the book that would then be placed on Teecie's wrist. This was the order in which she would dance with them. There was a small pen in the spine of the book for her to keep track of if she chose to see them again or not.  
  
  
  
Once Teecie had finished looking around, the rest of her family arrived. Lucius looked very regal and handsome in a set of formal deep green robes. Teecie didn't know what shade of green it was-it was almost black. His gait was still slow from the heart attack, and he leaned heavily on his cane, but there was a dignity about him that no amount of physical disabilities could cover up. His long white hair was tied back in a tight queue.   
  
  
  
Adriana was wearing a white silk Asian-style tea dress that had pink peonies embroidered on them that trailed all the way down one side of the dress. The dress was tight, yet fully covered her chest, and though sleeveless, covered her shoulders. It ended just at the shins. She wore matching white slippers on her feet. Adriana's jet black hair had grown long over the years and she wore it gently swept back and held by several pink peonies that matched the ones on her dress and the tables. She'd enchanted them to grow long tendrils that entwined throughout her hair and held it all together in a sort of moss green netting. Teecie thought it looked amazing.   
  
  
  
Kali wore a cerulean blue loose-fitting silk and georgette flapper dress. The drop waist ended all the way down to just below her hips and the dress itself ended at her shins. It was sleeveless to accommodate the warm weather, and was held up by narrow straps. There were little jewels on the bodice that shimmered as she moved. Teecie was reminded of some of the dresses from the movie Singin' In the Rain, her mum's favourite movie.   
  
  
  
Reni wore a slinky black evening dress and had her hair held back in a tight fold. She was already quite tall, like her father, and looked even taller in matching black heels. She looked extremely regal and beautiful, yet cold and aloof at the same time. Perhaps it was because of the way she held her head back in order to look down at everybody else. Hunter had been left at home with Mrs. Donovan so Reni could enjoy her day without having to deal with a baby at the same time.  
  
  
  
Uncle Sev had also come with the family. He wore formal black robes that matched his hair and eyes perfectly.   
  
  
  
Everybody looked around and started towards Teecie when they saw her. Lucius looked down at his youngest child and felt misty eyed as he saw how grown up she looked. He found he couldn't speak, and merely embraced her. Teecie hugged her father and kissed his cheek.   
  
  
  
Adriana on the other hand, looked at Teecie and burst into tears. "Oh my baby!" She cried quietly. "You look so grown up. I can't believe it." Teecie gave her mother a hug and held her hand while she tried to compose herself. "I made myself promise I wouldn't do this during the party, so I'm getting it out of the way now," She said, sniffling and chuckling at the same time.   
  
  
  
Soon, the guests started to arrive. A man at the door called out the last name of each family as they walked inside and the son signed his name on Teecie's dance card. Teecie's heart pounded as she watched people entering the room. She'd be dancing with and talking to each of the boys who came in. Draco left the family table to greet the guests. Teecie watched out of the corner of her eye as he shook hands with all the men and kissed all the women's hands. She was growing much more nervous and turned her attentions back to her family to help soothe her nerves.   
  
  
  
When it seemed as though most of the guests had arrived, Draco made a brief welcoming speech before calling Teecie out to the dance floor to begin the party. Teecie took a deep breath and slowly walked onto the floor to her brother. Draco took his sister's hand for a moment and gave it a comforting squeeze. After he did this, he took the dance card and tied it around her wrist. "Just imagine they're all naked," He whispered to Teecie as she looked around at all the people, before they moved further onto the floor.   
  
  
  
Teecie giggled quietly. "Eeew, Draco! That's gross!" She said. While looking over her shoulder, she saw a handsome boy watching them. "Although...I don't mind imagining him naked..." Her voice trailing off.  
  
  
  
Draco's face drained of it's pale colour. "Why don't you just forget I said anything, alright?" He said.   
  
  
  
As the music began, Teecie curtseyed while Draco bowed to her and took her in his arms. Teecie had practiced dancing in the dress and knew how she needed to hold onto it to keep from tripping. She was nervous for a minute as she realized that everybody in the room was looking at her, but soon found the music melting away her anxiety and the movements of the dance relaxing her until she only felt enjoyment. Teecie smiled and looked up at her brother. He was smiling down at her. After a few more minutes, the dance ended. Teecie curtseyed, Draco bowed, and the crowd applauded them.  
  
  
  
As Draco walked away from Teecie, he saw the first boy who was going to dance with his sister, standing next to his father. He looked awkward and extremely nervous, for it seemed he didn't know if she was going to come to him or if he was supposed to approach Teecie. Draco walked up to him and beckoned him forward onto the dance floor, then stood back and watched as the boy made his way over to Teecie.   
  
  
  
Teecie turned around to see an adorable chubby brown-haired boy walking up to her. Smiling, she said, "You must be..." Teecie flipped her dance card open and read the first name written down, "Joshua Northrop"  
  
  
  
Joshua smiled and nodded. As the music began, he held his hand out. Teecie placed hers in his and after Joshua placed his other hand on her waist, they started dancing around the floor. Joshua was obviously shy and easily flustered. It seemed difficult for him to dance and talk at the same time. Teecie prodded him along though, asking about his family and hobbies and about himself. He was fourteen, and a Ravenclaw. He enjoyed reading and writing poetry. His favourite class was Muggle Studies, because he liked learning about different cultures. He had an older brother, Jeremy, who was out of school and married, and a younger sister, Marianne, who was about to start her first year at Hogwarts.   
  
  
  
Once the dance had ended, Joshua smiled and looked into Teecie's eyes. "I...I...well, maybe, would you..." He sputtered, fumbling around for the right words.  
  
  
  
Teecie looked up at him and blushed. He was so cute! He was going to ask her out! She thought he was very nice, and polite, and was sure to take things very slowly. "Yes?" She asked quietly, prompting him. "Was there something you wanted to ask me?"  
  
  
  
"Yes, I wondered if you'd want to go out with me sometime. Would you?" Joshua bit his lip and looked as though he was about to cry. He'd broken out into a sweat and was pale.  
  
  
  
Teecie hated to see him so uncomfortable. Patting his arm, she smiled and said, "I'd love to see you again!" Joshua took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh of relief before smiling back at her. Before he could say anything else, the next boy approached them for his turn with Teecie. "Well, I'll be seeing you again, it was nice meeting you Joshua," Teecie said as he walked back to the crowd to find his parents.   
  
  
  
Looking at her dance card, she saw the next boy was named Dominic Rothe. He looked at her lustfully as he took her in his arms and began dragging her around the dance floor. Dominic was a tow-headed boy with steely gray eyes. He was a 16 year old Slytherin. "So...Ticia, may I call you Ticia?" He asked halfway through the dance.  
  
  
  
"I-" Teecie began before he cut her off.   
  
  
  
"Let me ask you Ticia, you're a cute girl, and I hear you snog all the boys. Any chance of me getting a piece of that action? I mean, you do have nice boobs, I wouldn't mind getting my hands on them-for a few minutes even. Are they real?" Dominic asked, as though he was proposing a business transaction.  
  
  
  
"Ew! Of course they're real, not that you'll ever get to touch them! And if that was you asking me out, then I can tell you the answer is no!" Teecie snarled, her eyes glittering with anger as the music died down.  
  
  
  
"Fine, your loss," Dominic said, walking away from her without another word. Teecie quickly opened her dance card and crossed his name off.  
  
  
  
Teecie continued to dance with boys, and took a break after about a half hour. The next half hour passed with no more incidents like that. None of the boys had appealed to her, or they hadn't asked her out, but she had crossed off six more boys from the list.  
  
  
  
After another break for food and a drink, Teecie hit the dance floor and smiled as she saw the next name: Reynard Bagman. Rey walked up to her and smiled. Teecie squealed and put her arms around him. "Rey! I'm so glad to see you! Let's dance," She cried, taking his hand and pulling him close to her.  
  
  
  
Rey began to waltz with her and acted the very model of proper public decorum. "So, see any cute boys you like?" He asked her quietly.  
  
  
  
"A few. How about you?" She asked.  
  
  
  
"Same," He replied. Rey told her all about how Carl was doing over the holiday, since they'd been writing a lot to one another. When Teecie asked him why he had come to the party when he didn't want to end up with a girl, Rey grinned. "Are you kidding? And miss out on the social event of the year? You don't know, do you? People have been wondering about your father for years! They want to know where he's been and what he's been up to. This is big, bringing his children back to the flock like this," He said.  
  
  
  
"What do you mean about my father? My brother is giving me the party, not him. And why would people be interested in my father? He's just my father, nothing world-changing or earth shattering about him," Teecie replied, looking confused.  
  
  
  
Just as Rey opened his mouth to speak, Draco walked up to them. "Excuse us please, Mr. Bagman," He said quietly, looking furiously at Teecie.  
  
  
  
Rey raised his eyebrows and stepped away from them, and made his way back to the crowd. His turn was obviously over.  
  
  
  
Draco took Teecie by the arm and led her to a corner of the room. "Teecie, I had hoped for better behaviour from you today! There is to be no hugging or kissing any of the boys at all. Is that understood?" He asked quietly so that nobody else could hear him.  
  
  
  
"But Rey's one of my best friends in the whole world! I was just happy to see him," Teecie cried.  
  
  
  
"I don't care! The only touching that will be taking place today is for dancing, and even then it will be kept to a minimum. I've got people watching out, so don't think of disobeying me," Draco replied, laying down the law.  
  
  
  
Sighing loudly, Teecie frowned. "Fine," She said, grudgingly. Draco allowed her to go back to the dance floor where she met up with the next boy to dance with her.  
  
  
  
Owen Fairfax, a handsome boy of fifteen years, was actually a Beauxbatons student, though from England. He had strawberry blonde hair and azure blue eyes. Teecie felt her stomach flutter and her heart pound as she looked at his kissable lips. Owen looked into Teecie's eyes and smiled. "So, you go to Hogwarts," He said, to begin a conversation. Owen was an only child. His family had moved to France for business purposes, but he planned on moving back to England when he finished school. He wanted to work for the Ministry of Magic, in the Centaur Liaison Office. Teecie found that fascinating, almost as fascinating as the way his thick hair was curly at the ends. It was just made to run her fingers through. Just as the familiar throbbing in her abdomen was growing overwhelmingly strong, the dance ended. Owen gazed at her for several moments before speaking again. "I'd love to see you again, if that's all right with you," He whispered in her ear.  
  
  
  
Teecie gasped at how close he was to brushing against her cheek. "I'd like that too," She replied, blushing.  
  
  
  
Owen took her hand in his and brought it up to his lips. After kissing it gently, he looked back into her eyes and smiled. "Adieu," He said quietly before turning and walking back into the crowd. Teecie put her hand on her heart and stood for a minute taking everything in.   
  
  
  
She was snapped out of her reverie by an unpleasant voice behind her. "It's my turn, geek!" Turning around, Teecie frowned to see Marius Towler standing with his hands on his hips and tapping his foot impatiently.   
  
  
  
"Oh, it's you," Teecie said flatly. Sighing, she said, "Well, let's get this over with." She wrinkled her nose as Marius held onto her tightly and began to dance with her.  
  
  
  
"So, your brother is trying to marry you off already I see. He probably wants to start early so you'll have the best chances of finding some desperate guy who'll take you," Marius said, sneering at her.   
  
  
  
Teecie responded by stomping on his foot. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry! How clumsy of me!" She said with delight.  
  
  
  
Marius growled at her. "You know, if I married you, the only thing I'd do is keep getting you knocked up. 'Cuz that's all you're good for! I swear, if we're ever alone, I-" Marius was cut off as his father yanked him backwards and away from Teecie.  
  
  
  
"How many times do I have to tell you, you don't say things like that to a girl until after you marry her!" She heard Marius's father hiss as they left the dance floor.  
  
  
  
As if on cue, the next dance partner was Anthony Flint, Marius's partner in crime. Anthony was much less intellectual than Marius. He spent most of his time stepping on Teecie's toes. She couldn't quite tell at first if he was doing it on purpose or accidentally. When Teecie looked at him, he seemed to be concentrating and mouthing numbers as he took each step. "One, two, three, one, two, three," She heard him whisper. When the dance ended, he turned and left without a word. Teecie promptly crossed his name off the dance card.   
  
  
  
Teecie took another break and ate a cucumber finger sandwich before going back onto the floor. The next four or five boys were nothing to write home about. Teecie was beginning to feel tired and bored. After a short lull in the music, the next boy approached her. He was actually a man. Bryan Masters was eighteen years old, and took Teecie in his arms. Teecie couldn't put her finger on why he made her feel uncomfortable, but he did. When she looked up at him, she saw a hungry look in his eyes. "You're awfully pretty," Bryan said slowly. She felt a hardness pressing into her stomach. She knew what that was, and was used to the boys her age being like that, but this was an adult, a grown man. Teecie felt scared and tried to pull away, but Bryan held onto her tightly, and began guiding her over towards the window curtains along the wall.  
  
  
  
"No! I don't want to!" Teecie said loudly. As she tried to pull away from him, two huge men rushed towards her and took Bryan by one arm each and quietly escorted him out of the room. Looking around, Teecie saw Draco hurrying towards her. Taking her by the hand, he took her over to the family table where her parents were sitting.  
  
  
  
"What's the matter, baby?" Lucius asked when he saw how upset Teecie looked. Teecie opened her mouth to talk, and burst into tears. Draco explained what had happened before leaving to make sure the bouncers had dealt with the boy's parents and had thrown them all out of the party.  
  
  
  
Adriana put her arms around Teecie and held her for a few minutes without speaking. Finally she spoke. "Teecie, darling? You don't have to continue with this, you know. You've already met a few boys you do like, you can just go with that," She said, petting her hair and wiping away Teecie's tears.  
  
  
  
"But you can keep going too, if you want," Lucius interjected. "I know you've been having lots of fun, for the most part. Don't let one bad experience ruin it for you." He and Adriana had opposing views about the party as a whole, and it showed clearly in their words of comfort for their daughter.   
  
  
  
Teecie took a deep breath before standing up. "I think I'm going to finish," She said slowly before turning and walking back to the dance floor.  
  
  
  
The next boy made Teecie feel a lot better. Robert Bones, her own Gryffindor classmate. He smiled as she took his hand and started to dance with him. "So, I was trying to decide if I should ask you out or not," Robert said to her in a mirthful voice. "I mean, you are cute, but at the same time, you're my mate's girl. And I have to live with him while we're in school. He'd probably kill me!"  
  
  
  
"Well, he has to get used to this, because he doesn't own me! He was a real jerk to me the last time I saw him, so he can just deal with it," Teecie replied. "But I probably shouldn't go out with you. I mean, we're mates too, and it could be really awkward if things didn't work out, you know?" Teecie said.  
  
  
  
"I totally agree," Robert replied, smiling. "Besides...there's this other girl I kind of like..." He said, blushing.  
  
  
  
"Oh? Who is she?" Teecie asked excitedly.  
  
  
  
"She's a year behind us. And she's a Hufflepuff. Do you know June Lindon?" Robert asked, blushing even more deeply.  
  
  
  
"Oh, she's a good friend of mine! Her father's my brother's gardener! Have you asked her out yet?"  
  
  
  
"No..."  
  
  
  
"Do you want me to see if she likes you? Then you can ask her out if she does!"  
  
  
  
"I dunno...I suppose," Robert said, looking sheepishly at Teecie.  
  
  
  
"Cool! I'll write to her tomorrow and see!" Teecie said, grinning as the music ended.  
  
  
  
The dancing continued for several more hours. Many of the boys asked Teecie out, but she didn't feel anything special towards them and declined their offers. One of the most surprising experiences she had during the entire party was dancing with Zeren Travers. Zeren was the most popular Slytherin boy of her class, and also Lisette's boyfriend. Teecie was a little wary of what her dance with him would be like. Would he stomp on her feet? Tell her how worthless she was? Or how many times he'd impregnate her if they ever married some day? She was absolutely shocked to hear the words that emanated from his slightly smiling mouth. "You're not nearly as bad as Lisette has made you out to be. I thought you'd be some devil worshipping, brainless slut. But you don't seem too bad to me," He said, looking appraisingly at Teecie.  
  
  
  
"Well, thanks," Teecie replied, smiling. "You seem nicer than I thought you'd be."  
  
  
  
"So, what's it like having Professor Black for a brother? And Professor Snape in your family?"  
  
  
  
"I don't know...it's all I've ever known. Draco's the best brother in the world though. And Uncle Sev is wonderful too. I love both of them very much."   
  
  
  
Zeren snorted and rolled his eyes. "Aww, you love them," He said snottily. Teecie started feeling like he was beginning to act like the Slytherin he really was, now.  
  
  
  
"Well, you asked," Teecie replied, sneering at Zeren.  
  
  
  
"Look, I don't mean anything by it. I just think it's cool that you have both of those people in your family," He said as the music ended. "So...do you want to go out sometime or not?" Zeren asked unceremoniously.  
  
  
  
Teecie had to think about this. If she said yes, it would drive Lisette insane, well, even more than she already was. But she'd also have to get some type of revenge against Teecie. If she said no, she'd lose out on an opportunity to get to know a very important Slytherin. There was also the thought of Lisette being insulted that Teecie wasn't interested, and needing to get some type of revenge for that. Since vengeance seemed inevitable, it seemed that accepting his offer had the most chance of a positive return for her. "All right," She responded.  
  
  
  
Zeren looked startled for a moment before smiling in an almost friendly manner, and walking away. Teecie was surprised to see that he was capable of appearing nice at times. It seemed to her that she never could tell with some people.  
  
  
  
There were a few more dances after that before Teecie looked at her dance card and saw that she'd danced with every single boy who'd come to the party. Doing some quick counting, she saw that was fifty boys! She was amazed to see she'd danced with that many people in one day. But it wasn't over. There was still one last person to dance with. Perhaps the most important person to Teecie: her father. He would be sharing the last dance with her to signal the end of the party.  
  
  
  
Teecie turned to look towards the family table and saw at the edge of the crowd, both of her parents standing in front of her. Lucius looked so proud to be having the chance to dance with his daughter in public. Adriana was pleased to see the man she loved so happy. They had planned out how the dance would go, because of Lucius's health issues, it had to be done a little differently than her dance with Draco had gone.   
  
  
  
Adriana held onto Lucius's arm as they walked out to the floor together. When they approached Teecie, both stopped. Adriana leaned down and kissed her daughter's cheek, then turned to Lucius, who placed his cane in her hands. She walked back to the edge of the dance floor as Lucius bowed and Teecie curtseyed.   
  
  
  
When Lucius had gotten a firm hold of Teecie, who would be his only form of support during the dance, the music started, slower than the other dances had gone, but slow enough for him to keep the pace. Lucius beamed at his daughter and told her how beautiful she was and how proud he was of her this day. Teecie grinned up at her father and thanked him for allowing Draco to give her the party.   
  
  
  
After the music ended, Teecie hugged her father as Adriana walked back to the dance floor and returned Lucius's cane to him. Together, all three walked to the family table as the crowd applauded them.  
  
  
  
People stayed to talk for a couple more hours after the dancing ended and the musicians had left. Teecie walked around and mingled with some of the boys she'd met. She also had a chance to talk to her sisters to hear how their day had gone. Kali had danced with several boys, but was too much in love with Paul to even consider going out with any of them.   
  
  
  
Reni had danced with several of the older boys and men and had enjoyed herself. Though she did complain about not being able to drink as much champagne as she would have liked because it seemed as though Uncle Sev had been following her like a hawk the entire day. He'd even stopped her from leaving the party with one of the men. All they had wanted to do was to check out the room next door. When Teecie asked what they would have done there, Reni snorted and rolled her eyes.  
  
  
  
Teecie walked around by herself for a while and listened in on the conversations among the adults. "Can you imagine a man like Lucius Malfoy having a daughter as normal as that? You'd think they'd all be nut cases!" One woman had said to a group of other women.  
  
  
  
"Did you see the woman he left Narcissa for? I can't say I blame him!" One of the men said to another one as they sipped champagne. "Hell, I'd leave my wife for her in a heartbeat!"  
  
  
  
"I think it's just a shame really, that a man like Lucius is allowed to walk freely in society. After all the things he did, he's lucky he's not in Azkaban right now. And those daughters of his! Hussies! Every one of them, or so my son has told me. Why the oldest one had to drop out of school because she got herself into trouble," One heavy-set blonde-haired woman said to a man that Teecie assumed was her husband.  
  
  
  
All of this talk made Teecie feel uncertain. The words that Rey had spoken earlier in the day came back to her. She knew her father had changed the way he'd lived his life, but she didn't know what his life had been up to that point. He never spoke of it, nor did anybody else in her family. She started to wonder just what exactly he used to be like. Teecie just couldn't believe that her father was capable of having done anything too bad. He was a gentle, simple person. But Teecie's heart was suddenly filled with doubt. If people thought he deserved to be in Azkaban, it must have been something really bad that he had done.  
  
  
  
Just as Teecie was wondering if she ever really wanted to know what her father's life had been like, and how she'd go about finding out, Tanith tapped her on the shoulder and told her it was time to come back to the family table.  
  
  
  
Once back at the table, Tanith and Adriana sat on either side of Teecie and asked her about the boys she'd accepted dates with. Taking out her dance card and doing the math, she saw she'd accepted nine boys. She told her mother and sister-in-law about them while they asked all sorts of questions.   
  
  
  
When Draco had said goodbye to the last of the guests, he returned to the table and sat down for a few minutes to rest his tired feet. This had been a very long and stressful day for him, but was pleased to hear that Teecie had accepted nine boy's offers for a date. He'd be making the arrangements for those tomorrow. There were only two weeks left before school started, and he wanted Teecie to go out with all of them at least once during that time. Hopefully then he could work out dating arrangements for them during the school year. Teecie was a third year and would be able to go to Hogsmeade this year. He'd try to arrange for each of those trips to have a date that he'd chaperone. As time went by, she'd start to narrow it down until hopefully after a couple years, she'd have one suitor she liked best.  
  
  
  
It was almost midnight before the family was ready to leave. Uncle Sev hugged Teecie and kissed her cheek before apparating back to Hogwarts. Lucius, Adriana and Teecie's sisters each said goodnight before getting in their car and driving home. The chauffer was waiting to take Teecie, Draco, and Tanith back to Black Manor. Teecie was so tired she fell asleep against Draco's shoulder. Draco was so happy that this day had been a success that he carried her to her room himself and tucked her into bed, even though she was still in her dress.   
  
  
  
Teecie slept soundly and happily through the entire night, and well into the next morning. She dreamt of the boys she'd be seeing again, especially one particular boy, with very kissable lips. 


	35. Dating Teecie1

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlamehotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm so glad you enjoyed the party! It took a lot of planning, time and effort to get that to work just right. I have ElfFlame to thank mostly for knowing how those types of things work much more than I do. Yes, Teecie will find out the truth about Lucius some day, but not necessarily from a family member, because that wouldn't make for a very interesting story would it?! As for Kali and Reni, Kali knows about as much as Teecie, but Reni was a Slytherin. It would be very difficult for her to last that long in that setting without finding out the truth. It is in fact the reason behind many of her drug and alcohol problems, which haven't been covered too extensively in this story, but I hope to someday flesh out in her own story, though there have been references. This chapter is one of two that deal with the aftermath of the party and the boys Teecie accepted dates with, so I hope you enjoy it, I had a lot of fun doing the research and writing. Also, since ElfFlame has finished Dragon's Tears, I'm going to post my one-shot response to that, entitled After the Tears Fell. Keep an eye out for it, I'd love to hear what you think of it. I wrote it a long time ago, but I think it deals with the aftermath from the Orendes side of the story in a good way. Happy reading!  
  
Dating Teecie-1  
  
The morning after the dance, Teecie spent a couple hours opening the gifts the boys' families had given her the day before. There hadn't been any time to open them during the party, so she was doing it now. Thankfully every gift had the family's name on it, so she knew who's was who's.   
  
Teecie was having a lot of fun opening the packages of perfume and jewelry when Tanith told her she'd be writing thank you notes to every one of the families. When she saw the look of horror on Teecie's face, she laughed and assured her she could do several each day until she'd finished.  
  
Teecie spent her afternoon in the library, writing thank you notes to the families. She was taking a break and writing to June Lindon about Robert, when Draco came into the room and sat down across from her. "So, I spent the morning arranging for your dates with the boys you chose. Tomorrow night, you'll be going out with Gabriel Winthrop. I'll be accompanying you two of course," Draco informed her.  
  
Teecie hadn't known these dates would be chaperoned-by her brother no less! "But Draco, how can I go out with somebody and expect to have any kind of fun with him, if you're staring over our shoulders? What if he wants to kiss me? He can hardly do that with you there," Teecie said, pointing out all the important reasons why her brother should not chaperone her.  
  
"That would be precisely the point," Draco responded, folding his arms and looking down at Teecie. "There will be no kissing any of these boys for at least a few dates. And even then, I'd hope you'd be prudent with the boys. You don't need to kiss all of them, you know."  
  
"But what's the point of going out with them then?" Teecie asked, looking innocently up at her brother. It was fun to see his reactions when she tried to make him think she was the kind of girl who would snog every boy she met.  
  
"Well...you can just be friends with these boys too, remember that. And even if love comes out of this, you will not be going as fast as you have with your previous boyfriends. I'll be chaperoning all of your meetings with all of the boys until I'm confident that they can be trusted alone with you," Draco said, feeling overly protective of his naive baby sister, who had no clue of what growing teenage boys could be like.   
  
Draco turned to leave after he'd read a few of the thank you notes Teecie had written, to make sure she was doing them right. All the talk about the boys she'd be going out with had made Teecie start to feel a little guilty about James. She started to have doubts about whether doing this was right or not. "Draco," She called out to her brother as he stood in the doorway, "What about James? We fought when I was at his house...but, I'm still his girlfriend. And I still like him a lot. I don't want to hurt him," Teecie said quietly.  
  
Draco walked back into the room and sat down across from Teecie, taking one of her hands in his. "I know you like James. But you're so young, and I want you to experience other things before you make any decisions about your life. And James should too. He should go out with some other girls to make sure he can make the right choices for his life in the years to come. Sometimes it's good to spend some time apart," Draco said, squeezing her hand.   
  
"But...what if James goes out with another girl and they fall in love and get married? What about me?" Teecie asked, her eyes huge as she looked at Draco.  
  
"Well, what happens if you meet a boy and fall in love with him and marry him?" Draco countered.  
  
"But..but," Teecie sputtered.   
  
Draco could see that this was clearly too much for her to think about right now. "Teecie, why don't you go read a book for a while or do something fun. This is a lot for you to deal with right now. All you need to think about is that tomorrow night you'll be going out and doing something interesting with one of the boys you met yesterday. That's something to look forward to," He said, standing up and hugging her gently before walking back to the door.  
  
Teecie sat and thought about what Draco had said after he left. What if James did find a new girl and fell in love with her? She hated the thought of him not loving her anymore. She was very fond of him...though, when she really thought about it, she couldn't be sure that she was in love with James. It made her feel guilty to admit that to herself, but it was true. She was only 13 years old, was she supposed to know what love was? Maybe seeing other boys would help her figure all of that out. She felt better after that. Teecie decided that it was good for her to date other boys, it would help her decide if she loved James or not.  
  
The rest of the day, and the next passed quickly. Draco was outside her bedroom door knocking for the fifth time for her to hurry up, while she tried on dress after dress for her date. "Teecie, for the last time, hurry up, he'll be here any minute!" Draco shouted while pounding on the door.  
  
"Draco! This is important, I have to look good!" Teecie shouted back while admiring herself in the mirror. She'd put on a green knee-length pleated skirt and a matching green tank top. Slipping into her black salt water sandals and buckling them together, Teecie grabbed her pink handbag and ran to the door to meet her brother.   
  
As Teecie shut her bedroom door, Draco looked at her and made a face. "What?" Teecie asked. "Is it my outfit? What's wrong with it? What's the matter?" She asked, sounding panicked.  
  
"Nothing's wrong, it's nothing. Never mind," Draco replied, putting his arm around Teecie and gently leading her into the parlour. He couldn't believe she'd spent all that time getting ready and was only wearing a skirt and tank top. Why did women take such a long time getting ready for things?  
  
Draco directed his sister to a chair and sat down in the one next to it. They waited in silence for a couple minutes before Cecil, the butler, opened the door and announced Gabriel's arrival. Teecie's heart pounded nervously as she watched him come into the room. Gabriel smiled nervously as he saw Teecie. Walking up to her, he said hello and handed her a single red rose. Teecie smiled and thanked him politely. He then said hello and shook hands with Draco. They made pleasantries for a few minutes before Gabriel held his arm out for Teecie to take. He led her outside the Manor where a carriage awaited them. "Ooh, Gabriel, a carriage ride!" Teecie said excitedly.   
  
"Yes, we're going to ride it to the park," Gabriel informed her as he helped her into the carriage. The carriage had two rows in it, so he and Teecie sat in front, while Draco sat in the back. As they rode in the carriage, they got to know each other better. Gabriel was 17, a Ravenclaw, and had two sisters, Rachel, and Amanda. His favourite subject was Transfigurations. He was in the Chess, Movie, and Literature clubs at school. He wanted to be a healer when he finished school, though it would require many more years of training before he could do that. Teecie was quite impressed with his ambition and told him so. Gabriel smiled and thanked her.   
  
Gabriel made Teecie tell him all about herself next. She told him about living on the property with her family. She described the pond, the hill with the olive tree, the wheat field and the windmill, and the barn and the animals, in great detail. He told her it sounded beautiful. Gabriel asked her all sorts of questions about herself. She told him what she liked most about school, and the clubs she was in. When he asked her what she wanted to do when she left school, Teecie had no answer. She'd never really thought about it before. She couldn't see herself working for the Ministry of Magic, or Gringott's bank. She'd always assumed that she'd find somebody who'd take care of her so she wouldn't have to work. But somehow, that now sounded stupid to Teecie. She couldn't tell Gabriel that. For the first time in her life, Teecie realized that she had no ambition. It was a shocking and horrible feeling. In the end, she told him she was still in the decision-making stage and wasn't sure what she'd end up choosing to do.  
  
The carriage ride was wonderful. Draco lived in Bath, so it was fun to see a new part of England from where Teecie lived. It was a quaint city, smaller than London, but since Teecie didn't live in a city, it was much larger than she was used to. The city was picturesque with lots of trees and beautiful buildings to look at. It was about a half hour ride to the park.   
  
When they arrived, Gabriel helped Teecie out of the carriage and took a bag with a blanket in it, for sitting on later. She held onto his arm as they walked slowly into the park. Draco walked slowly behind them, letting them have some privacy.   
  
Royal Victoria Park was absolutely gorgeous. There were bright green lawns, trees, and bushes as far as the eye could see, and multi-coloured flowers flooded the place. The happy couple walked through the paths, looking at all the flowers of the Botanical Garden. Teecie had never seen anything so beautiful before.  
  
They stopped at the Royal Pavilion Cafe, where they bought drinks, crisps, and sandwiches for dinner to eat down by the duck pond. Teecie and Gabriel talked and laughed while throwing small pieces of bread to the ducks. Both could tell this was not going to lead to anything more than friendship, so they were having fun getting to know each other better as friends.   
  
"You were one of the Gryffindors who put the bell on Mrs. Otis, weren't you?" Gabriel asked.  
  
"Yes, that was me, and everybody else too. It was a joint effort. I just took all the blame, and punishment," Teecie replied, smiling at the memory.  
  
"Well, I think it's great. I've gotten out of trouble several times from knowing that cat was coming," Gabriel said, smiling.  
  
"I'm glad to hear it's helped others out. That's what we were trying to do," Teecie said, grinning as she took a sip of her Coke.  
  
"And, I know you have this system you started...where the older kids look after the younger kids in exchange for favours. I'm interested in that. How does it work?" Gabriel asked.  
  
Teecie glanced over her shoulder to see where Draco was. He was sitting on a bench, eating a sandwich, too far for him to hear what they were saying. "That's pretty much it, you'd be assigned to look after one of the younger students, you know, walk with them in the halls and look out for them in the Great Hall during meals, to make sure that nobody can pick on them. In exchange for that protection, they do something for you. Lots of them cover for the older student when they get detention. But other kids give the older students stuff, sweets or whatever they want that the younger kids can buy. I know a couple of the younger girls bake biscuits each week for their bodyguards. It's a pretty cool system, I think," Teecie said quietly.  
  
"And why do you do it? What do you get out of it?" Gabriel asked curiously.  
  
"Well, the younger students also owe me a favour for setting them up with a bodyguard. And it makes sure that they're all looking out for me too, since if I wasn't there to coordinate all of this for them, none of the older students would be looking out for them," Teecie replied.   
  
"Wow! That's kind of cool. You know, we watched this movie in our club one time, The Godfather, have you ever seen it?" Gabriel asked. When Teecie shook her head, he continued. "It's about this thing called 'the mafia'. It's a lot like what you're doing, but yours isn't as bloody or violent. You should watch it sometime, though it might be too gory for you."  
  
"Cool, I'll try to check it out sometime. I've heard my mum talk about it before, but she's never let me watch it yet," Teecie replied.  
  
As the sun was beginning to fall behind the treetops, Gabriel and Teecie walked over to a bandstand where a band of musicians was playing music. There were lots of people already gathered in front of it, some sitting, some dancing. The music was loud and lively, it was what Teecie's mum called "Big Band" music.   
  
Gabriel and Teecie were debating over whether to set up the blanket to sit and listen to the music, or to dance along with the other couples. After a few minutes, they set up the blanket, where Draco ended up sitting, while they ran over to the dancers and watched until they felt confident enough to try the steps out themselves.   
  
Draco watched as they danced for an hour. He felt alarmed several times as Gabriel picked Teecie up and began to swing her around in his arms, or through his legs, but Teecie seemed to be enjoying herself immensely, so he didn't try to stop them.   
  
As the band took a well-deserved break, Teecie and Gabriel walked over to Draco and joined him on the blanket. "Well, you two seem to be having fun tonight," Draco said, looking back and forth at them.  
  
"Loads of fun!" Teecie said, smiling.  
  
"Yes, tons!" Gabriel replied.  
  
"Well that's good, but it is getting late, and Teecie needs to get her sleep," Draco said, beginning to stand up from the blanket.  
  
The kids looked disappointed at having to leave before the concert ended, but did as Draco wished. They walked together back through the park and over to the carriage.   
  
It had grown cool as the sun set, so Gabriel kept Teecie warm by wrapping the blanket around her shoulders and putting an arm around her. They laughed and talked all the way back to Black Manor.   
  
When they arrived, Draco got out of the carriage first and helped Teecie down. Gabriel said goodbye and leaned down to kiss her cheek. Teecie waved as he drove off. Draco walked inside with her, asking how things had gone, and whether they'd be seeing each other again or not. Teecie told him they'd decided to be friends, but they'd be talking and spending time together during the school year. "Well that's good. It's always a good idea to have lots of friends from the different houses," Draco said, smiling, as they walked inside the house.  
  
The next day's date was with Jacob Atworth. He came over to Black Manor and from there, they flooed to London. Jacob took her to the National Gallery, a huge museum filled with paintings from all over Europe.   
  
They spent hours walking up and down the different floors of the museum, gazing at the art. Teecie had seen art like this only in books or on the telly, and found she loved looking at it in person. She and Jacob had been pretty quiet in the museum, not wanting to disturb the other patrons, but as Teecie gazed at The Water-Lily Pond, painted by Monet, Jacob looked at her and saw the wonder in her eyes. "What do you think so far?" He asked quietly, smiling.  
  
Teecie tore her eyes away from the painting long enough to look at Jacob and smile. "This is the most beautiful place I've ever been to. I could spend my whole life looking at these paintings," She replied breathlessly.  
  
When they had finally gotten hungry enough to take a break to eat, Jacob took Teecie to Crivelli's Garden Italian restaurant in the museum. Teecie ordered manicotti while Jacob ordered the chicken marsala. Draco sat several tables away from them and enjoyed a plate of fusilli with pesto sauce, his favourite.   
  
Jacob and Teecie talked while they ate. Teecie looked at him as she ate her pasta. Jacob was 16 years old and had short black hair and black eyes. He had dark cocoa brown skin and perfectly white, straight teeth, which Teecie saw whenever he smiled. He was very handsome. Jacob was home-schooled. He had private tutors who educated him in magic and academics. He'd gotten a letter from Hogwarts, but his parents had chosen to keep him at home instead.   
  
Teecie knew what it was like to live a sheltered life, having been kept at home and taught by her father until she went to Hogwarts. The two found they had a lot in common. Jacob was the youngest child in his family, and understood what Teecie had to deal with from having two older sisters who picked on her all the time. His sisters were always telling him what to do.  
  
Jacob told Teecie about going to see all sorts of museums as a part of his education. This was his favourite one. He enjoyed painting and other forms of art like pottery and drawing. Teecie told him about how she loved to bake, which she thought was an art form. He agreed with her and told her she'd have to bake for him sometime.   
  
After the meal, they went back to looking at paintings again. They walked closely enough that their hands often brushed against each other's. Every time that happened, Teecie and Jacob would look at each other and grin. After the fourth time this happened, they entwined their hands and walked from painting to painting like that. Teecie thought this was a good sign that Draco liked Jacob because he hadn't broken them apart yet.  
  
When they were exhausted, they flooed back to Black Manor where Draco stood at the far end of the room while they said their goodbye's. Jacob asked Teecie out again and she accepted. Before flooing to his home, Jacob kissed Teecie on the cheek. Her heart fluttered and she felt light-headed as she watched him fade away in the fireplace.   
  
Teecie walked as though in a dream over to Draco. Sighing she looked up at him. "Well?" He asked, looking sternly down at her. He didn't like how the boys were kissing her so soon after meeting her.   
  
"He asked me out again and I said yes!" Teecie cried, jumping up and down excitedly.  
  
"That's great. I'll make arrangements for when we can go meet his parents. If that goes well, you'll be allowed to see him again," Draco replied, standing up to leave the room.  
  
"Why do I have to meet his parents?" Teecie asked.   
  
"Because this is the way it's done," Draco said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.  
  
The next day's date was during the afternoon. Tyler Thornton arrived to take Teecie to a Quidditch match. The Wimbourne Wasps were playing against the Montrose Magpies outside the small coastal town of Kimmeridge in nearby county Dorset. There was an old abandoned landfill that had long ago been taken over by a Wizarding community and had been built into a small town and Quidditch pitch, though the Muggles still saw it as a landfill, due to all the protective charms that had been placed around it.   
  
Draco, Teecie, and Tyler flooed to a popular pub in the village before walking to the Quidditch pitch. Almost everybody in the town had gathered for the game. Draco was a Wasp fan, and was glad to go see this game.   
  
It was a very hot day out, though there was occasionally a nice breeze blowing in from off the coast that made it more tolerable. Teecie was glad she'd put on sunscreen earlier that day. She was wearing red shorts and a white halter top, which Draco had frowned upon, but not made her change, her black salt water sandals and a white baseball cap to shade her face from the sun.  
  
Tyler sat on one side of Teecie, with Draco on the other. The two kids had a chance to talk before the game started. Tyler was 16 and a Slytherin. He was an only child and hoped to be the Minister of Magic one day. He kept eyeing Teecie as though sizing her up. He talked quietly to her, so hopefully Draco wouldn't hear. "So...I remember your sister Renata. She was really...hot. But you're hot too I guess, in your own way. I mean, she never gave me the time of day, but you...Here we are, together." It seemed that Tyler enjoyed talking about Reni a lot, for he continued to do so. "There was this one time your sister was performing at Talent Night a few years ago, she wore this outfit that made me go crazy! It was skin-tight, black, with sequins. You think you'd ever consider borrowing it from her and wearing it sometime? I bet you'd look good in it. You have the right boobs for it. Not like your other sister who's flat as a board. Though...she's kind of hot too, now that I think about it."   
  
Teecie couldn't believe she'd accepted a date with this boy. He'd seemed so nice and normal at the dance. What a jerk! Trying to get away from this type of subject, Teecie asked him a question. "So, what team are you rooting for?"  
  
"Oh, Magpies all the way!" Tyler replied.  
  
"Ah, then I'm going for the Wasps," Teecie said, smiling. Tyler frowned at her after hearing this, which made Teecie smile harder.   
  
After a couple minutes of silence, the game began. Teecie watched as the teams flew out above the pitch. From somewhere in the stands, an announcer called out the names of all the players. Soon the players were flying around the pitch as the game had begun.   
  
Teecie still wasn't very good at following the game and felt confused and frustrated for most of the time. Every time she asked a question about the game, Tyler explained it to her as though she was three years old. Halfway though the game, Teecie was tempted to ask Draco to switch seats with her, but was sure he'd say that was rude and would refuse to let her.   
  
The game dragged on, while Tyler talked about Reni and teased Teecie for not understanding how the game was played. Teecie started to feel really hot and needed something to drink. Turning to Tyler, she asked him to go to the concession stand and get her something cold to drink. Grumbling unhappily, Tyler got up and left to get her something to drink.  
  
Once he was gone, Teecie turned to Draco. "Draco, I hate him! Can we leave now? We can just go and he can get home by himself," She said, sounding crabby and whiny.   
  
Draco had been engrossed in the game and didn't respond to her for a minute before she tugged on his sleeve. "Yes, what is it?" He asked.  
  
"I don't want to be here anymore. I want to go home now!" Teecie cried.  
  
"Teecie, stop whining like a baby. You're going to finish this date like an adult. Now watch the game," He admonished Teecie, turning back to the flying players.  
  
Teecie folded her arms and watched the game. Her head was hurting now and she was feeling uncomfortably hot. A few minutes later, Tyler returned with a bottle of butterbeer. Lifting the bottle up to her lips and taking a sip, she almost spat it out when she tasted how warm it was. Looking carefully at the bottle, she saw it was also half drunk. "You drank my butterbeer! What is the matter with you?" Teecie cried sharply. "Give me some money, I'll go buy a new one," She demanded, shoving the bottle into Tyler's hands. Tyler scowled as he fished out some coins and gave them to her. Standing up quickly made Teecie feel light-headed and she fell back against her brother while trying to leave the stands. Draco caught her and helped her back to her feet.   
  
"Are you all right?" Draco asked. Teecie scowled at him and walked away without answering.   
  
Teecie carefully made her way to the concession stand and ordered a cool, refreshing butterbeer. As she sipped on it, she leaned against the wall of the concession stand trying to stop feeling so dizzy. A woman in the queue looked over at Teecie and asked if she felt all right. "You're as red as a tomato," She informed her.   
  
Looking down, Teecie saw that she was, in fact as red as a tomato. The act of looking down and looking back up to respond to the woman made Teecie so dizzy that she closed her eyes and sank to a sitting position on the ground. The butterbeer slipped out of her fingers and spilled on the ground.   
  
The next thing Teecie knew, the woman from the queue was at her side, feeling her forehead and looking at her to see if she was all right. "Girl! What is your name?" Teecie heard her ask.  
  
"Teecie," She replied quietly, almost slurring the name. Teecie heard the woman talking to other people, but couldn't open her eyes to see who they were. After what felt like an eternity, though it had only been a couple minutes, she heard a loud voice make an announcement over the game play-by-play.  
  
"Would the party accompanying a girl named 'Teecie' please report to the concession stand? Thank you."  
  
After another couple minutes, Teecie felt arms around her shoulders. "Teecie! What's the matter? What happened? She's burning up. Go get the Wasp's team healer, now!" She heard Draco say to somebody. She felt him pick her up and carry her to somewhere shaded, for the bright light in her eyes faded away.  
  
The next thing Teecie knew, she was waking up in her bed in Black Manor, wearing a light cotton nightgown. She felt much better and as she tried to sit up, she felt a set of hands push her back down to a lying position. She looked up to see Draco looking down at her with concern on his face. "Teecie? Honey? How are you feeling now?" He asked quietly.  
  
"Fine now. What happened to me?" Teecie asked.  
  
"You got too hot and fainted. The healer said it was sunstroke. You had a fever and were badly sunburned. It wasn't fun to watch," Draco explained, patting her hair as he spoke.  
  
"Oh...Who won the game?" She asked, still a little confused over what had happened.  
  
"The Wasps. Their Seeker caught the Snitch and they won the game 200 to 50," Draco replied, smiling.  
  
"Oh...Where is Tyler?"  
  
"I sent him back home. You didn't like him so I didn't arrange another date for you."  
  
"Thanks," Teecie said weakly. "What time is it?"   
  
"Bedtime," Draco replied, kissing her on the forehead before turning out the lights and leaving the room.   
  
Teecie fell asleep immediately and slept well into the next morning. When she woke up, Draco told her more about what had happened. The Wasps' healer had given her all sorts of potions and put a special salve on her skin which had healed the sunburn. Some of the potions had been to keep her asleep through the pain, which is why she'd slept for the rest of the day and night.  
  
Draco informed her that he'd postponed her date for the day and she'd be taking it easy around the Manor until at least the next day. Edith the cook prepared cold, refreshing foods for Teecie to eat in order to gain her strength back. She ate a wonderful fruit salad for breakfast, which Draco insisted she eat in bed.  
  
Teecie was enjoying reading her battered copy of Gone With the Wind, when Roo, Mel, and Liss came into the room to visit her. She had only seen them during meals this holiday and enjoyed spending her afternoon with them. They climbed up on the bed with her and laughed and talked loudly. Roo leaned against her stomach and hugged her. Teecie was his favourite auntie, and liked to be near her.  
  
Roo was telling her the very exciting story about how he fell down a flight of stairs a couple days ago, when Draco came into the room. He stood in the doorway for a few minutes, unnoticed by any of the kids, and watched them. He loved hearing the happy voices of his children as they giggled and talked. He saw how well Teecie interacted with them, and thought that she'd be a great mother some day. Some day far from now. When she was much older. And married. And had finished school.  
  
Draco walked into the room and sat down on the bed next to the kids. "I have presents for everybody!" He said. Teecie smiled while the other three started cheering and jumping up and down on the bed. "Once everybody stops yelling and sits down again, I'll hand them out," He told them, waiting patiently while the kids stopped jumping and sat down. Once everybody was quiet, Draco passed out the paper-wrapped packages.   
  
Roo tore into his present and squealed happily as he held up the toy sword his father had gotten for him. "Da! A sword! I always wanted a sword! I'll keep all the bad guys away from the Manor!" He said, brandishing the sword excitedly. Draco smiled and ruffled his son's hair before turning his attention to the girls.  
  
Mel, Liss, and Teecie opened their packages at the same time. Each one had the same thing in them, though different colours. "It's an umbrella," Mel said as she looked at the green object in her hands, sounding somewhat disappointed after seeing the exciting present her brother had gotten. Liss had a purple one while Teecie had a light pink one.  
  
Teecie opened hers up to see it was covered in lace and had ruffles on the edges. "Ooh, Draco! A parasol! It's beautiful! Thank you!" She cried happily. Turning to the girls, she explained. "These aren't umbrellas, they're parasols, for proper ladies to use to stay out of the sun."   
  
Liss grinned, opened hers up and started to waltz around the room with it. "Thank you da!" She cried. Soon, Mel joined her with her green parasol. Teecie got off the bed and stood next to them with her pink parasol. They paraded around for Draco until Roo started to chase after them with his sword. Mel and Liss started screaming and running around the room.   
  
Teecie laughed as she watched this. She wanted to join them, but felt too tired to run around. Instead, she sat back down on her bed. Draco laughed as he looked at the chaos in Teecie's room. He put his arm around his sister and together, they watched the kids play until they'd exhausted themselves. 


	36. Dating Teecie2

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlamehotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Dating Teecie-2  
  
After Teecie's day off, she was rested and feeling better and ready for her next date. Draco had arranged for her to meet with Joseph Gatewood that evening. Joseph had written to Teecie and told her to wear a nice dress for their date.   
  
Teecie sat in the parlour, wearing her dark blue evening dress and matching slippers when Joseph arrived. She smiled as he handed her a bouquet of flowers. Teecie looked and saw a bright yellow sunflower in the centre of a sea of white daisies. She thanked him and handed the flowers to the butler while taking Joseph's arm.  
  
Joseph led Teecie to a black limousine that was waiting to take them to dinner. They were driven to a restaurant in town that Teecie had never been to before. The Eastern Eye, an Indian restaurant, looked like a fun place to eat. Draco looked skeptical about having to eat there, but didn't stop them from going.   
  
Joseph got a table for two that he and Teecie shared, while Draco sat at a table several feet from them, out of earshot. Teecie liked the restaurant. It was brightly painted and had a beautiful ceiling to gaze at. They poured through the menu which was full of foods she had never tried before. It was all so exotic, she didn't know what to order. In the end, she tried the Lamb Dhansak, lamb with a curry sauce, served with lentils and spices. Joseph ordered the Chicken Chandan, tandoori chicken with chilies, garlic, mint, and cilantro.   
  
Teecie enjoyed her lamb and lentils while getting to know Joseph better. He was 20, but had been a Slytherin while in school. He worked in the Improper Use of Magic Office at the Ministry of Magic, and enjoyed his job very much. He lived in a flat in London where he was able to walk to and from work.  
  
Teecie felt very young compared to him. She had nothing special to share about herself with him. Teecie gazed at Joseph while eating. He was a very handsome man, with wavy red hair and freckles on his nose. He had a nice smile, and friendly green eyes. Teecie couldn't understand why he wasn't already married. When she hinted at this, Joseph smiled and explained. "I just enjoy being single. But, my parents are older, pretty old-fashioned, and want me to be married and having a family. I don't want that right now, but I do things like this to make them happy. To keep them from annoying me really. It's a small price to pay, and it's fun too. I'll settle down some day, when I find the right person."  
  
Teecie told him that it was kind of him to do that to make his parents happy. She told him that if they were closer in age, she'd definitely be interested in seeing him again. Joseph smiled and said he would have enjoyed that. They continued to talk for over an hour before they left the restaurant.  
  
On the limo ride back to the Manor, Joseph and Teecie kept talking and laughing. Both really felt it was a shame there was such an age difference. Joseph kept wishing Teecie was only four years older, so she'd be of age. Then he started to think he was a dirty old man and made himself stop thinking like that. When he said this out loud, it made Teecie laugh until tears streamed down her face. They were talking quietly enough so that Draco had no idea what was so hilarious, but wasn't sure if he liked Teecie acting that way in public.  
  
Once back at the Manor, Joseph kissed Teecie's hand and wished her luck at school, while she wished him luck at the Ministry before he drove off again. When Draco asked how it had gone, she told him they'd had lots of fun, but there was too much of an age difference to see each other again. Draco nodded his head as he lead his sister inside. He'd been nervous about that from the start, but hadn't said anything, though he was glad that they weren't going to see one another again.   
  
The next morning, Teecie received a note from her date, while she ate her French toast. She read it out loud. It was from Zeren, and he'd be taking her to the Hogsmeade Magical Fair in a couple hours. "Oh Draco, a fair!" Teecie cried when she'd finished the note.   
  
Draco didn't look too happy to have to go to a fair, and seeing the looks on his children's faces didn't help much. "Can we go to the fair too, Da?" Liss asked excitedly, wriggling in her seat.  
  
"Let's go to the fair!" Roo shouted, jumping down from his chair and running around the table.   
  
"Yay, a fair!" Mel cried, grinning at her father.  
  
Tanith looked expectantly at her husband. Draco knew he'd been outnumbered. Sighing and shaking his head, he spoke, "Let's all go to the fair." The kids cheered more loudly with this and ran to their rooms to get dressed for the day.  
  
Teecie smiled at Draco. "It'll be fun!" She said. "Well, as much fun as going out with Zeren can possibly be, though he was much nicer than I thought he would be," She continued.  
  
"Just be careful what you say to him. Zeren's not one to mess with," Draco replied, looking concerned. Teecie wasn't the most prudent of people. She needed to learn to control what she said to others. But he was glad that she'd accepted Zeren's invitation for a date. Zeren would be a good match for Teecie. He'd be able to provide for her, and their children would enjoy the best that life could buy, if it ever went that far. "Make sure to take your parasol today! I don't want to have to scrape you up off the ground again!" Draco called to his sister while she walked to her room.  
  
Teecie spent a while planning what she was going to wear to the fair. It was a hot day out, so she chose a pair of forest green shorts, and a pink tank top. After picking up her parasol and handbag, Teecie left the room to floo with the family to the Three Broomsticks where she'd be meeting Zeren.  
  
The pub was packed with people going to the fair. Teecie looked around for Zeren and waved when she finally spotted him. Zeren nodded and attempted to walk towards her while she and her family tried to move towards him. Meeting somewhere in the middle of the pub, Zeren greeted Teecie. "Well, don't you look...nice," He said, sounding as though he didn't really mean it. Putting his hand on her elbow, Zeren began to lead Teecie out of the crowded pub.   
  
The fair was a short walk from the pub. Teecie and Zeren walked behind Draco, Tanith, and the kids, who were pulling their parent's hands to get them to walk faster. As the two kids walked side-by-side, Teecie tried to think of something to say to Zeren. Zeren looked at the parasol Teecie was holding. "Nice parasol," He said, "It matches your shirt."  
  
"Thank you. Pink is my favourite colour," Teecie said, smiling happily.  
  
Zeren smiled and looked over towards Draco, who kept stealing glances over his shoulder to make sure everything was going well.  
  
"So, I've never been to a Magical fair before. What makes it different from a Muggle fair?" Teecie asked, looking curiously at Zeren.  
  
"What? What do you mean you've never been to a Magical fair before?" Zeren asked incredulously. He had so much to teach Teecie. She was obviously lacking in a proper education, which made Zeren wonder how Draco had allowed her parents to raise her that way. As the head of his family, Draco surely would have control over how his sisters were raised. "Well, where to begin? Let's see..." Zeren told her all about the fair and what would be there. He liked knowing more than Teecie. He found he enjoyed enlightening her in the ways of the Wizarding world. He knew she'd spent most of her life in the Muggle world, poor girl, and needed to get caught up.  
  
They arrived at the fairgrounds just as Zeren had just finished telling Teecie about what attractions would be at the fair. Draco came over to them and told them that they'd be expected to check in with him every two hours at the food court. They were to be on their best behaviour the whole time. Zeren assured his Head of house that he'd keep Teecie safe and happy.   
  
When Draco had left with his family, Teecie turned to Zeren. "Well? What should we do first?" She asked. "Rides?" Smiling, Zeren led her to the rides. They rode on the carousel, where Teecie sat upon the enchanted figure of a unicorn that leaped and bounded while galloping in a circle, while Zeren rode on an enchanted flying Hippogriff. The carousel had no canopy and the animals walked, flew, slithered, and ran in circles, ovals, or whatever shapes they felt like while pipe organ music played. Teecie laughed the entire time.  
  
Next was a turn on the ferris wheel. Teecie was nervous, because it went so high up in the air, but Zeren held her arm tightly the entire time. There was a steering wheel inside so each compartment was able to rotate in any direction the riders wanted while it moved up and down in a circle. Zeren moved them around slowly in gentle circles while they were being lifted higher up, until everybody looked like small specks below them. Teecie stifled a scream by burying her head on Zeren's shoulder. They continued for several rotations around before they came back to the ground as the ride ended. Zeren helped Teecie out of her seat. "That was so scary!" She said as they walked to the next ride, "But way cool!" Zeren smiled to see how much she was enjoying herself.  
  
The two had just finished riding on the roller coaster when it was time to check in with Draco for the first time. After walking to the food stalls, they looked around for him. Teecie spotted him at a stall buying candy apples for the kids, and started towards him, Zeren walking behind her. "So, are you two having fun?" Draco asked when they approached him.  
  
"I am, are you?" Teecie said, turning to Zeren.  
  
Zeren smiled politely. "Yes, I'm having a great time," He replied, looking at Professor Black.  
  
"That's good to hear, well go off and have some more fun, then," Draco replied, watching as the two turned around and started wandering away.  
  
"Do you want to eat yet?" Zeren asked. When Teecie said yes, they walked around the food stalls, looking for good food. Zeren bought Teecie a bag of popcorn, a Cornish pasty, and a glass of lemonade, while he bought a cheeseburger, crisps, and a Butterbeer. There were lots of tables under umbrellas to sit at, so they found the closest one and sat down to eat. They talked as they ate. Teecie asked Zeren what additional classes he'd be taking next year. She was excited to hear they'd both be taking Runes, but wasn't too sure what Arithmancy was, though she told him it was sure to be very interesting. Zeren couldn't understand why Teecie would want to work with dirty beasts in her Care of Magical Creatures class, but knew she lived on a farm and it probably had to do with the commonplace habits she'd picked up there.   
  
Once they'd finished their food, they walked over to the games. Zeren decided he needed to win Teecie at least one prize. The first booth had small bowls of water with tiny aquatic creatures in them. The object was to throw small balls into the bowls and get them to stay. If any of them stayed in the water without bouncing back out again, the person won the bowl and its contents. Zeren paid the man in charge and took the handful of small foam balls and began tossing them towards the bowls. Zeren grew more and more frustrated as Teecie watched him throwing the balls. Every one managed to bounce back out of the bowls again. Fortunately, the very last one stayed in the bowl. Teecie beamed at Zeren as the man running the booth picked up the bowl and handed it to him. Zeren smiled proudly as he turned to Teecie and held the bowl out to her.  
  
"Thank you, Zeren!" She squealed, peering into the bowl. Teecie expected to see a goldfish or a tadpole, but what she saw was much more interesting than that. It was a seahorse, but a real one, not those things Muggles called "seahorses". It was a small horse about three inches long, with gills along it's sides, and four webbed feet. Every once in a while it would toss it's head and send it's long flowing mane floating around in the water. Teecie watched as it opened it's mouth and bubbles came out of it. The small bubbles floated to the surface of the water and as they popped, the sounds of whinnying filled her ears. "Cool!" She said, smiling at Zeren.   
  
The next stall had many glass bottles enchanted to float in the air. Zeren paid the woman working in the stall, who handed him several large balls to throw at the bottles. The object was to hit and break as many bottles as possible. Prizes were based on the amount of bottles broken.   
  
As Zeren threw the first ball, the bottles started to fly around madly. The ball managed to hit two bottles in the process. By the time all the balls had been thrown, Zeren had broken eight bottles. The woman showed him the prizes he could choose from. There were enchanted dolls that cried and talked, broomsticks, and stuffed animals among other things. Zeren chose a cuddly pink teddy bear that he would have died if he'd had to keep for himself, but knew that Teecie would love. Teecie beamed as she took the bear and held it.  
  
Struggling to hold her handbag, parasol, the teddy bear, and the bowl with the seahorse, Teecie walked arm-in-arm with Zeren. They were talking and laughing when they turned the corner of a stall and came face-to-face with Lisette and her father. Teecie, Zeren, and Lisette stared silently at each other, shocked to see one another there. After several moments of awkward silence, Teecie turned to Lisette's father and spoke. "So, it's good to see you again, Mr. Crabbe. I haven't seen you since the dinner party last year."  
  
"Yes, and it's nice to see you again too, Miss Orendes. You look as though you're having a lot of fun today. Mr. Travers, it's good to see you," Mr. Crabbe said, turning to Zeren.  
  
"Yes, you too," He replied, avoiding making eye contact with Lisette.   
  
Lisette couldn't stay quiet any longer. Stepping in front of Teecie, she looked at her carefully before speaking. "Well, well, well, imagine seeing you here today. With my boyfriend. I wonder what your boyfriend would think if he saw you here. Who did you come with? His family or yours? Did your wonderful brother or your infamous father take you?"  
  
Teecie looked at Lisette, unsure of what to say. Anthony or Marius must have told her after the party about her family. "I came with Draco and his family. And I've been having a wonderful time here with your boyfriend. In fact, I believe he's been having a fun time too, right Zeren?" Teecie asked, looking up at Zeren.  
  
"The best time ever," He replied, glaring at Lisette. He smiled as Lisette's eyes flashed with anger. Looking at Teecie, he said, "We should get going."  
  
Teecie started to walk away with Zeren after saying goodbye to Mr. Crabbe. "Oh Teecie, give my regards to your brother. And do be sure to ask your father why he's been hiding away on your farm for such a long time. I'm sure he's got some interesting tales to tell," Lisette called out to Teecie.  
  
Teecie shook her head as she continued to walk away with Zeren. "What is her problem? I never did anything to her," She said quietly.  
  
"She just wants to be the most popular person at school, and she attacks anybody who threatens that," Zeren replied, tightening his grip of Teecie's arm. "Just ignore her," He advised, leading her back to the food stalls where they were to meet Draco soon.  
  
Zeren and Teecie were sharing a large cloud of fluffy pink candy floss on a stick when Draco found them. Teecie showed him the seahorse and teddy bear Zeren had won for her. He seemed impressed. They joined Draco and the family to see some of the events at the fair.   
  
After walking to the grandstand, they sat down to watch the dueling competition. Competitors went up against each other and tried to beat the other. The crowd watched with rapt attention as they faced off. They cheered the winners and politely applauded for the losers.  
  
Once the dueling competition had ended, there was another contest, for the children: Gnome tossing. All the school-aged children from the stands were invited to participate. Teecie joined in while everybody else watched. Zeren flatly refused to join in saying that only common-folk did things like that. Teecie snorted and rolled her eyes before putting all her stuff in his arms and running down to the where the other kids were gathering, before Draco could stop her. They were divided up by age group and gender. Teecie joined the group of 13 to 15 year old girls. There were seven of them. Each group took their turns, starting from the youngest and moving up in age.   
  
Teecie was nervous about all the people who were looking down at her from the stands. She held onto her gnome tightly while it struggled against her, and took deep breaths to stay calm. When her group's turn came, they all lined up and tossed their gnomes. Teecie's went quite far, but one other girl's went farther. She was still excited to take the red second place ribbon she'd won back to her family.   
  
Draco and Zeren shook their heads silently while Tanith, Liss, and Mel politely congratulated her. Roo, on the other hand, clapped his hands excitedly and kissed Teecie's cheek for winning.   
  
The family walked around for a while afterwards and looked at all the displays. There were magical cooking and cleaning demonstrations, of people showing off new products to buy. There were a few book signings with famous authors. One line in particular was extremely long and filled with girls and women. Teecie could barely see the man they were waiting for, though she could see he was wearing fancy lavender robes and had wavy blonde hair. When Draco saw who it was, he grimaced and quickly led his family away without saying anything.   
  
It was late afternoon and the children were growing tired. Teecie wanted to go see the agricultural displays of the local magical farmers, but was vetoed by Draco, saying it was time to go home.  
  
Everybody walked back to the Three Broomsticks where Zeren would be flooing to his home. Trying to get some privacy, Zeren led Teecie away from the family to say goodbye to her. After kissing her hand, he asked if she'd be interested in going out again. Teecie blushed, but smiled and said yes before saying goodbye and flooing back to Black Manor with her family.  
  
Teecie had spent a wonderful day at the fair. She spent the rest of her evening researching seahorses and what to feed them.  
  
Teecie slept in the next morning, and woke up to find a letter from Owen Fairfax, her date for the day. He'd be taking her for a walk and a picnic and told her to dress accordingly. Teecie's stomach fluttered and the throbbing in her abdomen returned as she thought about Owen. She floated around, as though in a dream for the rest of the day, until it was time to change for her date.  
  
Teecie changed into a pair of blue shorts and a green tank top, put on her salt water sandals, picked up her handbag and parasol, and went to the parlour to meet Owen.  
  
Owen was waiting for her when she arrived. Smiling shyly, he stood up and held out a handful of violets to her. Teecie thanked him before handing them to the butler to put in water. Taking her by the arm, Owen led Teecie out of the house, down the stairs, and onto the sidewalk, where they were to stroll through town before going to a store to buy their dinner. Draco walked about half a block behind them.  
  
Both Teecie and Owen were quite enamoured with one another. They didn't talk much, just stared at each other while walking. This did lead to a couple of embarrassing moments, that Draco saw from afar, which was good since he couldn't help but laugh at them. Owen was too busy staring at Teecie to see where he was going and walked straight into a tree. Luckily though, he wasn't hurt. A little while later, Teecie was looking into Owen's eyes, and tripped over a cat that had been walking in front of her. Owen managed to catch her before she fell to the ground. Neither of them could figure out why they were being so klutzy today.  
  
The happy couple walked arm-in-arm until they reached a small gourmet food shop. They went inside to buy food for their meal. Owen found a loaf of French bread and some fancy onion-flavoured crisps while Teecie ordered sliced meats and cheeses at the deli counter. They walked up and down the aisles, occasionally putting items in their basket. Two bottles of orange-flavoured Fanta and a package of Twinkies rounded out the meal.   
  
There was a park not too far from the store, so they walked there to set up their picnic. Draco sat on a park bench thirty or so feet from them, eating a sandwich he'd bought at the store. Owen set up a red flannel blanket on the grass and after they sat down, Teecie unpacked the basket of food. They sat and talked for a couple hours, eating and getting to know each other better. Teecie felt as though she'd never been more attracted to somebody before. She wanted to jump on top of him, which she suspected Owen wouldn't mind, but knew Draco would kill her if she did.  
  
Once they'd finished eating, Owen and Teecie sat and looked at the clouds for a while. They leaned back on their elbows, gazing up at the sky, telling each other the shapes they saw in the cloud formations. After their arms grew tired, they stood up and walked over to the playground and sat on the swings. They were both far too old to be playing on the playground, but neither of them cared. Owen pushed Teecie on the swing for a while before getting on the one next to her. Soon they were competing over who could swing higher. After a while, they were swinging and jumping off, flying through the air to the ground, to see how far they could go.  
  
When they grew tired of the swings, they climbed the ladder up to the slide. The top half of the slide was covered, so nobody could see them. After making sure Draco couldn't see them, Owen held onto Teecie before she went down the slide and pressed his lips to hers. Teecie smiled when he pulled away and kissed him in return. Once she turned around, she slid down the slide, Owen coming down behind her. They ran around back to the ladder and did this again, along with the kissing. They did this several times before they grew too tired to run anymore.  
  
Teecie looked over at Draco and could see the look of disapproval on his face. He probably hated that she was running around like a child, but she was having loads of fun. They continued for another half hour, until it started to get dark out and Draco called to them that it was time to return to the Manor.   
  
Owen packed up the blanket and basket and walked arm-in-arm with Teecie while they talked quietly. Owen asked if she'd like to go out again, and Teecie quickly said yes. He told her he'd like to write to her while she was at school. Teecie said she'd like that. Once back at the Manor, Owen kissed Teecie's cheek before saying goodnight to Draco and flooing back to his home.  
  
Teecie sighed and sat down in the chair next to Draco. "So, you seemed to like him, a lot," Draco said quietly, his eyebrow raised inquisitively.  
  
"Oh, Draco, he's the most wonderful boy I've ever met. I can't wait to see him again," Teecie said breathlessly, smiling so hard she thought her face would tear in half.   
  
"Well, it sounds like you really like him a lot. That's good," Draco replied, starting to feel nervous over how attracted Teecie was to the boy. He'd have to keep a very close eye on those two.  
  
Draco had business to attend to the next day, so Teecie spent her day with Lindon and her nieces and nephew. Lindon gave her a letter from June to read. June told her that she thought Robert Bones was cute and that she'd go out with him if he asked her. Teecie was excited and wrote to Robert straight away to tell him this. She also wrote to the twins and told them about her holiday, the party, and all the boys she'd been seeing. She debated over writing to James, but decided not to. She'd be seeing him soon enough.  
  
The next day, Teecie went out with Kurt Bramwell, a 15 year old from Durmstrang. He took her for a boat ride on the River Avon, that sprawled through the town. He rowed as they talked and got to know each other. Kurt had three brothers, all younger. He excelled in potions at his school, and was a beater on the Quidditch team. Kurt was quite muscular and tall. He had black hair and brown eyes, and wore a stern expression on his face while he rowed the small boat.   
  
Teecie found she didn't have much to say to him, and it made for an awkward afternoon. They sat on the shore dangling their feet in the cool water, eating sandwiches and making little more than small talk. The date ended with a handshake.  
  
Wednesday's date was Bryan Masters, a 14 year old Ravenclaw. He took her shopping in downtown Bath. They wandered in and out of bookstores, sweet shops, and gift shops. Bryan was a fun boy with blonde hair and brown eyes. He was an only child, and wanted to be an astronomer when he left school.   
  
Bryan bought Teecie an ice cream sundae when it grew too hot to stay outside on the sidewalk. They sat at a small table and talked until they'd finished their food. Teecie thought Bryan was pretty nice, but got the feeling he thought he was smarter than she was. Though he was never rude, she did get the feeling he was humouring her somewhat. She thought this wouldn't be a good match and he must have too, for he didn't ask her out again.  
  
Thursday was Teecie's last date, as well as her last night at the Manor. She'd be returning to the property for the last weekend of the holiday on Friday. Joshua Northrop, the first boy Teecie danced with, took her to the Jane Austen Centre, an easy walk from the Manor. She was excited to see this, for she'd read several Jane Austen novels and had loved them. Her favourites were Emma, and Pride and Prejudice. Joshua was a fan of literature and Muggles, so he enjoyed the museum as well. There was a lecture room that they sat in and listened to a speaker talk about the life and times of Jane Austen, who'd spent much of her life in Bath. There were also rooms set up to show what life back then was like. Teecie saw some of the dresses the women wore and wondered what her mum's life had been like back then. She wished she'd had a picture of her mother from back then, wearing one of those dresses. She would have looked beautiful in one. Quickly doing the math, Teecie figured Adriana must have been about 110 years old when Jane Austen had been born.   
  
There was a gift shop where Joshua bought Teecie a needlepoint kit that was a replica of the sampler Jane Austen had done. Teecie looked forward to doing that on the train ride to school.   
  
Joshua and Teecie went to a small pizzeria for lunch afterwards. They ate and laughed while the cheese from their sausage pizza stretched from the slices of pie before snapping off and clinging to their chins. Teecie glanced at Draco and saw him frowning at her. He was sipping a glass of water and eating a breadstick. He clearly thought this place was too low for his standards. She was beginning to think she was a disappointment to Draco. Teecie wished he was more open to things and experiences outside what he felt was the "upper class". There was much more to life than being rich. Too bad Draco didn't realize that.  
  
Joshua held Teecie's hand as they walked back to the Manor. He was brave enough to ask Teecie out again, to which she accepted his invitation. He kissed her cheek before flooing home.   
  
Teecie collapsed in a chair after Joshua had left and sat there for a long time. It had been an exhausting month with party preparations, the party, and all those dates. It had also been a lot of fun, and she would come to look back on it as one of the best times of her entire life.   
  
Draco had been sitting near Teecie, looking at her and wondering if any of those boys would end up being a long-term match, or perhaps even leading to a marriage. She was his baby sister, and though she could be a handful, she deserved the best in life, and the best husband she could find. He was lost in thought when Teecie startled him by wrapping her arms around him and kissing his cheek. "What was that for?" He asked, sounding startled.  
  
"For being the world's best brother," Teecie replied, smiling before she left the room. Draco smiled and sat in the chair for a while, thinking more about Teecie's future. Whoever she ended up with, he hoped she would have a very happy life. 


	37. Year Three Begins

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlamehotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm so excited that you liked all of Teecie's dates. Those two chapters, which I had to break up, I wanted it to be one, but obviously it was much too long, were a lot of fun to write! And Draco does rule, doesn't he! He's grown into a great brother and I'm really enjoying seeing that happen. He's in this chapter quite a bit too, playing the role of the protective older brother, I hope you like it. Enjoy!  
  
Polgarathesorceress2: I'm happy to hear you're enjoying this story so much! I've had a lot of fun writing it so far. This story is a part of a much larger series, so not all of it might make sense to you unless you know the background behind it. However, since those stories are R rated, and looking at your profile, I see you're not 17, I wouldn't feel right recommending you read them. If you're interested in a summary though, feel free to email me and I can tell you what's led up to this story. Happy reading!  
  
Year Three Begins  
  
After a wonderful last night at Black Manor with her brother and his family, Teecie had returned to the property to enjoy her last weekend at home before going back to Hogwarts. The family was sitting around the dining table, enjoying a lovely meal of roast lamb with garlic mashed potatoes. While Teecie ate, she looked around and observed her family. She was pleased to see that her father was looking much better than when she'd left for Black Manor. His colour had returned to normal and he didn't look as tired as he had. Everybody else was doing really well too, it seemed.   
  
Kali and Adriana normally had lovely olive-toned skin, but both were now a beautiful shade of dark brown, due to all the work they'd been doing outside all holiday long.   
  
Peter Weasley was sitting with the family, next to Reni, holding Hunter in his lap. Reni was smiling at the two. Hunter was getting very big now, he was chubby and adorable. Peter was bouncing him up and down on his leg, while Hunter laughed heartily. Peter was going to be working with his father in the Ministry of Magic. He didn't seem to be looking forward to that too much, but was doing it to make his father happy.  
  
Teecie told them all about the dates she'd gone on over the past two weeks after the party. Lucius was alarmed and displeased to hear that Teecie had fainted at the Quidditch match, yet Draco had neglected to tell them about it. Adriana made Teecie tell her all about Owen, which didn't take too much persuasion. The family smiled at each other as Teecie gushed about him. She was obviously quite taken with Owen. Lucius told her he looked forward to meeting him soon.  
  
Teecie enjoyed the last weekend of the holiday. Adriana had done her shopping for books, and bought her new robes, for she'd outgrown her old ones. It was a simple tailoring job to adjust the new ones, which took Adriana about a minute to do. With all of that done, Teecie had more time to relax for the last three days before leaving for school.  
  
Lucius, Kali, and Teecie were sitting out under the olive tree the night before she'd be leaving with Kali for Hogwarts. Teecie was leaning her head against one of her father's arms, while Kali rested against the other, as they looked at the stars. "Daddy, are you sure you'll be all right with us gone?" Teecie asked for what felt like the hundredth time.  
  
Lucius smiled. "Yes, I'll be just fine here. You go and learn things. That's your job right now," He replied.  
  
"Was it hard to leave home to go to school when you were growing up?" Kali asked Lucius.  
  
Lucius remained silent for a minute before clearing his throat. "Well...my parents never got along too well and fought a lot. And I had no brothers or sisters, so...no, it wasn't too hard to leave home," He finally replied quietly.  
  
"How come you never tell us about our grandparents?" Teecie asked curiously. "How come you never talk about what you were like before you met mum?" All the memories of the holiday came flooding back, with Rey and the other party guests talking about Lucius. Even Lisette seemed to know more about her father than she did.  
  
Teecie watched as her father closed his eyes and leaned his head against the tree trunk. She grew alarmed over this. "Daddy, are you OK? Are you all right? Is it your heart? Should I go get mum?" She cried.  
  
Lucius opened his eyes again and smiled sadly down at Teecie. "No, baby, I'm all right. It's just...I...It's getting cold, and late. We should go inside now," He said quietly, struggling to his feet and retreating down the hill.   
  
Kali and Teecie looked at each other, wondering why he seemed upset all of a sudden, before standing up and going inside the house.   
  
Teecie had left her packing until the last minute, so she spent much of the rest of the night arranging everything in her trunk. When she finally finished, she slipped into bed and drifted off to sleep. She woke up the next morning to the smells of fresh coffee and sausages frying.   
  
After a hurried breakfast, Teecie, Kali, Lucius, and Adriana drove off for King's Cross Station in London. Once in Platform 9 3/4, Teecie looked around for the twins or James, but didn't see them. After hugging and kissing her parents, Teecie went off with Kali to board the train.   
  
Teecie looked out the window and watched her parents grow smaller as the train started to move from the station. She sat across from Kali in a compartment by themselves. After several minutes, Paul and the twins found them and sat down next to them. Teecie worked on her needlepoint sampler while catching up with the twins. They chatted noisily while Paul and Kali held hands and whispered to one another. After a couple hours, Teecie asked the twins if they'd seen James yet. When they said no, she got up and explored the train for a while to find him.  
  
Teecie found him after looking in several compartments. He was sitting alone, with his arms crossed and wearing an angry expression on his face. "James, hi," She said, sitting down across from him.  
  
James looked at the floor, not responding to her for a couple minutes. "Did you think I wouldn't find out?" He asked slowly.  
  
Teecie's stomach clenched as she knew what he was talking about. "James, I-"  
  
"Don't try to explain! You cheated on me! You're supposed to be my girlfriend! I thought you loved me!" James cried, looking at Teecie, his eyes flashing.  
  
"I'm sorry, James-" Teecie was fighting back tears now.  
  
"I don't care if you're sorry! We had fun at my house, till you turned all frigid! Now I hear you've been dancing with hundreds of boys, and going on dates with them? Did you sleep with any of them?"  
  
"James, you're being-"  
  
"I don't care! That's it, I'm breaking up with you! You won't give me the time of day, but go around sleeping with all the other boys! Get out of here! Now! I don't ever want to see you again!" James was practically screaming at Teecie by now. He'd clearly ended the conversation and had no interest in hearing her side of the story. Instead of feeling sad that her boyfriend had broken up with her, Teecie was angry. How dare he accuse her of such things?   
  
"James, I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how! But you can't just expect to sleep with me so soon, I'm not ready for that. And I didn't do that with any of the other boys. I had the dance to make my brother happy. And yes I did go out with some other boys..." Teecie's voice trailed off as she thought of Owen. "Oh, I don't care if you do break up with me! I have plenty of boys who'll go out with me! They gave me presents and were perfect gentlemen to me! Goodbye!" Teecie shouted, standing up and leaving the compartment.  
  
Teecie knew she should be upset over breaking up with James, but she instead she felt free. Free to write to and see Owen. Teecie thought about this while she walked back to her compartment. She was startled when Lisette appeared from seemingly out of nowhere. "So...James found out about your dating adventures this holiday, eh?" She said, sneering at Teecie.  
  
Teecie sighed. She should have known Lisette had something to do with this. "Yes, somehow he was told. I have no idea who could have done that though. But I don't care. I had fun with most of the boys and I'll be seeing them again, so I'm set. Actually, it's a blessing, not having him hanging all over me anymore. I think this is going to be my best year yet! I mean, there are so many boys out there to choose from. I really enjoyed myself at the fair a few days ago, and the boy who took me there was so sweet, and very cute! And he did ask me out again, I'll have to take him up on that soon!" Teecie said, smirking. Lisette's eyes flashed, yet she didn't speak. "What's the matter, Lisette? Cat got your tongue? Well, I must be off, ta!" Teecie walked off to her compartment, leaving Lisette's anger smouldering.  
  
Teecie was thinking about the letter she'd write to Owen as soon as she got to school when she sat down next to Paige. Daniel had joined the group and was talking to Patty. "What do you mean Chaser is the best position in the game? Everybody knows Beaters have the most fun job!" Patty said, snorting in disgust.  
  
"That's crazy! Chasers make all the points! That's fun!" Daniel cried.  
  
Kali, who'd been talking to Paul, joined in. "And don't forget Seekers! We make the big points!"  
  
The three continued their friendly bantering until Patty threw a chocolate frog at Daniel's head. Daniel bit the frog's head off and scarfed down the rest in one large mouthful. Crossing his eyes at Patty, he stuck his tongue out before slowly meandering out of the compartment, laughing the whole way, uncaring that Patty kept throwing other objects at him as he went.   
  
Paige tried to calm things down by changing the subject to the party at the lake that they'd had the year before. "Last year's was so much fun, we have to have another one!" She said. Everybody in the compartment started talking loudly about how much fun the party from last year had been. It was a mutual agreement to do it again this year. They spent the next several hours planning the party.  
  
The day passed quickly, and soon the train was pulling into the station at Hogsmeade. While Teecie was waiting to get off the train, she saw a group of first year students gathering off to one side while they waited to take the boat ride across the lake. She spotted Peter Lupin in the crowd. He looked so small and scared with the other small children. Teecie decided she'd have to invite him personally to the party.  
  
Kali and Teecie sat side-by-side in the carriage on the ride to school. "I hope they have spaghetti tonight, I'm starving," Teecie said as they made their way to the school.  
  
Once at the school, the kids walked into the Great Hall and sat at their house tables. Looking up at the professor's table, Teecie saw Draco and Uncle Sev sitting in their chairs. After they'd all been seated, Professor Lupin entered the Great Hall with all the first year students behind him. One by one, they all took their turns on the stool with the Sorting Hat. Peter was sorted into Gryffindor. Teecie cheered loudly for him and waved as he walked past her to sit with his brothers. She didn't recognize any of the other names of the students and soon lost interest.   
  
Uncle Sev stood up and made his usual welcoming speech. He talked about not going into the Forbidden Forest. She smiled at him as he looked directly at her while making this point. It was so nice of him to pay attention to her during his speech!   
  
Soon enough, the speech ended and the food appeared. There was no spaghetti, but Teecie enjoyed her roast beef, mashed potatoes, and carrots. She enjoyed a slice of treacle tart, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream while talking to her classmates. They lingered long after the meal ended, until the prefects called for them to follow them to the common rooms. The new password to get into the room was "Aperio," and as a group, they entered the common room. Teecie barely listened as the prefects droned on about the rules and regulations of the school. After a while, they were dismissed to go to their rooms.   
  
Teecie lounged on her bed and read one of her Amaris Bradford books before changing into her nightgown and going to sleep. She fell asleep feeling excited for the school year, something she wasn't used to.  
  
The next morning, Teecie got her timetable from Professor Lupin. She had her first class of the day with him, followed by Care of Magical Creatures, then Herbology, and History of Magic. She was excited to see Charlie today, she'd ask him about getting food from Hogsmeade for the party like he did the year before.  
  
Professor Lupin greeted his students as they sat down in their seats as class began. He told them that they'd be learning about monsters and bigger creatures this year in class. He planned on beginning with a unit on werewolves and werewolf awareness. "I think I know a thing or two I can share with you all," He said, smiling, though sadly. Teecie knew this was going to be a lot of fun this year. She might even get good marks.  
  
Charlie was teaching Care of Magical Creatures. They met in a classroom where he acted much more formally than Teecie was used to him being. He told them the sorts of creatures they'd be encountering this year and how the class would be run. The first few classes of each week would be spent studying the creature during lectures and book reading and essays. The last half of the week would be practicum, spending time with the actual creature. As a way of getting used to creatures and the class, he'd be starting them off on an easy animal: Puffskeins. Many of the students were excited, for they knew about puffskeins, a few had even had some as pets as young children. Teecie had never seen one before and turned to her book to see what one looked like. They looked like giant cotton balls. She thought they were adorable and looked forward to holding one soon.  
  
After lunch, Teecie went to her Herbology class where she enjoyed her time with Professor Longbottom. She loved his class, and him. He was the best professor at the school. This year they'd be working on producing plants for the potions classes.   
  
Once that Herbology was over, it was time for a nice, relaxing nap in History of Magic class. Teecie felt drowsy and drifted off to sleep while Professor Binns droned on about the departure of Salazar Slytherin from Hogwarts a thousand years ago. She woke up to the rustling of students walking past her.  
  
Teecie walked to Charlie's office and asked him about getting food for the Lake Party again. He gladly agreed. She told him about being excited to be in his class, and how she couldn't wait to hold a puffskein.  
  
During dinner, the students divided up the tasks for the party as they had the year before. Paige volunteered to talk to Professor Snape about getting permission to have the party. Teecie would arrange with the house elves again to have them prepare the food. Robert would set up the collection box, while Carl collected the music. Daniel and Patty were in charge of decorations, and were already fighting over the theme. Kern and James would be gathering tables, chairs, and all the other equipment that would be needed.   
  
Once the tasks had been assigned, the students went off to work on homework. There were no club meetings during the first week of school, so Teecie took advantage of the extra time to get ahead with the work and reading for her classes.  
  
The next day, Teecie had a new set of classes to go to. First off was Charms, then Transfigurations. After lunch came Runes, and Potions. After her bacon and cheese omelet, she went off to her Charms class. Professor Boot told them about the course for the year and answered questions before assigning homework to the students.  
  
In Runes class, Teecie spotted Zeren and smiled at him, though she sat next to Kern. Professor Creevey was a lot of fun. Teecie really enjoyed her and the exercises they started the year off with. They'd be studying the history of runes from around the world, both Muggle and magical, and would also be practicing writing and translating them.   
  
Lunch came and went quickly, and Teecie was off for her Transfigurations class. Professor Weasley began the year in her usual fashion by loading the students down with homework. They'd be working on transfiguring larger objects this year. Teecie had finally gotten caught up to where she should by the end of the last year, with Stephen's help, but she was nervous that it would be too hard for her to keep up this year.   
  
Her last class of the day was Potions. This had never been a very hard class for Teecie. She enjoyed working on the potions that Draco assigned for them to do. She and Carl sat and chatted while they worked on a simple potion to help get them back into the habit of working in class. Paige told them that she was meeting with Professor Snape after class to discuss the party with him. Teecie wished her luck, but knew there shouldn't be a problem.  
  
When the class ended, Teecie stayed after to help Draco clean up. Lisette had also chosen to stay behind as well and was making dove eyes at Draco. "So, Professor Black, did you have a good summer holiday? I heard about the huge party you had for her," She said, stabbing a finger in Teecie's direction.  
  
Draco took a slow, deep breath before responding. "Yes, Miss Crabbe, I had a good holiday," He said in a quiet voice.  
  
Lisette smiled before sauntering over to Teecie. "So, Teecie...what do they call girl bastard children?"  
  
Teecie's face turned red with anger and embarrassment. How dare she call her that? Sure her parents weren't married, but that was none of Lisette's business! "I don't know Lisette, what's your mum's name?" She replied flippantly.  
  
Lisette's eyes flashed as the colour drained from her face. She took a step towards Teecie, trying to look imposing, though she was several inches shorter, before Draco walked over and pushed the girls apart. "Miss Crabbe, I believe it's time you left, before I have to take disciplinary action against you," He said, narrowing his eyes in a threatening manner at her.   
  
When Lisette had gone, Teecie turned around and looked up at Draco. She was trying not to cry over what Lisette had said about her. She was far too old to cry over being teased, even though it was very painful. She couldn't exactly go to Draco for comfort over those words, because they were true, and because she knew that even though he loved all of his sisters very much, a part of him resented them for being borne of the woman Lucius had left his wife for. Teecie didn't know any of the circumstances under which all of that had taken place, but knew her brother had been kind of stuck in the middle of it all. For a fleeting moment, Teecie thought about asking Draco about their father's past, but chose not to, because, as curious as she was, it felt safer not to know. She had the feeling that Draco would tell her, and really didn't want to know the answer, so she didn't ask. After taking a deep breath, Teecie said goodbye to her brother before leaving the room and going to her common room to work on her homework.  
  
Once Teecie had finished her Runes homework, Paige came into the common room with a smile on her face. She told Teecie that Professor Snape had given his permission for them to have the Lake Party. Teecie was excited and the two spent the rest of the day working on party plans.  
  
The rest of the week sped by quickly. Charlie showed them the puffskeins in their Care of Magical Creatures class on Friday. Teecie thought they were so cute, she wanted one of her own. They were just like big cotton balls that purred when they were happy. Teecie stayed behind after class to make sure Charlie was going to go to Hogsmeade for all the food and drinks they needed. They'd collected 300 Galleons over the week and she wanted to buy all sorts of things and have Charlie go get them for her. She left him with a long list of items for tomorrow's party.  
  
Draco called Teecie to his office after dinner that night. He told her he'd be chaperoning her tomorrow, following her like he did on her dates. She was not to wear her bikini, unless it was covered. She was not to go swimming with the boys, nor was she to flirt with them. She had been presented to society and was now expected to act like a proper young lady, and he'd be making sure she did.   
  
Teecie moaned and groaned about how that would probably ruin her entire day, but in the end, agreed to it because she wanted to attend the party. Draco wouldn't allow her to go unless she agreed to do what he said.  
  
She was pleasantly surprised, and soon forgot her complaints when she reached her room and found a letter waiting for her on her pillow. It was from Owen. He told her about his first week of school and asked her all sorts of questions about her week. The second half of the letter was quite steamy, telling her how much he wanted to see her again. Owen wrote about enjoying their kisses, and wanting to kiss her again. He told her how he longed to run his fingers through her curls and press his lips to hers. Teecie felt light-headed while reading this. She closed her eyes and imagined kissing Owen again. She wanted to do more than just kiss him, and it made her feel bold while she wrote her response to him.  
  
Teecie blushed when she thought of the comment she chose to write down, because it was quite suggestive. She asked him to which curls he was referring that he longed to run his fingers through. Then she proceeded to tell him exactly what she'd like to do with him the next time they got to see each other. Teecie's heart pounded as she folded the letter up and walked to the owlery to send the letter off to France. She chose a brown barn owl to be the lucky owl to take the letter to Owen.  
  
That night, Teecie dreamt of Owen and what she wanted to do with him the next time they met. The next morning, Teecie woke up refreshed, and ready for the Lake Party. After breakfast, Teecie and her classmates began to prepare for the party. Teecie went to the kitchens to check in with Nili and the rest of the house elves. They had prepared a feast for the students. Teecie gave Nili a big hug to thank her for all of her help before leaving to go help set up outside.  
  
The weather was perfect, it was unusually hot that day, and all the students were quite excited to be going. Teecie helped set up tables and chairs for an hour before going up to her room to change her clothes. She slipped into her red bikini, then looked around for something light to wear over it. There was a navy blue sarong that she wrapped around her waist. She couldn't find anything good to wear for a top, so she decided that her parasol would cover her up enough. After slipping her feet into her sandals and finding her handbag, Teecie left to stop at Draco's office for his approval, which he insisted she do, before leaving for the party.  
  
Draco really didn't like the fact that her top half was so exposed to the world, and wouldn't let her leave for the party until she'd unwrapped the sarong and retied it around her chest. After he'd transfigured a light-weight black cloth belt for her, Teecie tied it around her waist, so it looked like she was wearing a dress.   
  
Finally satisfied, Draco let her leave, though he reminded her that he'd be there the entire time, as would most of the other professors, and she was to be on her best behaviour. Teecie blushed and smiled as she walked to the lake, thinking about what her brother would think if he'd read the letter she'd written to Owen the night before. He'd probably send her to a convent.  
  
Before she left the school, Teecie stopped at Professor Lupin's office. She decided she still wanted to be friends with him, even though she'd broken up with his son. Teecie made sure he'd be attending the party. Lupin assured her he was quite looking forward to it and would be there soon.   
  
Remus wasn't looking forward to it nearly as much as he'd let Teecie think he was. Too many scantily clad females, and hormonally-unbalanced teenagers tended to get the best of Remus, no matter how hard he tried to suppress his wolfish side. He suspected his day would end by flooing home to Nym, not that she'd mind a visit from him in the least.  
  
Once she'd reached the lake, Teecie set her stuff down and walked around, making sure everything was set up. Patty and Daniel had decorated the tables and surrounding trees with Quidditch-themed items. Miniature broomsticks hung off the branches while small Snitches, Quaffles, and Bludgers were set up around the tables. There was a large pile of wood set up in the middle of the lawn for a bonfire when the sun set that evening. There were marshmallows for toasting and hotdogs for roasting later on too.  
  
The students were arriving for the party now, along with several teachers. Charlie arrived with all of the things Teecie had told him to get. Smiling, she went to help him carry it all over to the tables. There were barrels filled with ice that they'd put bottles of butterbeer and pop in.   
  
Before Teecie could have too much fun, Draco arrived. Opening up two bottles, Teecie handed one of them to him before taking a sip of her own. She could see him trailing her slowly, far enough away that he couldn't interfere too much in who she talked to.   
  
The party was crowded with people now. Teecie laughed and chatted with everybody. June Lindon and Robert Bones were standing together, holding hands and talking to friends. Teecie smiled and waved as she walked past them.   
  
Gabriel Winthrop, the boy that Teecie had gone out with first, but had decided to be friends with, was sitting with his fellow 7th year Ravenclaw friends. She was going to sit with them when James walked past her. "Is he one of the boys you slept with?" He hissed at Teecie.  
  
Teecie whipped around and stood close to his face. "Yes he was! And he was incredible!" She snarled. "I mean, I've slept with so many boys that I'm quite an expert, you know!"  
  
James narrowed his eyes and stepped even closer to her, their noses were practically touching. "I-" He started, but was cut off when Draco came over to them.   
  
"Mr. Lupin, I think it's time you moved on from here," Draco said quietly, taking Teecie's arm and starting to lead her away from James. "Was he harassing you?" He asked her.  
  
"I'm fine, Draco," Teecie replied, feeling self conscious that her brother had interfered. "I think I'm going to go for a swim now," She said, taking her wrap off, folding her parasol up, and placing both in Draco's arms. Draco didn't have time to protest before Teecie was up to her waist in water.  
  
Teecie swam around by herself for a while, before going over to a couple of people who were treading water and talking to each other. Rey and Zeren were talking quietly when Teecie swam up to them. "Hello, boys," She greeted them. They boys smiled and said hello to her. They began to talk about their classes and how much fun they were having at the party. Teecie could see Draco standing under a tree by the refreshment table. He was staring in her direction, though not looking at her.   
  
The three kids talked for an hour before leaving the water to eat lunch. Paige and Carl joined them at the table while they made sandwiches for themselves and together, they all sat and ate. June and Robert joined them, and soon afterwards, Patty and Daniel sat and bickered while eating.  
  
Hours passed before Teecie went back into the water, where Professor Lupin and Charlie were setting up a game of volleyball with a beach ball. Neither Zeren nor Rey joined in the game, but many of the others did, and soon, Teecie was jumping up and down in the water, tossing the ball back and forth to them. Ashford Creevey had teamed up with Peter Lupin and they were swimming around, grabbing the ankles of the opposing team members and dunking them under the water before they could make their shots. When Peter attempted to do this to his father, Remus lifted his leg up, picked Peter off of him and proceeded to toss him over the net, to the other side, making a huge splash when he landed in the water. This only inspired the other students to attempt the same thing, and soon, the other students were trying to get Remus to toss them over the net, into the water, though he refused, saying it wasn't safe.   
  
Teecie took the opportunity to get a piggy-back ride from Charlie during this break. She squealed while Charlie trotted around in the water. Once, he told her to take a deep breath. When she'd done so, Charlie bent down, dunking both of them under the water. After a few seconds, he stood back up, allowing them to breathe again. Teecie laughed when he emerged out of the water. This had gotten many of the girls' attentions, and soon, there was a line of girls waiting to be dunked by Charlie.  
  
Draco was less than pleased to see this. He stood at the edge of the lake, calling out to Teecie to get out of the water. He even went so far as to accuse Charlie of trying to drown his sister. Teecie sighed and shook her head before taking Draco's arm and trying to lead him to a chair to sit down in. Draco was fuming and made Teecie put her wrap back on before he'd speak to her. "Calm down!" She said sternly, standing in front of him with her hands on her hips. "He dunked me under the water, it's not like he tried to drown me. It was a lot of fun!" Teecie cried.  
  
"Don't you tell me to calm down, young lady! If I think you're in any danger, I'm going to act on it. Now that's it for the water today. You can have fun on dry land, where I can keep a better eye on you. Now sit down next to me for a while before you run off again to who knows where," Draco insisted, reaching out to grab Teecie and set her in the chair next to him.  
  
Teecie sat silently next to him for about two minutes before Patty came over to her and asked her to join her over at the refreshment table. Teecie jumped up and walked off with Patty without a backward glance at Draco. Teecie thanked Patty profusely for bailing her out, to which Patty replied, "No problem, what are friends for?" while smiling.  
  
Once at the table, Teecie saw Paul and Kali holding hands while talking to Stephen Weasley. Teecie greeted him warmly while grabbing another butterbeer.   
  
Several more hours passed before Professor Longbottom lit the bonfire. Teecie saw Uncle Sev for the first time that day and made him join her in toasting marshmallows. Though Snape would never admit it, he did think the crunchy toasted marshmallows with their gooey, soft insides, tasted delicious, though he hated the mess they made. He had tried not to eat any of the messy puffs of sugar, but Teecie had shoved one into his mouth when he wasn't paying attention. He was quite annoyed, but forgave her when he saw the look on her face. Snape sat and watched while Teecie roasted a hotdog on a stick and ate it right off the stick. He couldn't help but think she still needed lots of time with Draco before she would be broken of such habits. While Snape loved Adriana and the girls, he did think that Lucius and Adriana should have taken the girls in hand a long time ago. They would barely get anywhere in life with the manners they currently possessed.  
  
After an hour or so, Professor Snape told all the children it was late and time for everybody to return to their rooms. While the kids walked back into the school, Teecie and her classmates stayed behind to help clean up. It was well after 11 when they finished and went back inside.   
  
Teecie found another letter from Owen on her pillow after she'd changed into her pyjamas. After laying down and pulling the curtains around her bed, she tore the letter open. The things Owen wrote made Teecie blush and feel light-headed. It seemed he was very interested in her in the same way she was in him. When she'd read the letter through the third time, she folded it up and put it under her pillow. That night, Teecie fell asleep dreaming of Owen, feeling his lips pressed against hers, and his hands touching her body. It was the best dream she'd ever had in her life. 


	38. And the Walls Came Tumbling Down

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlamehotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm glad you liked the beginning of the school year. I wanted her to be having a really good time before everything turned bad. And, unfortunately, this is the chapter when that happens. The rest of Teecie's school year will be consumed by what happens here. On another note, I'm so glad you liked Letters that ElfFlame and I did. We just felt they needed to be written after doing the Catharsis chapter in Dragon's Tears. Have you had a chance to check out After the Tears Fell yet? It's Adriana's side of the aftermath of Dragon's Tears. I think you'd enjoy it. Well, here's the next chapter, let me know what you think!  
  
And the Walls Came Tumbling Down  
  
Teecie was enjoying her third year at Hogwarts so far. She was quite busy with classes, friends, clubs, and her letters to and from Owen. She was doing better in her classes than she'd ever done before, which surprised both herself and her professors.   
  
For once, Teecie was actually at the top of her class in Transfigurations. Professor Weasley was quite excited to see how well she was doing. She gave Gryffindor house fifteen points after Teecie successfully transfigured a teacup into a bat. She smiled up at the professor while the bat flapped it's wings and nestled itself in her hair. The professor seemed amazed that Teecie had done this, and gave her the points to encourage her to continue.  
  
Teecie was enjoying her Care of Magical Creatures class. They were studying the Diricawl bird now. Diricawls were fat, fluffy birds that didn't fly, but could disappear whenever they wanted to. Charlie told them that Muggles called them "Dodo" birds, and didn't think they existed anymore. They were very interesting animals.  
  
The weeks flew by quickly. Teecie found the work load more than it had ever been before, yet still managed to get it all done, in spite of all the club meetings she went to. Even though she was having lots of fun, it was still quite stressful. Teecie was looking forward to the first Hogsmeade weekend on Saturday. She wanted to get away from all the work by spending time in town with her friends. She'd planned her whole day out. First she'd stop in at the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer, then go to Honeydukes for sweets. Next it was shopping at all the stores, then back to the Three Broomsticks for lunch.   
  
The Thursday before the Hogsmeade weekend, Draco asked Teecie to stay after Potions class, and informed her that he'd arranged for her to meet Zeren's parents that Saturday evening. She'd have to cut her day short in order to get dressed. There was a restaurant in Hogsmeade that Draco would be taking Teecie to to meet Zeren and his parents.  
  
Teecie was upset, for she wanted to spend her whole day having fun, not sitting with stuffy old people, trying to pretend she was a proper lady from high society. She could tell from the way Zeren looked at her sometimes, that his parents were probably going to hate her. But, she'd try her hardest, for Draco's sake. She wanted him to be proud of her, and hoped he would be.   
  
Teecie spent the rest of the week planning her outfit for her date with Zeren. She wanted to have it all planned out so she could spend as much time in Hogsmeade as possible before she had to leave. She planned on wearing a plain black evening dress, black nylons, and black slippers, and putting her hair up in a French twist. By Saturday morning, Teecie felt ready for her date with Zeren, though she was still a little nervous over the thought of meeting his parents.  
  
It was a crisp, chilly day in late October. A clear, bright sun shone down upon the school as Teecie and her friends sat and ate breakfast. Rey and Carl were talking quietly to each other next to Teecie while the twins talked at a fast pace to her. From down at the far end of the table, Teecie could see James sitting with his brothers. Every once in a while, he'd make eye contact with her and scowl before looking away again. Sighing, Teecie took another bite of her cornflakes and turned back to talk to Patty.  
  
A short while after breakfast ended, the students going to Hogsmeade began their trek into town. Professor Weasley stood in the Entrance Hall and checked to make sure each student had a signed permission slip. Teecie's father had signed hers a couple days before she had left for school. She walked arm-in-arm with Paul and Kali as they all walked to Hogsmeade. Paul was in the middle, and laughed and talked to both of the girls. Teecie was sporting her knit pink scarf, tied around her neck, and wore a green jumper over a pair of jeans. Kali was wearing a blue scarf, black mini skirt and a red jumper. Teecie told them about what Draco was making her do that evening. "I don't see why you let him do that kind of thing to you," Kali said, sounding angry. "I mean, you were perfectly happy with James until he tried to get you to see other boys. He's always interfering like that. He can be such a pain sometimes!"  
  
"He's just trying to be a good older brother. He cares about us, that's all," Teecie replied. "What's your problem, Kali? You always give him such a hard time. What's he ever done to you?"  
  
Kali grew pale and quickly changed the subject to a safer topic: classes. The three students spent the rest of their walk into town talking about school.  
  
As soon as they arrived in town, the first thing they did was go to the Three Broomsticks pub. Teecie ran into the rest of her classmates and soon they were laughing and talking over bottles of butterbeer. The noise was overwhelming, yet grew quieter as a few professors from school walked into the pub. Professors Lupin, Longbottom, and Charlie Weasley sat at a table by themselves and ordered drinks. After a minute, they were forgotten as the students' chatter started up again.  
  
Once the butterbeers had been finished, the students split up and went to the different stores around town. Teecie and the twins went off on their own. Honeydukes was so crowded that they couldn't get inside, so they walked up and down to look in the rest of the stores. It was a matter of principle that kept the three girls from going into Zonko's Joke Shop. They were the number one competitors of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, so the girls couldn't support them.  
  
When Teecie and Paige came to Gladrags Wizardwear Shop, they looked as if they'd died and gone to heaven, for there was nothing in the world they loved more than shopping for new clothes. Their eyes lit up as they squealed at the moving dummies in the windows that wore different clothes that were the height of wizard fasion. As they went inside, where they ran into Carl, Patty went off to find Daniel. Paige and Teecie had fun as they dressed up and put on a fashion show for Carl, who critiqued their outfits. The girls had just tried on matching green evening gowns, which Carl had applauded, when they realized it was past lunch time. Before leaving, Teecie bought a silk pink headscarf to wear over her hair on cold and rainy days. Paige bought a matching blue one to wear.  
  
Carl walked arm-in-arm with Teecie and Paige over to Madam Puddifoot's tearoom, a small restaurant, for lunch. The three noshed on cucumber sandwiches, cream of mushroom soup, and herbal tea while chatting happily. Teecie told them about her date with Zeren that evening and how nervous she was to be meeting his parents. Paige and Carl were very supportive and comforting, reassuring her that she was a great person and had nothing to worry about, and if Zeren's parents didn't like her, then it was their loss, not hers. Teecie felt better afterwards.  
  
When they'd finished eating, the three walked to Honeydukes, which had cleared out enough for them to get inside. There were all sorts of sweets and treats to buy. Carl saw Rey in one of the aisles and went to go talk to him, while Paige met up with Patty and joined her. Teecie walked around by herself, looking at all the rows of sweets in the store. Some of them looked appealing, but she liked Muggle sweets best. She left the store after buying a slab of homemade fudge, and a box of chocoballs, the closest sweets she could find to their Muggle equivalent.  
  
As Teecie was walking out of the shop, James was walking in. What was worse, he was holding hands with a girl. Candace Howe, a Ravenclaw girl in their year, had long red hair that was tied back in a plait, deep brown eyes that were covered with pink wire-rimmed glasses, and was wearing a red mini skirt and purple top. Teecie opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off when James pulled Candace into the store. "Come on, Candace, I'll buy you some sweets," He said to her, glaring at Teecie over his shoulder as the door closed between them.   
  
Teecie felt like she'd been kicked. James had replaced her already, with another girl who was far more beautiful than she was. She was feeling very ugly and upset as she walked past a few stores. Teecie was about to go back to the Three Broomsticks for another Butterbeer when she looked down at her watch and saw that it was time for her to return to the school to get ready for her date with Zeren.   
  
It took about 20 minutes to walk back to the school, and another ten to get up to her dormitory. Teecie took her time preparing for the date. She carefully brushed her hair and tied it in a loose French twist before applying her pale pink lip gloss. Once that was all done, she slipped into her black evening gown, and matching nylons. After finding a silk black shawl and putting it around her bare shoulders, Teecie put her slippers on and left the room to go back to Hogsmeade.  
  
Teecie was startled to see Zeren standing in the hallway outside the painting of the Fat Lady. "I'm supposed to escort you to the restaurant," He informed her, holding his arm out for her to take. Teecie thought Zeren looked pretty handsome in a set of fancy black dress robes. He had wonderfully tanned golden skin, and his hair was just a shade darker. It was swept back, and stayed in place by a magic spell, no doubt. He looked at Teecie with scrutiny through intense sapphire eyes, and not seeing anything to criticize, smiled, showing a row of sparkly white teeth.   
  
As the two kids walked down the stairs, Zeren spoke to Teecie. "So, I thought we could floo to the restaurant. What do you think?" He asked, looking straight ahead of where he was walking.  
  
"Are you insane? I'll mess up my hair! And my dress!" Teecie cried, letting go of Zeren's arm and pointing to her dress, looking quite upset at the thought.  
  
Zeren smiled slyly. "That was a test. I'm glad to say you passed with flying colours. Your brother might just make a proper lady out of you yet!"  
  
"Thanks a lot!" Teecie replied, smacking his arm lightly before taking it in her hand again. They continued to walk down the stairs, and out of the front door. After they left the school grounds, Teecie saw that there was a carriage waiting for them.  
  
"I arranged for this so we won't get our clothes dirty. Besides, it's much too cold to walk at night this time of the year," Zeren explained while helping Teecie into the carriage. When she was settled, he covered her up in a couple blankets and furs before sitting down and telling the driver to go.  
  
Teecie asked Zeren about his parents while they drove to the restaurant, which was a little bit out of the way from Hogsmeade. Zeren told her that his mum was the president of the Ladies Aid Society. They organized fundraisers for less fortunate people. His father ran the family business and took care of the manor in which they lived. "They'll probably ask you a million questions, but don't worry too much. They're mostly harmless," He said, right as the horse pulled up to the door of the restaurant.  
  
The chilly October night air hit Teecie's bare skin as she stepped out of the carriage. Zeren saw how cold she was and quickly led her inside.  
  
The restaurant only had a few patrons, so it was easy to find the table that the adults were already sitting at. The host led them to the table and helped Teecie sit down before handing out menus. The restaurant was called the Crying Quail, and the food was as pretentious as its name. Half of the words were in French, and Teecie had a difficult time understanding what everything was. In the end, she chose the Coq Au Vin, hoping it would taste good.  
  
After everybody had ordered, they sat around in silence for a couple minutes before the questions started. Zeren's parents looked at Teecie appraisingly, searching for flaws in her appearance. When they found none, they began talking. "So, dear, tell me about your parents," Zeren's mother said, tilting her head and waiting for the response.  
  
"Well, ma'am..." Teecie started, her voice trailing off. Draco had told her a little bit about what people like them would be unimpressed about hearing, like the farm, the fact that her parents worked on the farm, and the fact that they lived in a small house. She was supposed to impress them with her proper upbringing. So, remembering what she'd done at the dinner party two summers ago, Teecie decided to have fun with the answers. "My father is retired from the business he used to run, and my mother oversees the everyday goings on at the property we live on," She said, rather cryptically.  
  
"And tell me, what are your favourite classes at school, Miss Orendes?" Mr. Travers asked, looking down his pointed nose at Teecie.  
  
"Well, sir, I love most of my classes, though I'd have to say that Potions, Herbology, and Defense Against the Dark Arts are my favourites. Oh, and Care of Magical Creatures too," Teecie replied, smiling at him.  
  
Mr. Travers wrinkled his nose distastefully. "Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology, eh? Those are rather...dirty classes, wouldn't you say?"  
  
"Maybe so, but it's nothing a good shower won't fix," Teecie replied, smiling. She felt a sharp kick on her shin and looked next to her to see Draco looking furious. She had no idea why he didn't like what she'd said, it was perfectly true.   
  
Mr. Travers frowned. "I suppose..." He said before turning away from her and looking at Draco.   
  
"You must excuse my sister, she tends to forget herself in social situations. She's quite irrepressible. I'm always having to look out for her, the little imp! But she's a good kid," Draco said, patting Teecie on the head.  
  
Teecie couldn't believe Draco was talking about her like that. It was like she was two years old or something! Luckily though, it seemed that the question and answer portion of Teecie's evening had ended. It was now her brother's turn. Their food arrived just as Mr. Travers had asked why Teecie had a different last name from their father. She began to eat her food, which was delicious, while listening to his response. "Well, you know, after the war, it just wasn't safe to have that name, so the girls took their mother's last name," Draco said, cutting into his steak.  
  
The adults started talking about the two kids like they weren't even there. Every one in a while, one of the parents would look down at Teecie and say something about her. "She is a good-looking girl, you'll probably have many suitors for her hand," Mrs. Travers said at one point in time.  
  
"Yes, and she is still quite young, so I'm sure it will be very interesting," Draco said, smiling at Teecie and patting her hand. She thought she might throw up over the way they were talking.   
  
Teecie tried to make small talk with Zeren, but was very distracted over what the adults were saying. Zeren seemed nonplussed by such talk. He was probably used to being considered background by his parents, which Teecie thought, was a sad thing.   
  
The two kids were discussing their day in Hogsmeade when Draco patted Teecie's head again. "Well, I know Ticia will make an excellent mother someday," He said, seeming to reassure Mrs. Travers of some sort of concern she'd had. "She loves taking care of children, don't you dear?" Draco said, smiling at Teecie.  
  
"Yes, I do. My greatest goal in life is to be the mother of seven children!" Teecie replied, smiling at Mrs. Travers.  
  
"Oh, my, that's a lot of children. Why seven?" She asked, clutching a hand to her chest as though shocked beyond belief.  
  
"It's a lucky number," Teecie replied, shrugging her shoulders. Mrs. Travers smiled half-heartedly before turning back to Draco. Looking over at Zeren, Teecie thought he could see the slightest hint of a smile on his face as he took a bite of his salmon.   
  
"There she goes again! She's such a little prankster. Always keeping us on our toes," Draco said patronizingly to Teecie.  
  
Things went smoothly for a while after that. Teecie finished her meal and ordered the creme brulee for pudding. It was so delicious that she decided she had to try making it herself sometime. Zeren was eating a slice of chocolate torte which looked incredible. He asked her if she'd like to try it. Teecie smiled and picked up her fork, took a small piece from his plate, and popped it into her mouth, savouring the flavour as it melted in her mouth. She didn't realize for a minute that the table had become completely silent. Looking up, she saw the shocked faces of Zeren's parents staring at her in horror.  
  
Draco looked down at her with huge eyes, his mouth slightly agape. What had she done? Teecie was confused, but kept her mouth shut. "What did I do?" She whispered to Zeren. "Did I use the wrong fork?"  
  
Zeren frowned and rolled his eyes. "No, you reached over to my plate and ate from it. You were supposed to let me cut off a piece and put it on your plate," He whispered back.  
  
"Oh...what should I do now then?" She asked, blushing.  
  
"Nothing, just pretend it didn't happen," He muttered.  
  
After another minute, the adults seemed to get over the incident and went back to talking amongst themselves. Teecie's creme brulee didn't seem to taste as good after that. She wanted desperately for the date to end, and to return to her dormitory where she could have a good cry.  
  
Another hour passed before Draco looked at his watch and told the kids they should return to the school before it got too late. Teecie and Zeren stood up, said goodbye to everybody, and left the restaurant. The carriage was still waiting for them.  
  
Neither Teecie nor Zeren talked much on the way back to school. Teecie felt very foolish and inept, which wasn't a good feeling at all. Once they returned to Hogwarts, Zeren escorted Teecie up to the painting of the Fat Lady before kissing her cheek and telling her goodnight.   
  
Teecie took a nice, long shower before going up to her dormitory. She changed into her favourite pair of pink shorts and a matching tank top before crawling into bed and falling right to sleep.  
  
The next morning, Teecie woke up late and stumbled out of bed to get dressed and go down to breakfast. Once she was ready, she walked downstairs and into the Great Hall to eat. She saw Kali sitting by herself at the Ravenclaw table, and decided to join her for breakfast.  
  
Teecie told Kali all about her night with Zeren and his parents. In the middle of the story, an owl bearing a small package flew over to Teecie and stopped in front of her plate of pancakes. Teecie was surprised, for she wasn't expecting anything in the post today, but carefully untied the package from the owl before it flew back off to the where it had come from.  
  
It was a package about the size of a shoebox, covered in plain brown paper. There were no markings on it, but there was a small note attached, which Teecie read:   
  
My Dear Teecie,  
  
Last night was wonderful. I thought I'd give you a token of my affection for you. This is something I know you will love, just as much as I love you. Remember me when you see this.  
  
-Zeren  
  
"Oooh, Zeren sent me a gift!" Teecie exclaimed excitedly, looking at Kali and grinning. She quickly tore the brown paper off the box and opened the lid. She had been expecting something different from the pile of papers that were inside. Setting the box down, Teecie took out the papers and started to look at them. They were copies of pages from old editions of the Daily Prophet. What was this? Why would Zeren send her newspaper clippings? What kind of a present was that?   
  
When she started reading through them more closely, it made Teecie's blood run cold and her stomach twist in knots. Every page had a picture and an article about her father on it. Why would her father be in all these issues of the Daily Prophet? She read some of the headlines: Malfoy the Infamous Death Eater, Arrested for the Ministry of Magic Break-In; Lucius Malfoy, Notorious Supporter of You-Know-Who, Denies Any Connections to the Death Eaters; Lucius Malfoy, the Death Eater, Signs Confessions of His Many Crimes, were just a few that stood out to Teecie. Teecie's mouth felt dry and her heart was pounding as she read them. She was confused, this must be a lie. It couldn't be real. It wasn't real.  
  
Teecie started to read the articles about her father. They talked about things he'd done. He'd been a very famous Death Eater, whatever that was. They said he had killed people, and forced himself on women. Teecie felt light-headed and her mouth dropped open as she read. They said he'd taken part in torturing people, both Muggle and magical folk alike. The pictures of her father showed a very angry man snarling at her. He was dressed in very formal black robes and carried a snake-headed cane. How could this be her father, the loving man who wouldn't hurt a fly? It wasn't possible for them to be the same person. Teecie didn't understand; was this all true? Or was somebody making up horrible lies about her father? She stared at the picture of the hateful man who sneered at her, feeling cold, confused, and numb.   
  
Kali had taken some of the papers and was reading them as well. She was very pale and trembling, her lips quivering as she pushed her plate of fruit salad away. Teecie turned to look at her sister to see what she thought of all this, and watched as Kali ripped the papers out of her hands, stuffed them back into the box and put the lid on as quickly as she could. After Teecie called to her quietly, Kali looked at her and put a smile on her face. "This is just a sick joke Teecie. Just ignore it and pretend you didn't see it, all right?" Kali said, her voice wavering as tears glinted in her eyes.  
  
"But Kali, what if-" Teecie started to say before being cut off.  
  
"No! It's just a joke! It's not real!" Kali yelled, picking the box up before standing to leave. Teecie watched as Kali left the Great Hall. She turned to look over at the Slytherin table carefully before she left the room.   
  
Teecie stayed at the Ravenclaw table for a long time by herself. It couldn't be true. It had to be lies. Her father wasn't capable of doing anything like that. But slowly, doubt crept inside Teecie's mind. She thought about all the things she'd heard during the party. She thought about what Rey had said, and how her father always skirted the issue of his past. Deep down, she knew he must have done something horrible, but had never tried to think about it too hard. If she didn't think about it, it couldn't be real, or at least that's what she'd tried to convince herself. And, if they were lies, then somebody went to a lot of effort to fabricate old issues of the Daily Prophet. And where had the photographs come from? No...they had to be real. But Teecie had to make sure that those things were true or not. Feeling sick to her stomach, she turned to look up at Draco and Uncle Sev. She could easily ask them about it. They'd tell her for sure if it was true. But she wanted to research this more by herself first.   
  
There was a large pile of homework waiting to be done, but Teecie didn't think about any of that as she walked quickly to the library. Her first task was to look up what a Death Eater was, and who "You-Know-Who" was. Once she'd found that out, she could research the Daily Prophet better.  
  
After scouring the library, Teecie found the section on modern history. There were books about the wars, Death Eaters, Voldemort, the man behind everything, and even Harry Potter, the boy who had saved the world. His story must have been impressive, for there was even a series of historical fiction novels based on his life at Hogwarts, written by a Muggle. His story must have been leaked out. Teecie spent her entire day pouring through the books. She learned exactly what a Death Eater was, and what they had stood for, and the crimes they were guilty of. She read about Voldemort and how he had wanted to rid the world of Muggles and the Muggleborn.   
  
Teecie read through the books about Harry Potter. She was horrified at the references to her father in them. She was almost sick as she read about what he'd done to open up the Chamber of Secrets. How could he do that to a little girl? And not just any girl-Ginny Weasley. She was Professor Longbottom's wife. That must mean he knew, and probably all of her professors did too. How could the man she knew be so cruel as to give a small child a diary that would control her and force her to do horrible things? Teecie couldn't understand it. Her father loved everybody. He'd never hurt a little girl.   
  
As Teecie kept reading she couldn't help but wonder how could he have been so evil? And only two years later, at the World Cup, torturing Muggles, and months after that...at the graveyard. He had returned to Voldemort and had taunted Harry Potter while he'd been forced to confront the man who wanted to kill him. And after that, the break-in at the Ministry of Magic and his arrest. He had tried to steal a prophecy and give it to Voldemort, to help destroy Harry, but had failed. Though Teecie searched carefully through the last two books, there were no more references to him. Had he really done those awful things? Was it all true?  
  
Teecie searched for more references to the Lucius Malfoy she did know, but found nothing, though there were references to Draco and Uncle Sev, but there was nothing about her mum either. If anybody could have gone up against Voldemort and beaten him, it was her mum. So, if she wasn't in those stories, they couldn't be true, right?  
  
It was just as Teecie was almost convinced that this was in fact, a horrible joke, that small details started to come to the front of her mind. Things she'd heard as she'd been growing up, but never really thought about. Reni had been born around the time that the last of the references to Lucius were found in the books. And Lucius hadn't been there for the birth, Uncle Sev had. Adriana had always said that he had been away on business. Teecie was now wondering just what business she'd meant. And then Reni had gone to live with Uncle Sev for a long time, but why? And her mum had gone up against a Dementor, but why? Had she gone to Azkaban at some point in time? Why didn't Teecie know any of this? Suddenly, the memory of her first encounter with Harry Potter flashed in her mind. No wonder he'd been so shocked to find that a man like that had had more children. It made much more sense to her now.  
  
Teecie was pouring through old issues of the Daily Prophet when somebody sat down next to her. Looking up, she saw Kali, still holding the box of papers, with a haunted look on her face. Teecie was silent for a moment before her face crumpled and she started to cry. Reaching her arms out, she wrapped herself around Kali, who started to cry too. They held each other for a long time, not talking, comforting each other.  
  
After a while, they pulled apart and started whispering. "Kali, what are we going to do? Our father is a..." Teecie's voice broke as tears streamed down her face again. "And everybody knows. All the students, all the professors, even Muggles know! The whole world knows! Maybe we should go to Draco. Let's talk to him, he can help us," She said in a whisper.  
  
"No! I won't go to him! There's nothing we can do," Kali yelled, earning her a scathing glare from Madam Pince, the librarian. "What are you looking at?" She shouted at her, standing up and walking over to the desk the librarian was working at. "You think you're better than us, don't you! Well you're not!" With that, Kali turned around, walked back to Teecie, grabbed the box of papers, and her sister's arm and dragged her out of the room.   
  
Once out of the room, Kali told Teecie they couldn't stay at the school anymore. Everybody would be looking at them differently now. They couldn't live like that. "Go to your room and pack a bag with what you need to live with. Don't bother taking your wand, we can't use them. We'll have to live like Muggles. Meet me on the sixth floor as soon as you can. There's a room we can stay in until we figure out where to go. Go, now!" Kali pushed Teecie towards the stairs while she ran off to her own room.   
  
Teecie wasn't used to seeing her sister so panicked. It scared her. As she ran to her room, Teecie was lucky enough to not run into anybody. Unfortunately, both of the twins were in the room as Teecie went in to pack her life into a bag to take with her. Teecie slowly walked to her bed and found a bag before putting clothes, her Magical Fun oven, all the money she could find, a couple books, and her stuffed pink unicorn in it.   
  
"Teecie, what are you doing?" Paige asked, walking over to her.  
  
"I...I forgot something I bought yesterday in Hogsmeade. I'm going back there to pick it up now. I won't be long," Teecie stammered.  
  
"Oh? Do you really think it's a good idea to go-" Paige asked before Teecie cut her off.  
  
"Look, I'm going to Hogsmeade, leave me alone!" Teecie snarled, picking her bag up and walking towards the door. Without looking back, she opened the door, and left the room before walking down to the sixth floor. Kali was waiting for her already, with a bag in her arms.  
  
"Here it is, this way," Kali whispered, pointing to a small hole in the bottom of one of the walls. Teecie raised her eyebrows as she looked at the hole. They'd be staying inside a wall? She watched as Kali dropped to her knees, shoved her bag inside the hole before crawling in afterwards. It was a small hole, but looked as though it grew to allow the person to go through it. Once Kali was inside, Teecie dropped to her knees and copied her sister.  
  
There was a staircase with about ten steps up to a landing. Teecie followed Kali up the stairs and looked around. It was pretty small, though there was a large window to look out of. There were things in the room that Teecie couldn't see because they were covered by dusty drop clothes. "Paul and I found this room in our second year. We were running around and playing hide-and-seek. We've come back every once in a while, so we can be alone," Kali explained.  
  
Teecie started to uncover the hidden objects from their coverings. There were large chairs with soft cushions, beds with warm comforters on them, and desks like the ones from their classes, and several lamps that worked, giving off a warm glow and lighting the room more properly than the moonlight from the window. "This must be some type of storage room for extra equipment," She said quietly.  
  
"There's a restroom across the hall, so we can use that," Kali informed her.  
  
"And I brought my oven, so we can make food with that," Teecie said. Clutching her bag to her chest, Teecie sat down in one of the red plush chairs. She was startled when the chair made a loud, "Harrumph," noise as she sat in it. Apparently, it had gotten used to not being occupied for such a long time, it was insulted to be used again.   
  
The chair was soft and warm, and as soon as she started to feel comfortable, the weight of her discovery hit her like a tonne of bricks. Her father was a murderer. And a rapist. How could she have not known that about him? Tears welled in Teecie's eyes and began to fall down her face. After a minute, she buried her head in the arm of the chair, and sobbed. Kali heard this and ran to join Teecie in the chair, which was large enough for both of them to sit in comfortably. Putting her arms around Teecie, Kali cried too, while the chair made sympathetic whimpering sounds to soothe them.  
  
It was late in the evening by the time the girls had unpacked their bags and settled into one of the beds together. But there would be no sleeping that night though, for either of them. It would be the first of many long, sleepless nights for the girls. 


	39. A Tangled Web

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlamehotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Vicki: I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far! Here's the next chapter. Let me know what you think!  
  
Arsinoe de Blassenville: This has been a tough year for me to write. I hated having to do this to the girls, but then I realized, it was not me, it was...Well, I can't say just yet, can I! This chapter should pretty much answer who did it, I think. Unfortunately, things will get worse before they get better for Teecie, and Kali. But I really think it will be all resolved by the end of the school year, so bear with me through all of this!   
  
Polgarathesorceress2: I know you're upset about Teecie, and I've been crying over the same things too! I hate that this had to happen to her, and Kali, but it had to happen somehow, and sometime. This year will be tough for her, and she's going to grow a lot, so by the end of the year, she'll be almost a whole new person. It's just a journey she has to make, unfortunately.  
  
A Tangled Web   
  
Author's Note: I owe a lot of thanks to ElfFlame for helping me with this chapter. I tried writing it from several specific points of view, in a way I've never done before, so I hope it works. Please let me know what you think!  
  
Paige knew something was wrong with Teecie when she came into the room and started packing a bag on Sunday night. What was she doing that for? And so late at night? Her excuse had hardly been a real reason. She'd forgotten something in Hogsmeade and was going back to get it? Paige didn't know where Teecie was really going, but knew it wasn't Hogsmeade. And she'd been so upset too. Something bad must have happened. When she asked Patty what they should do, Patty shrugged and told her to wait until morning to see if she'd come back, then go to a professor at breakfast if she hadn't. Paige took that advice. It took her a long time to fall asleep that night while she waited for Teecie's return.   
  
As soon as the sun was up, Paige woke up, dressed, and looked to see if Teecie had come back in the night. Her stomach twisted in knots to see that her bed was still empty. After putting her shoes on, she left the room, and the tower to go find her Aunt Hermione.   
  
Unsurprisingly, Paige found her in the library, reading a book. "Paige, dear, what brings you here so early in the morning?" Hermione asked, setting her book down and looking at Paige, who sat down next to her.  
  
"Aunt Hermione, last night...Teecie packed a bag with clothes and stuff. She was really upset, and left. She didn't come back, and wasn't in bed this morning. I think she might have run away again," Paige said quickly, wringing her hands.  
  
Hermione sat forward and put her hands on Paige's shoulders. "She's not in your room? Paige, why didn't you come get me last night?"  
  
Paige looked at her aunt and started to cry. "I don't know...Patty told me to wait till now. It sounded good at the time," She cried.  
  
"Oh, darling, I'm not upset at you, I'm just worried about Ticia. Come on, let's go see the Headmaster. He needs to know about this," Hermione said, standing up, putting a comforting arm around Paige, and walking out of the library to the Headmaster's office.

Professor Snape was already working on paperwork when Professor Weasley and Paige came into his office to talk. He was quite displeased to hear that Teecie had been out of bed all night, but wanted to give her some more time to show up for breakfast and classes. As he was explaining this, a woman's head appeared in his fireplace. "Professor Creevey, what is it?" He asked, almost harshly over the interruption.   
  
The blonde-haired woman, with her wand stuck behind her ear looked dreamily up at Professor Snape. "I just thought I'd let you know, that none of Kalare Orendes's dorm mates have seen her since yesterday morning. You might want to keep an eye out for her," She said before popping out of sight.  
  
Professor Snape took a deep breath and rubbed his now throbbing temples. "Thank you Miss Weasley, why don't you go down to breakfast now?" He said. Silently, Paige stood up and left the room. Turning to Professor Weasley, Snape spoke again. "I'll be needing to speak to the professors at breakfast today. Please let them know this. I'll also need to see the prefects and the Head Boy and Girl. Have everybody meet in the antechamber in the Great Hall. That will be all," He said, turning his back on Professor Weasley and walking to the fireplace.  
  
Professor Weasley told everybody who was supposed to meet with the headmaster of where they were to go at breakfast. Within a half hour, everybody was waiting for Professor Snape and what he had to tell them. After a few minutes of silence, he appeared. "I've gathered you here, to let you know of a situation that needs to be dealt with. Two students from the school have been reported missing. Both Ticia and Kalare Orendes have not been seen since yesterday evening. Nobody seems to have clues to their whereabouts, but I feel the time has come to conduct a thorough search of the school. The professors will search the school, Hogsmeade, and the Forbidden Forest during their free periods, while the prefects talk to the students and search after classes," Professor Snape turned to the Head Boy and Girl, "Mr. Engelmann, Miss Diggory, you two will be excused from classes today to help search." He turned back to the main group before continuing again. "You will report to the professor's lounge at the end of each search to report your findings. Let's try to find them as soon as possible, without alarming the other students. That is all."  
  
The professors and students knew better than to stay and ask questions. Hermione would tell them anything else they needed to know before they started searching. With the exception of Draco, everybody else filed out of the room, leaving the two men alone. Draco quickly crossed the floor, his lips drawn tightly before speaking to Snape. "My sisters have been missing since yesterday, and you presumed to tell me in front of everybody else? How dare you!" He yelled, getting in Snape's face and looking into his eyes. "How dare you tell me this way? My sisters are missing? What else do you know? Do you know anything? Have you talked to their friends? Why are you just standing there? Why aren't you out there trying to find them?" Draco was trying to remain as composed as possible, keeping his hands behind his back, though at times it seemed like he wanted to strangle Snape.  
  
Snape let Draco rant until he had nothing left to say before putting his hands on Draco's shoulders. "Draco, everything that can possibly be done, is being done. We will search the school and the surrounding areas thoroughly. Believe me, I know how to do this," He replied. Snape couldn't help comparing this to the time Draco had kidnapped the girls. He'd been worried for the girls then, but at least he'd known who had taken them. This was much worse. He didn't even know if the girls had been taken, or if they'd run away, or whatever else could have happened. Though he'd never show it, or admit it, he was terrified to think of what had happened to them. Snape squeezed Draco's shoulders and looked into his eyes. "We'll find them. We found them once, we'll find them again. The best thing you can do now is to teach your classes, and search in your free time. You can do this. You'll get through this. Why don't you go try to eat something now, you need to keep up your strength," He said, before letting go of Draco and turning around. Draco took a slow, deep breath before nodding to himself and leaving the room.

When Paige went to the Great Hall for breakfast, she told the Gryffindors in her class what had happened. Everybody was startled and upset over hearing that Teecie and Kali had disappeared. James had been taking a bite of his porridge when he heard Paige's pronouncement. He dropped his spoon onto the floor with a large clatter, paying it no heed as he asked Paige to explain again what had happened. His heart began to pound as he thought about Teecie being missing. Even though he'd been very upset with her ever since her visit to his house over the summer holiday, and especially after the letter he'd gotten from Lisette, explaining about seeing her with Zeren at the fair, he still cared for her. She'd been the first girl he'd ever loved, and would always be special to him. James's throat dried out as he looked around for Teecie. At first he thought Paige must have made a mistake, and just hadn't seen Teecie that morning. He thought that if he looked over to where she usually sat, he'd see her there. But he was wrong. There was only an empty space where she should have been. James fought back tears while he worried about her.   
  
James hadn't even noticed until just now that almost all of the professors weren't in the Great Hall. He didn't know where they'd gone, but hoped they were discussing the fact that Teecie was missing from the school. James wished his father was nearby, so he could ask him what was going on, but as soon as the professors returned, from the antechamber just off of the Great Hall, their grave expressions and stony silence made it difficult for James to work up the strength to stand up.  
  
Once James saw his father stand up to leave, James stood up and hurried to his side. "Dad! Wait!" He cried, running up to him. "What happened? Where's Teecie? Did she run away? Do you think somebody took her?" James was feeling desperate now, wanting any piece of information he could get.  
  
Remus looked down at his son. "I don't know, son. Nobody has seen her since yesterday. Kali is missing too. We don't know where they are, but it makes sense that they're probably together."   
  
James didn't take too much comfort in this thought. "What if somebody took them? What if they're hurt? I want to help look for them," James's lips were quivering now. He thought he'd gotten over Teecie, but it was clear to him now, that he was just as much in love with her as he had ever been.  
  
"No, you need to go to your classes today. But you can search once they're over," Remus promised his son. "I have my free period in a couple hours, so I'll be looking then. I'll make sure to tell you if I find any clues of her whereabouts. Why don't you go to your class now, so that I know where to find you?"  
  
"But dad, I love her," James said in a whisper while tears spilled out of his eyes.  
  
Remus hugged James to him tightly. "I know you do, son, I know. We'll find her. I promise," He said quietly.  
  
James was miserable for the entire day until classes let out. After checking in with his father and finding out they'd not had any luck, he went in search of the girls himself.  
  
He looked everywhere he could think of. There wasn't anybody in the Room of Requirement, or the library. When James asked Madam Pince if he'd seen either of the girls before they'd disappeared, he was surprised to discover that she'd seen them the evening they had vanished. She told him about Kali being upset and storming out of the library with Teecie. When she'd gone over to clean up the table they'd been sitting at, she'd found all sorts of books about Death Eaters, Lord Voldemort, and Harry Potter. There had also been old copies of the Daily Prophet. It had taken her fifteen minutes to put it all away. James didn't know why they'd be looking up those things, unless Teecie was helping Kali with an essay for a class. He thanked Madam Pince before leaving the room and continuing his search.  
  
James was unsuccessful in his search. He felt defeated and exhausted as he checked in with the professor on duty in the professor's lounge. He went to bed that evening, unable to sleep or concentrate on doing any homework. His thoughts were filled with Teecie's beautiful face. He imagined her being hurt somewhere, or in trouble.   
  
That night James dreamed that Teecie was in a dark cave, all alone. She was crying and calling out for him, but whenever he got too close to her, something invisible pushed him back to the cave entrance. He called out to her, but she couldn't hear him.   
  
When he woke up the next morning, James knew he couldn't go to classes that day. After putting his clothes on, he left the room, to go find his father.

Remus was surprised to see James knocking on his door so early in the morning. He'd been so discouraged from not finding the girls yesterday, that seeing his son brightened his spirits somewhat. He understood why James was so upset, and could see that he was unable to concentrate on anything else. He told him it was all right for him to miss classes for the day to continue searching for Teecie and Kali.  
  
Remus had searched all of the secret exits from the school without finding any clues of the girls' whereabouts. He'd been wishing since the girls' disappearance that he still had the Marauder's Map so he could just look and see if they were even on the school grounds anymore. He'd see about borrowing it from Harry soon, if the searching continued to prove futile. He recalled going after Teecie when she'd run away in her first year. He hoped it was something like that, that there hadn't been any foul play involved in the disappearances.  
  
Yesterday had been difficult. His students had all been a little upset and distracted after word of what had happened had traveled around the school. Teecie's classmates were a pretty tight-knit group of friends and sat huddled together in his class while he'd lectured them. He'd known the lecture he'd given had been less than stellar, as his own mind had been busy elsewhere, worrying for the two girls.  
  
The day passed slowly for Remus. He spent his free class period searching the school with James, but came up with nothing. While looking, James told him about what Madam Pince had said in the library. What would the girls be doing looking up books about Death Eaters, Voldemort, and Harry Potter? Remus didn't know what it meant, but kept coming back to that thought. Several hours later, while sitting at the professor's table at dinner, it suddenly hit him like a tonne of bricks. Lucius! They'd found out.  
  
Remus knew Snape had been in his office since making the announcement, working on finding the girls. Standing up, he rushed out of the Hall and walked up to the Headmaster's office. Once inside, he reported everything that Madam Pince had told James. "They must have found out about their father somehow, and were researching it," He concluded.  
  
Snape was very pale while listening to this. He sat in silence, with his eyes closed, rubbing his temples that hadn't stopped throbbing since yesterday morning. "And you're sure of this?" He asked. When Remus assured him this was what had happened, Snape sighed. "I'll have to tell Draco about this, of course." After a pause, Snape wrinkled his nose. "Oh God, I'm going to have to tell Adriana about this. She's going to kill me," Snape sighed and shook his head. "No, you know what? I'll tell Lucius and make him tell her," Snape said before looking back up at Remus. "Thank you for your assistance. I'll take it from here." With that, Snape picked up a quill and piece of parchment, ending the conversation.  
  
Remus left the room wondering how Lucius and Adriana were going to take this. This was going to shake their family to its core. He also couldn't help but feel guilty over having kept this secret from the girls himself. It hadn't been his secret to tell, but it wasn't a good feeling to know he'd helped contribute to all of this.   
  
Remus went to bed that night hoping harder than ever that they'd find the girls soon. They were all alone and hurting over something they had no control over.

Draco had gone to the Three Broomsticks to get away from everything for a while after Snape had told him about the knowledge the girls most likely now had. He was trying to figure out the best way to tell Lucius about his daughters. Now that he knew they'd most likely run away, and hadn't been kidnapped, it was time to let their parents know.   
  
As he poured himself another glass of firewhisky, Draco silently cursed himself. Adriana's going to kill me, he thought. She was so worried about the party, but I didn't think it would put the girls in any danger. Draco threw his head back and swallowed the mouthful of Firewhisky in one gulp.   
  
Draco had been wracked with terrible guilt after Snape told him about the girls finding out about Lucius. He'd helped lie to his sisters all their lives. Sure it was more of an omission of the truth, but it didn't make him feel any better to think of it like that.  
  
Draco had been having a very bad week. He thought his heart had stopped working when Snape had announced that his sisters were missing. He'd spent all of his free time searching for them and growing more frustrated when he'd had no luck. He'd grilled his Slytherin students mercilessly for any information, focusing his attention mainly on Zeren, who'd had a date with Teecie only the night before she'd disappeared. He'd hoped Zeren would know something, but he didn't. And now, knowing that they knew the truth about Lucius, he felt even more terrible. They were so young, and innocent. And now they were alone, and probably terrified, and unable to ask anybody for help, and he couldn't do anything to comfort them because he didn't know where they were.   
  
The time had come to tell his father. Draco stood up and paid his tab from the Three Broomsticks before apparating over to the property his father lived on with Adriana.   
  
Draco wasn't happy to see Adriana open the door when he knocked. He couldn't tell her. Draco rarely visited, and never while school was in session, so she seemed somewhat suspicious of why he'd come. Draco immediately asked where his father was, so he could talk to him in private. He was glad Adriana didn't make a habit of using her Legilimancy skills on other people, even though she could. If she did, he'd have been dead already.  
  
After being told his father was working in the barn, Draco made the trek outside to find him. He stopped for a moment in the doorway, looking at his father while he whittled a piece of wood into what looked like a dog. It was a peaceful image, yet it filled him with hatred. That man had caused all of this. He'd become a Death Eater, and ruined countless lives before having more children and hiding his past from them. He'd made all of them lie for him.   
  
Emboldened by the anger burning within him, Draco walked into the barn. "Father, we need to talk," He said, interrupting Lucius. Lucius had been startled, for he flinched and dropped his knife on the floor.  
  
"Draco, what brings you here now?" He asked, furrowing his brow and setting the carved figurine down on his work table.   
  
Draco folded his arms before speaking again. "I have some bad news to tell you. The girls have been missing since Sunday evening. And we have reason to believe that they've found out about your past. I hope you realize this is all because of you!" Draco was shouting in anger now.  
  
Lucius looked dumbfounded. His jaw dropped open and all colour from his skin drained as he collapsed to the ground. For a few minutes, he couldn't speak. "How could this happen? How did they find out? I was supposed to be the one to tell them," He croaked.  
  
As angry and upset as Draco was, he knew his father's heart still wasn't very strong. For a moment, he was worried that this might cause another heart attack. "Nobody knows," He said quietly. "We're still looking for them."  
  
Lucius began to weep, burying his face in his hands and rocking back and forth on the ground. "This is all my fault. How could I have let this go so far? They don't deserve this. Nobody does. How am I going to tell their mother? Will this curse never end?"   
  
"Father, let's go inside," Draco said, quietly, kneeling down to help his father stand up. Once back on his feet, Lucius walked slowly with the cane in one hand, and Draco's arm in the other. "We have to tell Adriana."  
  
Slowly, the two men walked inside the house to find Adriana washing dishes in the kitchen. "Adriana, we need to talk," Lucius said while she turned to look at them.  
  
Adriana looked at the men her eyes growing wide as she saw Lucius. "Lucius, what's the matter?" When Lucius didn't respond, she turned to Draco. "It's the girls, isn't it? What's happened to them?" She asked in a hoarse whisper.  
  
"They ran away. They found out about my past, and they ran away," Lucius said, tears blurring his vision.   
  
"But where are they?" Adriana seemed confused. "Where are my girls?"  
  
Draco walked up to her. "Adriana, we don't know where the girls are right now, but we're looking for them. Snape and all the other professors, including myself, are trying to find them," He was careful to make eye contact with her, to try and calm her down. He braced himself for the blow that was sure to come. He wondered if he'd see it coming, like her fist to his face, or her knee to his groin, or if it would be something she did magically that he'd only know once it hit him. He was very surprised though, when nothing happened.   
  
Adriana stood as though frozen to the spot. She wrung her hands and spoke quietly. "This is all my fault. I let the girls believe that there father was completely normal. I never tried to prepare them for this. And now they're out there somewhere, scared and alone, and I can't go to them and make it all better. It'll never be better again. How could I do this? How could I be such a terrible mother? They deserve better than this," She spoke in little more than a whisper.   
  
"Adriana, we all had a part in this. It's not only you, it's all of us. We thought we could have the girls go through life not ever knowing, but it was only a dream. A fool's dream. My father needs you now. He needs you to take care of him. I need you to help him, so I can go back to the school and look for the girls," Draco said, taking a deep breath before wrapping one of his hands around her clenched ones.   
  
"But I should go help look for the girls," Adriana replied.  
  
"No, you need to stay here."  
  
"You don't know what it's like! I had to sit and wait the first time this happened. It almost killed me. I don't think I can go through it again!" Tears were now streaming down Adriana's face. Draco winced at those words. He'd wanted to cause her pain then, but found it more difficult to see her in pain now. How could I have been such a selfish bastard? He thought to himself. How could I ever wish this kind of pain on another person?   
  
"You can do this, Adriana. I know you can. Now I have to get back to the school to help find the girls. I'm leaving my father in your hands. I'm depending on you to take care of him. Please?" Draco squeezed Adriana's hands. Adriana sniffled and nodded her head silently. Draco leaned in close to Adriana's head and whispered in her ear, "We will find them. I promise you," before letting go of her hands, and walking over to Lucius.   
  
Draco was still concerned to see how pale his father was. He put his hand on his father's shoulder for several seconds before turning and walking out the front door before apparating back to Hogsmeade and walking up to the school.  
  
Draco was exhausted the next morning, and not in the mood to teach any of his classes, but he had his duties to his students to fulfill. Because of this, he took most of his anger out on them. He barked orders at them, docked points for small mistakes, and stood over them like a tyrant. Draco had just finished taking ten points from Rey for spilling his potion when he stormed to his desk and sat down in his chair. As he glared at the students in front of him, Draco made eye contact with Paige Weasley, who was looking up at him with large eyes and frowning. Paige furrowed her brow and spoke very quietly to him. "We're all worried about them too, sir," She said.  
  
Draco looked at Paige for a few moments before speaking. Perhaps it was because she looked so much like his sister that it upset him more than he'd expected. "Unless you have something constructive to add to the class, I'd suggest you keep your mouth shut, Miss Weasley!" He snarled at her. He watched as Paige bit her lip and looked at her desktop. Patty turned to look at her sister and they exchanged whispered words before Patty looked up at him and glared. Draco was again reminded of his sister.  
  
Once class was over, Draco stood at his desk, trying to clear his mind for the search he was going to do next. "I know you're very worried about your sisters, professor. Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help you in this troubled time," A throaty voice spoke to him. Turning around, Draco saw Lisette standing in front of him, twirling her wand in her fingers.   
  
Trying not to cringe, Draco straightened up to face Lisette. "Thank you, Miss Crabbe, for your show of concern. You'll want to be going to your next class now, or you'll be late," He said sternly.  
  
"But you shouldn't be alone at a time like this. Your whole family must be terribly upset right now. And I hate to see you like this, professor. I mean, if I knew anything at all that could help find those two girls, I'd tell you or the Headmaster immediately. But since I don't, I just have to sit and worry, like everybody else. It's not a good feeling," Lisette replied, taking a few steps closer to Draco until she was directly in front of him. "Perhaps I am the one who needs comforting," She purred before leaning forward and embracing Draco in her arms.  
  
Draco was dumbstruck, unable to even think clearly as he looked down and saw the blonde-haired girl wrapped around him. "Miss Crabbe, what do you think you're doing?" He asked, trying to unwrap himself from her.  
  
Draco felt Lisette's hands begin to move from the middle of his back down to his backside and rest there. "We could comfort each other. Your father must be very upset. I know he's not a man to cross with. I hope he doesn't take his anger out on you," Lisette whispered.  
  
Draco moved his arms out from under Lisette's grip and shoved her away from him. "This is inappropriate behaviour Miss Crabbe," He said, while looking at her with scrutiny. She seemed to be very knowledgeable about Lucius and what kind of a man he "was". He knew she couldn't stand his sisters, for whatever reason, and often went out of her way to be cruel to them. Could she have found something out about Lucius and then have found a way to tell the girls?  
  
There was a look on Lisette's face that was a cross between lust and triumph as she looked up at Draco. It was this look that made Draco snap. "Come with me, Miss Crabbe," He said through gritted teeth. Taking Lisette by the elbow, he escorted her out of the classroom, and up the stairs to the headmaster's office.  
  
Draco held onto Lisette's elbow while he told Snape what he suspected of her. "I know she did it. She found out about Lucius and told the girls somehow. I need some of your Veritaserum, to make her confess," He snarled madly, squeezing Lisette's elbow all the while.  
  
Snape stood up and slowly walked over to them. Taking Draco's hand, he wrenched it off Lisette's elbow. "You can go now, Miss Crabbe, but I will want to see you back in my office in an hour," He said solemnly.  
  
When the door to Snape's office shut, he turned to Draco with flashing eyes, "Have you completely lost your mind? I cannot use Veritaserum on a minor without a parent or legal guardian present, and certainly cannot without their consent. And besides, what are you thinking bringing her with you to tell me this? Now she knows what you're thinking! What's wrong with you? I know you're upset about the girls, but you seem to be losing complete control of your faculties," Snape growled while standing in front of Draco with his arms crossed.  
  
"You don't know what she's like! She's disturbed! You should have seen what she did to me, she grabbed my arse! That's just...I don't...No wonder Teecie can't stand her!" Draco was pacing the floor in front of Snape's desk, not really talking to anybody in particular.   
  
Snape sighed before pulling a bottle of imported Italian Ambermede out of his desk and pouring a glass for Draco. "Here, drink this, it'll calm you down," He said quietly, thrusting the glass into Draco's hands.  
  
Draco took a sip of the golden drink and sighed. "She knows. She must have told the girls. If I find that out for sure, I won't be responsible for what I do to her," He said much more quietly.  
  
"Unfortunately, you've made it more difficult for us to catch her. Next time, keep your suspicions to yourself and your mouth shut!" Snape replied harshly.  
  
Draco finished his glass of Ambermede and had nearly calmed down when there was a knock at the door. Professor Weasley entered the room and looked at the two men standing in front of her. "Charlie and Professor Lupin just returned from the Forbidden Forest with nothing to report. They asked the centaurs, but they haven't seen the girls, which is a good sign," She said hopefully.   
  
"Yes, that is a good sign," Snape replied grimly, nodding his head. Draco felt hopeful that the girls were inside the school somewhere. He desperately wished that they'd be found very soon, he didn't know how much more he could take.

Hermione had spent most of her time this week comforting Patty and Paige, who were terribly upset for not telling anybody sooner. She had spent time in their dormitory with the girls, listening to them talk about Teecie being missing and how it made them feel. They didn't like that they couldn't go search for the girls, a feeling Hermione understood. She remembered long nights waiting up for her best friend Harry to return from some type life endangering incident, or waiting for him to wake up from his latest trip to the Hospital wing. She hadn't been pleased to have been assigned as the person to check in with in the professor's lounge, so she hadn't been able to do much searching herself.  
  
While in the girls' dormitory, she'd taken a close look at Teecie's part of the room. Paige had told her she'd taken clothes, a few reading books, a stuffed animal, and her Magical Fun oven. Wherever the girls were, they'd be able to eat, at least. However, her cauldron, school books, robes, and wand were all still in her room. Hermione was especially upset to see she hadn't taken her wand. What if she got into a situation where she needed it?  
  
Hermione hated to violate Teecie's privacy, but felt she needed to look for clues anywhere she could. She had also taken a glimpse under the pillow on Teecie's bed and saw a cross necklace and a small pile of letters. After she'd read one of them, Hermione cleared her throat, a bit shocked at the sexual nature of the letter, folded it back up, and replaced the pillow. Sometimes things were better kept private.   
  
When news came of the girls having found out about their father's past, Hermione couldn't help but feel guilty. She'd felt uncomfortable all along, keeping that horrible secret from them. She'd experienced the terrors of the Death Eaters, and even Lucius himself, in her own past, and it was sometimes difficult to separate those memories from dealing with the girls on a daily basis. The girls had the right to know the truth, yet it hadn't been her place to tell them. Oh no, her place was to help keep the girls in the dark. If this ended up hurting those poor girls, she wouldn't hesitate to tell their father exactly what she thought of the choices he'd made in his life.  
  
As the days had passed, few clues had been found about the girls' whereabouts. Nobody had seen the girls in Hogsmeade, and the centaurs had no news of them being in the Forbidden Forest, so things were looking pretty good that they were somewhere in the school still. Hermione felt certain that somebody was sure to find them. She hoped it would be soon.

Neville had been shocked to hear that the Orendes girls were missing. Teecie was such a joy to have in his classes and the Herbology club, and Kali, though they hadn't spent as much time together, was nice too.  
  
Every free moment he'd had to spare, he'd spent looking for the girls. So far there had been no luck, but Neville was still holding out hope. He knew the girls would be found, safe and sound, eventually.  
  
Neville had felt terrible when he'd found out about the girls' knowledge of Lucius. What a horrible thing to find out and not be able to go to anybody to talk about it. He'd always had mixed feelings about that secret. It was because of people like Lucius that his parents had spent most of his life in St. Mungo's Hospital, but at the same time, it wasn't the girls' fault that it had happened, and he had no right to take it out on them. They were children who deserved to have as much time being innocent as possible.   
  
On the fourth evening of searching, Neville was taking a last look around the castle, when he thought he heard a noise. It was about ten at night and he was just coming up the stairs to the sixth floor. None of the students should have been out of bed by that time, so he wondered where the sound could have come from.   
  
Walking up the stairs as quietly as he could, Neville decided to investigate. There was nobody there when he arrived at the landing. Neville had never considered himself to be much of an instinctive person before, but something inside him was telling him to investigate this floor more thoroughly.   
  
As Neville walked down the hall, he looked around closely at any and everything that stood out to him. Right outside the girl's bathroom, he noticed a spot of blood on the stone floor. Stopping and looking around, he couldn't help but notice the hole in the wall across from the door. How could he have forgotten? He felt like such a fool. He'd found the room beyond the stairs back when he'd been a student and had needed a private place to practice his spells and potions without ridicule from professors or students. If he remembered correctly, the hole grew to allow the person to crawl through.  
  
Kneeling down, Neville looked at the hole. There was light coming through the top of it. His heart leapt as he crawled closer to see if he could see anybody. He had a feeling that Teecie and Kali were in there. Taking a deep breath, he crawled all the way through the hole and sat on a stair in the dark while looking up to see if he could tell who was in the room. Neville leaned against the wall and listened.  
  
"Damn, I nicked my ankle when I was shaving my legs just now!" Neville heard a voice that sounded like Teecie, say.   
  
"Well, clean it up, I don't want blood all over the bed tonight," He heard Kali reply.  
  
"Of course I'll clean it up. But..." Neville strained his ears to hear what Teecie was saying, "How many more nights are we going to be here? I thought we were going to make plans on where to go and then leave."  
  
"We will...I just have to figure out the best place for us to go to start over again," Kali said slowly.  
  
"Well, let's figure it out then. We can't go home...We could go to London. Or we could leave the country. We could go to America! I've always wanted to go there! We could go to New York City or Los Angeles. Those are big cities, nobody would know us there."  
  
"And what will we do? Wherever we decide to go, we won't have any money."  
  
"We could get jobs. I can be a movie star and you can be a...waitress or something." As amusing as that was, Neville's heart broke at the thought of two girls that young trying to decide what to do to start their lives over again.  
  
"Teecie, be practical. We can't go somewhere far away without any money. We'll have to go to London or someplace in Britain until we earn enough money to move farther away."  
  
"And it's just going to be you and me? We'll never see anybody we know ever again? What about Paul? He's your boyfriend, you love him. And what about Draco, Tanith and the kids, and Reni and Hunter? And mum and..." Teecie's voice broke off as she started to sob.  
  
"We don't want to see him again! Remember? Don't you remember what he really is? He, and mum, and Draco, they all knew, and they kept it from us! Why should we want to ever see them again? No, you let me take care of you now. We're all we need now," Kali spoke in a harsh voice, though Neville could tell she was trying to comfort Teecie.   
  
"I know, and part of me...hates them! For doing this to us. But...they are still our family. How can I just turn the love I had for them off? It's still there. I mean, he's our father, he was everything to us! I don't understand how he could have done the things he did. How can we live with a person who's done what he did? I guess we have no choice but to leave," Teecie replied while sniffling.  
  
"We'll go in the morning, I promise."  
  
"But where will we go?"  
  
"I don't know, we'll just...go," Kali replied in a small voice.   
  
Neville knew it was time to act. He couldn't just walk in on them, he'd scare the hell out of them. He also couldn't let them know that he'd overheard all that he had. Taking a deep breath, he sighed. Opening his mouth, Neville spoke, "Hello? Is anybody up there?" Standing up, he began to walk up the stairs slowly. He listened as the girls stopped talking and became completely silent. When he got to the top stair, he saw Kali holding onto Teecie on one of the few beds in the room. They were wearing tank tops and short flannel shorts and their hair was wet. They'd obviously just taken showers. They both looked startled and frightened. "Teecie, Kali, we've been looking for you for days! You've had us all very worried. Why did you run away? Why are you hiding?" He hoped to draw them out by pretending he didn't know anything.  
  
Before Kali could stop her, Teecie ran over to Neville and threw her arms around him. "Professor Longbottom, we have to leave, we fndbtfthr..." She had buried her head in his chest and he could no longer understand the words she was saying.  
  
Gently pulling her away from him, Neville took hold of Teecie's arms and looked in her eyes. "Honey, what's the matter?" He asked kindly.  
  
"We found out something bad about our father," She said quietly, looking at the floor.  
  
Neville didn't like keeping up the charade, but felt he couldn't say anything to the girls now, not if he wanted them to go with him to the headmaster's office. "Well, why don't we go see the Headmaster? We can all go," He said, looking over at Kali, who was still sitting on the bed with her arms wrapped protectively around her thin legs. "Kali? Does that sound all right with you?" Neville let go of Teecie and walked over to Kali, sitting down next to her. Kali was shaking violently. He wasn't sure if she was cold or angry, but found out when she started to cry. When Neville held his arms out to her, Kali threw herself against him and let him hold her, while he rocked her like a baby and spoke softly to her. "There, there, I've got you. You know, Kali, you've been very strong for the last few days, taking care of Teecie like you've done, but you're still very young, and it isn't your job to do that. We're the adults, we should be taking care of you two. Why don't you come with me, and let us take care of you for a while, all right?" Neville spoke in soothing tones, taking her chin in one hand and wiping away her tears with the other.   
  
Teecie took the opportunity to sit down next to Neville, once again burying her face in his chest. He turned and put an arm around each girl, holding them tightly for a few minutes in silence, before he spoke again. "Shall we go now?" He asked. Sighing, Kali nodded her head and stood up, took Teecie's hand and walked with her down the stairs and out of the room.   
  
It was a long walk to the Headmaster's office, but Neville didn't mind. The girls were safe, and hopefully, soon, would recover quickly from their ordeal.


	40. The Long Road Ahead

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlamehotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe de Blassenville: Yay! Another Neville fan! I had to let him find them, I just couldn't imagine a better person for that task. I worked really hard to get all those POV's right, and ElfFlame helped a lot too! Yes, Lisette is disturbed, in fact, I think she could use a stay in St. Mungo's. We'll see what happens with her I guess! Here's the next chapter, enjoy!  
  
The Long Road Ahead  
  
Snape had just finished extinguishing the candles in his office and was about to get some sleep when he heard a knock on the door. He was relieved to see who was on the other side when he called for the person to enter. Professor Longbottom walked inside, with Teecie and Kali in tow. A wave of relief washed over Snape. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to maintain his composure. He didn't want to appear too emotional before the girls. Once he opened his eyes again, he felt the relief slipping away, and replaced by annoyance. What had those two girls been thinking? How could they have done something so completely idiotic? They could have been hurt, or killed. A sudden flash of Adriana popped into his mind and answered that question for him. She was a rather...impulsive person, and must have passed that trait down to her children. Snape thanked Professor Longbottom and sent him off to tell Draco to come up to the office.  
  
Snape found he couldn't speak at the moment, not without yelling at the girls, which would hardly be productive. He stood behind his desk, hands clenched into fists, tapping his foot. After taking a few deep breaths, he felt more able to speak calmly now. "Well, I'm glad to see you've returned safely, girls. Would either of you care to tell my why you ran away?"   
  
The girls remained silent for a minute before Teecie finally spoke up. "We...we found out something bad about our father. Something horrible. Something that everybody already knew, except us. We had to run away because we needed to go somewhere where nobody knew who we were or who our father was. How can we go back to life here as if nothing has changed?" Her voice was soft and barely audible while speaking. She looked at the floor and twisted a curl in her fingers at the same time. Tears streamed down Teecie's face as she began to speak again. "He was a...D-Death E-Eater," Teecie was sobbing now.   
  
Snape sighed and rubbed his forehead, trying to think of the right words to say. "Teecie, I know this is very difficult for you to understand, but grown ups don't always make the best choices in their lives. None of us is perfect. It is true that your father was a Death Eater, but that was a very long time ago. He is not that same person anymore," He said carefully.   
  
Before anybody could say anything else, the door to Snape's office opened, and Draco came rushing in. "Longbottom told me he'd found you. Oh, I'm so glad you two are safe," He said, grabbing Teecie and crushing her in his arms. As Draco turned to Kali, he stopped before her, looked at her tear-streaked face before speaking to her, "Kali, I'm very glad to see you again." Kali looked at Draco for a moment before turning away from him, folding her arms, and walking to the window to look out, not speaking to anybody.  
  
Draco turned back to Teecie, holding her face in his hands and looking down at her. "You had us so worried. Don't you ever do that to us again," He said sternly.   
  
Snape took the opportunity of Draco's distraction to go to the fireplace and summon Master Wilkes to the office. He arrived several minutes later. Both of the girls seemed a bit startled to see him. Teecie made her way over to Kali and took her hand. They watched in silence as the three men discussed their lives. They talked about where the girls should sleep that night. Wilkes thought they'd be better off in the Hospital wing with him, while Draco thought they might do fine in their dormitories. Snape had the deciding vote. He could tell there was no way the girls were ready to interact with their friends yet, so he decided that they would be assigned to Wilkes's care in the Hospital wing until he deemed them able to return to their normal school life. Wilkes would make arrangements for them to meet with some of their professors and friends over the weekend to assess when they'd be ready to return to classes.   
  
With that settled, Master Wilkes turned to the girls and spoke in soothing tones. "Kali, Teecie, I'd like for you to come with me. There are beds in the Hospital wing that you can sleep in without having to talk to anybody else. How does that sound? I know it's late and you must be very tired right now. So, why don't we all get some sleep, then we can talk in the morning?" He asked, smiling as he finished.  
  
Teecie and Kali looked at each other for a minute before answering. Kali stepped in front of Teecie to speak to Master Wilkes. "Just for the night?" She asked, looking suspiciously at him. "What about all our stuff?"   
  
"The house elves will bring it all to you," Snape interjected.  
  
"Why can't we go back to the room we were staying in?"  
  
"It's better for you to stay where you'll be safer," Master Wilkes said. "You see, you've found out some information that is going to be difficult to understand for a while, until you've had time to process it all. We'd like to make sure you have every opportunity for help in this process."  
  
"I think we should go, Kali," Teecie replied, squeezing her sister's hand. After a minute, Kali nodded her head, and together, they walked out of Snape's office, behind Master Wilkes.  
  
Draco and Snape talked for over an hour that night. Snape said he'd tell Lucius and Adriana that the girls had been found the next morning, and would have Professor Weasley to inform the other professors of the girls' return. Draco decided to gather the lessons and homework assignments the girls had missed during the past week, so they'd be able to start catching up sooner.   
  
Once in the Hospital wing, the girls saw that their things had indeed been brought to them. They stood at the foot of two beds, standing several feet apart from each other. Master Wilkes guided them to the beds and moved a few curtains around to shield the beds from any possible onlookers. He watched, with bewilderment, as they tried to fit in the same bed. "Girls, the beds aren't too far apart, why don't you just sleep in your own? It'll be much more comfortable that way," He said to them, folding his arms and smiling kindly.   
  
"You don't understand!" Kali growled up at him, holding tightly onto Teecie. "She has nightmares, and I have to be right there for her," She explained.  
  
Master Wilkes had hoped the girls would escape the pain of nightmares, but saw he'd have to deal with that as soon as possible. In the meantime, he told them it was all right for them to push the beds together so they could be closer to each other. Teecie stopped sniffling quickly, and moved to push their beds together.   
  
Wilkes left the girls to themselves, and went to his own bed, but left the door open, to listen for any signs of trouble. Several hours later, he woke up, startled to hear screams from the beds. Standing up, he walked out to see Kali sitting on Teecie's bed, her arms around the screaming girl. From what he could see, Teecie was still asleep.  
  
Walking to his work table, he found a bottle of a dreamless sleep potion he used for just such occasions. It was only used for short amounts of time, since going too long without dreaming wasn't healthy, but it would allow Teecie, and Kali, to sleep for the rest of the night in peace. Pouring a small amount into a goblet, he walked over to the girls, knelt down at Teecie's bedside, and put the goblet to her mouth. Even in her sleep, she was able to swallow a few mouthfuls of the purple liquid. Kali and Wilkes sat back and watched as Teecie's screams subsided and she immediately quieted.  
  
Wilkes watched as Kali scooted back to her half of the bed and pulled the sheets over her body, then quickly putting a hand on one of Teecie's, and keeping it there. As he turned to walk back to his room, Wilkes muttered, "Poor girls," before lying down and falling back to sleep.  
  
The next morning, Wilkes took Teecie aside to talk privately to her about the nightmares. "Do you remember them? What are they about?" He asked her.   
  
Teecie bit her lip and twisted her hands. She didn't want to think about the nightmares. They'd started a few days after she'd found out about Lucius. The first few nights, she'd been unable to sleep at all, then finally, she'd been able to, but the nightmares had come as well, invading her mind when she'd been trying to escape the horrors. Taking a deep breath, Teecie finally responded. "They're about him. He kills people. He kills me. Over and over again," She whispered.  
  
Wilkes sighed. He'd assumed as much, but knew it had to be terribly disturbing to see visions of that in one's sleep every night. How awful it must be to have to endure that horror repeatedly every night. He'd come up with several things he wanted the girls to do, to help process their emotions and the thoughts related to their father's past. He'd always had a fascination with Muggle mental health studies. His mother, though now retired, had been a Muggle psychiatrist, and he'd always seen the benefits of it. The Magical world was somewhat lacking in that department, and he thought there were good techniques that he could adopt to help the girls. Wilkes intended to use art therapy and journals as methods for having them express their emotions.  
  
"Teecie, I'd like you to try a few things for me. How would you feel about writing down your feelings in a journal, or painting a picture of whatever you feel like?" Wilkes asked her.  
  
Teecie chewed on a fingernail nervously, thinking about what he'd asked. "I don't know...If I write it, it's like...there, you know?" She said, frowning up at him.  
  
"Yes, I understand. But the problem is, it's already here. This is a way for you to work through it," He explained.  
  
Teecie bit her lip and shook her head. She didn't want to have anything to do with her feelings, they were far too scary right now.   
  
"I understand. How about I just leave everything here, in case you change your mind," He said. He set the journal down on the bed, and showed her where he'd transfigured a couple of easels, and paint sets for her to use if she chose to. He also told her that he'd arranged for a few meetings over the next two days, to see how she did. Professor Lupin would be coming to share afternoon tea with her.   
  
Teecie didn't want to meet with anybody ever again. How could she look her friends and professors in the face when she had to talk to them? They'd all know by now about her father, if they hadn't already. What would they have to say to each other?   
  
Teecie and Kali spent the first part of their day sitting in silence on their beds. They'd spent most of the time after they'd run away like this, trying not to think about their father. The hours passed slowly this way. Though he came and went about his regular duties, and attending to other students, Wilkes tried to get them to open up a bit about their feelings, but neither girl seemed to want to do that yet.  
  
When tea time came around, Professor Lupin arrived to visit Teecie. He'd brought a few things for her that were wrapped in pretty pink wrapping paper. "I'm so glad to see you again, Teecie," He said quietly, sitting in the chair across from the one she was seated in. Teecie opened the gifts and smiled as she saw a box of Muggle chocolates, very expensive ones, a boxed set of Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey, which she'd never read but thought sounded interesting, and a set of pink rose barrettes for her hair. Teecie thanked him for the gifts, and set them on her bed while he prepared the tea.  
  
Professor Lupin told Teecie about the classes she'd missed last week, but assured her she'd be able to catch up easily when she returned. Teecie sipped her tea in silence. She wasn't sure if she was going to return, but didn't say anything to him. While nibbling on a gingerbread biscuit, a memory returned to her that now had new meaning. It was almost comical, after knowing what she now knew. Teecie couldn't help but laugh lightly, which surprised Remus. Looking up at her professor, she explained. "I just remembered something from the first day of classes with you, back in first year. I asked you why we had to learn to defend ourselves from the Dark Arts. I couldn't understand why somebody would ever want to use them to hurt another person, and you told me that there would always be at least one person out there who would, and would teach others to as well. You just kept that fact that that one person was my father to yourself. You must have thought I was so stupid. You probably had a right good laugh after class let out. Or maybe you pitied me. You did give me points for asking that question," Teecie said, tilting her head and looking over at her professor.  
  
"Teecie, I can assure you, that never even entered my mind," Professor Lupin replied, while guilt burned a hole in his heart.  
  
Teecie felt anger bubbling up within her beyond the point where she could easily control it. She'd kept it to herself for as long as she could, but felt it now beginning to spill out of her. "Let me ask you, did you bring me these gifts because you missed me and want me to return to classes soon, or to ease your guilty conscience?" She asked, her lips drawn tightly as she looked at the very pale face of her professor. She found she couldn't stop herself now, "I spent all those Saturdays telling you about my family, about my father, and you just sat there, and listened. How could you? How could you do that to somebody you liked? That's not right!"  
  
Professor Lupin stared at Teecie with wide eyes. His mouth was open slightly, as though he wanted to talk, but couldn't. He'd never seen her so full of pure hatred and anger before, and it was shocking to see her this way. It was beyond heartbreaking to know he'd hurt her so much, and had contributed so much to her present condition. Even though Master Wilkes had warned him of how she might react, it was still hard to watch. There was no excuse for his part in all of this. "Teecie, I can explain-" He said apologetically before being cut off.  
  
"No! No explaining! No apologies! No kissing it and making it all better! It'll never be better! I'll never be better again! You have no idea what I've been through. No idea what it's like to find out your father did things that he should have been thrown in prison for! No idea what it's like to have nightmares every night," Teecie was crying now as she yelled at her professor. She'd kept all of this bottled up for a week, and it all seemed to be coming out now.  
  
Professor Wilkes hadn't been far from the two while this was going on, but didn't try to interfere. He knew it was good for Teecie to start expressing her feelings instead of keeping them to herself. Though it was upsetting to see her go through this, it was really what needed to happen, to make her feel better.  
  
When Teecie seemed to have run out of things to say, she sat back in her chair and sighed, exhausted from her outburst. Professor Lupin took the opportunity to speak again. "I am sorry you found out about your father this way, Ticia. And I know you're feeling hurt and betrayed right now. I knew about him, yes, but I also know he's not like that anymore. I kept the secret because I didn't want to scare you. How could I look you in the face, and tell you something like that? I guess...I was trying to protect you. And you had two years of innocence after coming to this school. I know you hate me right now, but I did it because I care about you," Remus replied, looking into Teecie's eyes, trying to help her make some sense of the situation.  
  
Though Professor Lupin tried to continue their conversation, Teecie sat in the chair with her arms crossed, no longer responding to anything he said. Finally, he finished his tea, patted Teecie's hand, and told her he'd see her in class the next day before leaving.  
  
Teecie remained seated in her chair for a half hour before standing up and walking to one of the easels. There was a cup of water by the paint sets. Picking up a brush and paint set, Teecie began to paint. She had no idea what she was painting, or why really, but found the time passed quickly, and two hours flew by before Master Wilkes checked in on her.  
  
Wilkes had been reporting to Professor Black and the Headmaster about how the girls were doing. Professor Snape informed him that he'd told their parents, who were relieved and happy that they'd been found, safe and sound. Wilkes told the men that it wasn't a good idea for the girls to see their parents so soon after this shock. They were very angry with their parents, and he wanted them to work through some of that without a confrontation. He also told them that it was probably better for the girls if both of the men stayed away from them for a few days, to allow them to readjust better. When he returned to the Hospital wing, he was pleased to see Teecie in the middle of working on a painting.  
  
"Ticia, may I see what you've done so far?" He asked, smiling at Teecie from several feet away.  
  
Teecie had been so enthralled in the painting that she'd not noticed Master Wilkes was so close by. "Oh, well, I suppose," She said quietly, stepping away to let him look at the unfinished painting.   
  
Wilkes stood silently, looking at the painting. Teecie had painted almost the entire canvas red, with the exception of two holes in one corner. The holes were white, with black spots in their centres. "Would you like to tell me about this?" He asked quietly.  
  
Teecie stared at the painting for a few minutes before speaking. "It's a girl. And she's very angry. She was betrayed. And now she's lost in the red rain storm, and can't find her way home," She said slowly.  
  
"It's a very good painting. You're doing a great job," Wilkes replied, squeezing Teecie's shoulder encouragingly. Teecie didn't respond, but went back to finish her painting.  
  
That night, Teecie took another dose of the dreamless sleep potion before falling asleep. She slept the entire night without waking or screaming once. Wilkes was going to let her take the potion for a couple more days before he weaned her back off of it. In that time, he hoped that the painting, journaling, classes, club meetings, and regular counseling sessions with him would help the nightmares begin to subside.  
  
On Sunday, Wilkes had arranged for Teecie to meet with a couple of her friends after breakfast. She was sitting in a chair waiting for the friends to arrive. Master Wilkes hadn't told her who'd be coming. After a few minutes, she heard the sounds of two familiar voices growing louder as they came closer to the room. She looked up in time to see Rey and Carl walk inside. She smiled as they sat down next to her, each kissing her cheek in turn. "We've been so worried about you! How are you doing?" Carl asked, taking one of her hands in his and squeezing it gently.  
  
"I'm OK, I guess," Teecie replied quietly. There was something about those two boys that made her trust them with her life. She felt that she could talk to them and not have things get spread around the school.  
  
Rey looked into her eyes. "No, you're not," He said, taking hold of her other hand. "What's the matter?"  
  
Teecie looked back and forth at the boys, her eyes filling with tears and spilling down her cheeks. "Will you promise to keep it a secret?" She asked.  
  
"I'm a Slytherin, we're nothing if not good secret keepers when we want to be," Rey assured her.  
  
"Of course we'll keep the secret, you've kept ours for so long now, why wouldn't we?" Carl replied encouragingly.  
  
Teecie continued to cry, but started to speak quietly. "I found out, that my father was a Death Eater. He did terrible things, and I never knew. My parents kept it from me," She said before biting her lip and sniffling.  
  
Both boys sat in silence for a minute, absorbing all of the new information. Rey had known that Lucius had been a rich man in his past, the top of society before he'd disappeared, but had only heard rumours of a criminal history. Carl, being a Muggleborn, had only recently learned about the war, Death Eaters, and Harry Potter, but knew that it was one of the most horrible things a person could have been in their past.  
  
Carl squeezed Teecie's hand again. "That really sucks," He finally said before throwing his arms around her and holding her for a few minutes while she cried on his shoulder.  
  
"I hate to see you like this, Teecie. And I hate that I can't say anything to make it any better for you," Rey said quietly.  
  
After several minutes, Teecie stopped crying and was quite calm. Once she'd calmed down, she felt much better, and was even able to enjoy herself, talking, listening, and even once, laughing at one of Carl's jokes. After an hour, the boys stood up to leave. Each of them gave her a huge hug and another kiss on the cheek before leaving.  
  
Master Wilkes was pleased to see that the meeting had gone so well. He'd arranged for another professor to visit with her later that afternoon, after lunch, and hoped it would go just as well.  
  
Kali was writing in her journal, while Teecie was working on another painting, when Professor Weasley came in to visit them. She'd brought a stack of papers with her. After setting the papers down on a table, she walked over to stand next to Teecie. Hermione was disheartened at the painting that Teecie was making. A man who was painted entirely in black, except for yellow hair that trailed down his back, held a gigantic gray staff in the shape of a snake, in his hand. The man took up over three fourths of the canvas, which had been painted a grayish purple. At the foot of the man, was a much smaller figure of a person, painted all in pink, cowering before him, on its knees, with its hands clasped before it. The black man had one of his long legs raised and positioned to stomp on the smaller pink figure. At the bottom of the page, were stick figures lying on their backs, missing heads or limbs.   
  
Hermione didn't need to be an expert in art interpretation to see that Teecie was going through a hard time right now. It made her sick to her stomach to see Teecie's painting. She'd encountered Lucius a few times in her own youth, for which she'd had a few nightmares of her own. Though it was hardly comparable to what she was going through, she felt that she could relate somewhat. "Teecie, I'm glad to see you again," She said in a calm voice which didn't betray the emotions she was feeling.  
  
Teecie turned to look at Hermione, as though noticing her for the first time, "What are you doing here?" She asked, moving to stand in front of the painting. Everybody kept looking at what she was doing, they didn't have the right to see it.  
  
"I came to see how you were doing. I brought you all the homework you missed last week so you can catch up tonight," Professor Weasley replied, smiling.  
  
"I'm not doing homework," Teecie replied, sullenly. "I don't know if I'm ever going back to class."   
  
"You've missed an entire week of classes so far. You'll have a hard time catching up the longer you put off returning. We worked on transfiguring mice into teapots last week, and I think you'd have done well. We'll be working on it some more this week, so you can try it on Tuesday," Hermione replied, determined to see Teecie in class the next day.   
  
"Why do you even care?" Teecie asked, crossing her arms and turning to face her professor.  
  
Professor Weasley remained silent for a few moments before speaking. "Because, I know you can do this. I knew you could do this since your first year. Do you remember that detention you had with me during your first week here? You worked for over an hour to turn a button into a peppermint. I never told you, but that was something that would have taken most kids that age days to do. I was amazed to see that, and it killed me to see you stop applying yourself! And you've never really tried that hard ever since! So, I don't care if you decide to stay in this room forever, and quit coming to class. I'll come to you, every day if I have to! You will live up to your potential, got it?" Hermione was surprised at having spoken so sharply to a student by the time she'd finished. She'd kept most of those feelings to herself for over two years, and hoped it wouldn't work against getting Teecie back to class by having expressed herself finally.  
  
Teecie looked at the floor for a moment before responding. "I don't give a damn about my potential right now. There's more important stuff to deal with than stupid magic and my potential. I never even wanted to go to this place, and now here I am, trapped. I can't go home, and you people won't let me leave. So, I'm doing what I want, which is not homework and classes," With that, Teecie turned her back on Professor Weasley, and began to paint again. Hermione sighed sadly, but didn't say anything before leaving Teecie's side to go visit with Kali.  
  
That night, before going to bed, Teecie wrote in her journal for the first time:  
  
Why do they even care whether I go to classes or not? They didn't care enough about me to tell me about my father, so why does it even matter? They can all go to hell for all I care. All of them: my parents, Draco, Uncle Sev, my professors. How could they do this to me? I loved them! I trusted them!   
  
I still can't believe that my father was a Death Eater. I read about the crimes he was accused of committing. He's just not like that. But he's always been so secretive of his past, I feel like such an idiot not knowing.  
  
So, I'm in the Hospital wing with Kali and Master Wilkes right now. After we ran away, Kali said she was going to take me to a place where nobody knew us, so we could start over again. I wish we'd decided on where to go sooner, then maybe we'd have left and actually gone there. I voted for New York City, but she wasn't that interested. And then Professor Longbottom found us, and it was all over. Nobody was going to let us leave now that they'd found us again.   
  
Master Wilkes says I have to go to classes tomorrow, and eat with the other kids. But he says I can sleep here still, with Kali, for another week or so. I don't want to see the other kids. They'll all look at me and ask me what happened, why we ran away. And what will I tell them? They have no right to know about my father. But somebody might tell them. Lisette or Zeren maybe. I still can't believe he sent me those papers. I thought he was my friend! I guess he didn't like how our date had gone. It'll be hard for me to not hit him the next time I see him in class, or in the hall, or at a meal.  
  
I haven't gotten a letter from Owen lately. I really want to hear from him soon. I forgot to take my old ones with me, so they're still in my room, under my pillow where I hid them. His letters always make me feel better. I really wish I could see him again soon.   
  
I hate nighttime. It's dark and quiet, and gives me too much time to think. Each night after this happened, I lie in bed, asking myself why this happened to me. Why my father? Why my family? Why would my father become a Death Eater? Why would he hate Muggles that much? What kind of a person could take another human life? How could my father have been a monster and I never knew about it? What if he still is a monster? How could my mother love a man that she knew was like that? How will I ever get over this?   
  
There are too many questions, and too few answers. And finally, when I manage to fall asleep, I have nightmares. They're always the same. My father is torturing and killing people: strangers, my sisters, my brother, my mum, myself. And he laughs while he's doing it, and smiles. The kind of smile he'd greet me with each morning at breakfast, where the corners of his eyes crinkle, and his teeth show. And I can see their faces as he hurts or kills them. Hear their screams for help. It's the most horrible thing I've ever seen, and I see it over and over again. I don't want to have those nightmares anymore. The dreamless sleep potion Master Wilkes gives me works really well. He says I can't have it after a couple more days though. I'll try to look up and see how it's made. Maybe I can make it for myself. I'll look up potions for that in my books, and maybe I'll look up to see if there is a potion or spell I can use to forget about what my father's past was. That's what I really want. I don't want to know.   
  
Well, Master Wilkes says I have to go to bed now. He's been real nice to us. I like him a lot. I'll stop writing now, he just handed me the potion to drink. Maybe I'll write tomorrow after classes let out. 


	41. The Sins of the Father

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlamehotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!  
  
Arsinoe de Blassenville: It really does suck that the truth was kept from them for so long. This chapter deals with that a little more in detail. I'll be interested to hear what you think of Lucius and Adriana after this. Personally, I'm torn between feeling sorry for them and being angry at them for keeping it from the girls for so long. However it was done, right, wrong, or indifferent, it really wasn't easy for them to keep such a secret for so long. Well, here's the next chapter, enjoy!  
  
The Sins of the Father  
  
Adriana watched Draco leave the house and shut the door behind him before speaking again. "So it's finally come to this," She whispered to herself before turning to Lucius quickly. Suddenly, she seemed like a different person. "You and your Death Eater past! Will we never get away from it?" She yelled at him angrily, tears welling up in her eyes.   
  
Lucius remained silent for a moment before responding. "It's been so hard for me! You have no idea what it's like to keep something like that inside yourself for so long! I wanted to tell them a long time ago, but how could I? I always felt that the girls were too young to know, so we had to keep it a secret. And now look at what happened!" Lucius yelled back while sitting down at the kitchen table. He was still feeling unstable after finding out the horrible news about his youngest daughters. All his extremities were shaking with anxiety over the girls, and he felt as though he might collapse at any moment. Once he took a moment to calm down, he realized tears were already streaming down his face.  
  
Adriana looked at Lucius as he sat with his head in his hands, gasping back sobs. When he looked up at her, she saw that he was deathly gray, the same colour he'd been while in St. Mungo's recovering from his heart attack. She felt her heart pound against her chest as she thought he might be having another one. As she felt panic welling up inside her, she remembered Draco's parting words. Not that he'd had to ask. After all, she loved Lucius. She didn't want to see him hurt any more than the girls. "Lucius, what's the matter? Is it your heart? Do we need to go to the hospital?" She asked, kneeling down and taking her mate's face in her hands and looking into his eyes.  
  
"I think I'm OK. I'm just worried about the girls. This is just so hard for them, and I can't stand it that we can't be there to help search. And even after they're found, they won't want to see us any time soon. What if they never want to see us again? What if they cut us out of their lives forever? It reminds me of losing Draco all over again, and I don't think I can survive that," Lucius said in ragged sobs while Adriana drew him into a protective embrace.  
  
"Oh darling, we can't think about that now. We have to think about getting the girls back safe and sound, and go from there. Are you feeling well? Do we need to go to the hospital?" Adriana asked again, feeling overwhelmed with concern for Lucius.  
  
"I...I think I'm all right. I'm not having any chest pains. I'm just worried for the girls," Lucius replied, gripping his cane tightly as he tried to stand up.  
  
"Let's get you into bed," Adriana said, taking Lucius by his other arm and walking him slowly into their bedroom. She helped him out of his clothes and into his nightclothes in silence. After kissing him gently, she turned out the light and left the room.  
  
Once she'd left Lucius in the bedroom, Adriana walked back into the kitchen, took the seat he'd been sitting in and had a long cry of her own. She needed to be strong for Lucius, so she wanted to do her grieving in private.   
  
Adriana had finally stopped crying, but sat in her chair with her legs pulled up under her chin, thinking about her youngest children and their whereabouts, when Reni walked into the room. Adriana looked up to see her eldest girl staring at her with large eyes. "Mother, what's the matter? Where's father? Is he all right?" Reni asked, sounding extremely concerned.  
  
Adriana looked up into Reni's eyes and burst into tears again. "Your father's not ill, we...we found out some horrible news," She said before explaining to Reni what Draco had told them earlier that evening.  
  
Reni wanted to go comfort her father, but Adriana made her stay out of the bedroom. "He needs his sleep right now," She said, ending that part of the conversation. Reni sat down across from her mother and looked at her. Adriana smiled weakly and took one of Reni's hands in hers. "Stay here with me and keep me company," She said in a small voice.  
  
Adriana took a deep breath before opening her mouth to talk. "I know you might not understand why the girls ran away, I mean, you've had a much longer time to deal with all of this than they did, but they need to know that we're all there for them at this time. I know they probably don't want anything to do with your father or myself, but you are their sister, and they might like your support during this time. They might benefit a lot from hearing about how you learned about Lucius, and how you dealt with it," She said, squeezing Reni's hand lovingly and looking into her eyes.  
  
Reni looked into her mother's eyes. "I...I'll do what I can," She assured Adriana. "I was younger than them when I found out about father. I can't say now, looking back on it, that I took the most healthy path in dealing with it. I went to Draco a few times, but...I found different ways to make the pain of knowing go away," She said slowly.  
  
"I know we've talked about this before, and it must be very painful for you to think about, but it feels good to have somebody to talk to right now," Adriana said.   
  
Reni stayed for another half hour or so, until Hunter started crying for her. "MuhMuh!" His cries came from down the hall. Frowning, she stood up and walked back to her room before shutting the door, leaving Adriana by herself.  
  
After a few minutes, Adriana walked into the living room and sat down on the sofa. She spent the rest of that night there, looking at the window and thinking about where her girls were at that moment. She wondered if they were scared, or hurt...or worse. It would be a long time before she slept again.  
  
After Adriana had left him alone in the bedroom, Lucius was able to think about the girls more. He hated that he hadn't been there to explain any of it. As if any of it could have been explained. But he would have tried. He knew they'd had some sense of all not having been right in his past, as they'd been trying to get information out of him since before the school year began. They'd heard things said about him at Teecie's party, no doubt, and had been curious.   
  
Lucius thought back to the night before the girls returned to Hogwarts, and had asked him questions. He should have told them then. He should have told them the truth. But he'd been afraid of how they'd look at him, and he didn't want them to be scared of him, so he'd told them nothing instead, and now they were paying for it. He'd never felt more ashamed of himself.   
  
Lucius hated himself for doing this. Once again, his past was coming back to haunt him. Sometimes he wondered if the hell he'd created would follow him to his grave, or beyond, and sometimes, he wondered if death was the only thing that would rid him of his past.   
  
After a poor night's sleep, Lucius got up early the next day and limped to the barn to take care of the animals. The rest of the day passed slowly and uneventfully. He had to fight against his instincts to floo up to the school and join in the search for his daughters, for he knew they wouldn't appreciate seeing him any time soon.  
  
No word came from the school until Saturday morning when Snape flooed to the house to tell the family that the girls had finally been found inside the school, and were in the care of the school's healer. "Please, Sev, we must go see them," Adriana cried, grabbing Snape's arm tightly, begging him to let her go up to the school to see her daughters. "How can we just stay away from them?"  
  
"Adriana, the girls are extremely upset at this point in time, with all of us. They have no interest in interacting with any of us for the time being. They need time to themselves to recuperate and begin recovering from this ordeal. So, no, I cannot allow you to visit the school, and I don't want you to even try to communicate with them through posts. Not until I deem them able to handle it," Snape said carefully, putting his hands on Adriana's shoulders and looking in her eyes.   
  
Tears formed in Adriana's eyes as she looked at Snape. "But Sev, they're so young. They're just babies, my babies, how can I just stay here and let them feel all that pain without trying to help? I helped create this problem, I have to help solve it," She said, starting to cry.  
  
Lucius walked over to Adriana and took her in his arms while she cried. "This is not your fault, it's mine. Remember that. We have to let them have their privacy to work through this. We don't have the right to interfere right now. It's difficult for me too. More than anything, I want to take them in my arms, and tell them that everything is all right, and that they have nothing to worry about, but I can't. All we can do is respect their wishes and leave them alone until they're ready to talk to us," He said in a husky voice. When he'd finished, Lucius buried his head in Adriana's long black hair and cried silent tears that got caught in her dark tresses.   
  
"I'd better get back up to the school. I'll make sure to keep you informed of their progress," Snape said before hugging Adriana briefly and walking to the fireplace, and disappearing from sight.  
  
Lucius and Adriana waited for a very long time before they ever made contact with either Teecie or Kali again. During this time, Lucius took stock of his life and the choices he'd made over the years. Memories long buried in the recesses of his mind emerged and the pain of them seared his heart until he could no longer stand it.   
  
One morning, Lucius found a notebook, and a pen, and began to write. He didn't know at first what he wanted to write, only that he had to put words onto paper in order to feel better. At the end of the first day, he read what he had written, and realized he was telling his life story, from the very start. It was very poorly written, for he had never written more than an essay for school, or a letter to one of his children before, and had much to learn about the craft.  
  
Lucius continued to write. Every detail about his life, however unpleasant, that he could remember, was written down. He found himself waking in the middle of the night, thinking of something he had to write down that very moment, or risk forgetting it forever. It became an obsession, the first thing he thought of when he woke in the morning, and the last thing he thought of when he fell asleep at night. He even found himself dreaming about it.   
  
Lucius never told Adriana what he was doing, and he assumed she thought he must have gone mad, but he didn't want her to know until he'd finished. During this time, he still had no contact with his daughters. And though it was very painful, he found that the writing helped. He was doing it for them as well as for himself.  
  
Christmas came and went, and neither of their girls returned home to visit them. It was the worst Christmas Lucius could remember in quite a long time.   
  
By spring, Lucius finished his story, and began to read it carefully. He rewrote a lot of it several times before he'd felt somewhat pleased with it. Since he wasn't really adept at using the computer, Lucius wrote everything by hand. Though many of the subjects were embarrassing or painful to think about having others know about him, he felt it was important to leave nothing out. By the time he'd finished, there were about ten notebooks filled with words that told his life story. When the time came to type it all up, he charmed the computer to do it for him, and within a week, he had his first typed copy of his autobiography ready to be read.   
  
One morning in late April, Lucius asked Adriana to read something for him. "Is this what you've been doing all this time?" She asked curiously. Lucius nodded his head and told her he'd written an autobiography, and wanted her to be the first person besides himself to read it. He told her to go through it carefully and mark things that needed to be changed.  
  
Adriana picked up the large manuscript in her hands and sat down at the kitchen table. For several minutes, she looked at it without opening it. Did she really want to know? For so long she'd pretended none of it had been real, and now, it would all be thrust in her face as the truth, and she'd have no other choice but to accept it. Slowly, she opened the book, and began to read:  
  
Dark Descent- The Autobiography of Lucius Malfoy, Former Death Eater  
  
Adriana read the title and cringed. What horrors lay in store for her to read? Turning the page, she read the dedication:  
  
To my dearest Adriana, who saved me from a life of hell and death; and to my children: Draco, Renata, Kalare, and Ticia, my lights who guided me out of the darkness of my life, who showed me how to be a decent human being. And to my mum, Rowena. I wish I could have been a stronger person for you sooner, but I hope you can forgive me for not being there for you when you needed me most. I miss you so much. This book is for you all. I love you all with everything that I have and all that I am.  
  
Tears blurred Adriana's vision as she tried to read the book. The first few paragraphs proved to her just how difficult a read this would be, but now she was determined to finish what she had started:  
  
I feel as though my life didn't really begin until one August day in 1992, when I took my son, Draco, to a small trinket shoppe in Diagon Alley, and met somebody very important to me. But in reality, my life began on 25 September 1954, and there were many events that happened in between those two points in time.   
  
I was born to Janos and Rowena Malfoy. I don't have any happy memories of my father, and too few of my mother. I wish she was still alive, so I could ask her about herself. I never really got to know her as well as I should have liked, but that is something to be told later on in the story...  
  
Lucius had never told Adriana about his mother before. She knew it was a very painful subject, and as she read the entire book, she found out exactly why. It took her a couple days to read all of it, for she found she couldn't read too much at one sitting before needing a break to gather her thoughts, and process her emotions. It was raw, and edgy, and she sometimes felt as though she was walking inside Lucius's mind, sharing in the memories, and feeling his pain as the years progressed.  
  
It was jarring to read about how he'd seen her at first. She knew it hadn't been purely romantic, but it was disturbing to read how he'd wanted to use her for his own personal rise to power, or how he'd wished to punish her in certain ways for not doing what he wanted.   
  
Adriana was sickened to read in detail about how he'd treated Narcissa. He'd hated her, and had taken it out on her. At least now she was free of him, and able to live her own life. Adriana thought about her own friendship with Narcissa. They had never had enough chances to deepen their relationship, but at least she felt she'd inspired Narcissa to make some changes in her life, and start relying on her own inner strength to see her through the dark times when Lucius was around the Manor.   
  
It was all there, every detail of his sexual conquests, every aspect of his duties as a Death Eater, every painful memory of his torture and rape when he'd left her after Voldemort's second rise. But there were also happy moments, mostly with her, that he wrote in great detail as well. She flushed pleasantly at the memory of the first time they'd made love. She smiled at the thought of him telling her he'd wanted to have a child with her, for he'd seen their daughter in a dream, though he didn't know at the time that she really existed.   
  
When Adriana finished reading the book, she handed it back to Lucius, with her minor corrections, and embraced him. "I never knew..." She whispered in his ear.   
  
Lucius looked at her with tears in his eyes. "It will never excuse what I did, but I just wanted people to know why," He whispered back. Adriana nodded her head. Maybe there was some way to publish the book, so everybody could see it. Maybe during the summer, they could look into that, but for now, Adriana just held her mate, and cried with him. 


	42. Another Blow

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlamehotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Arsinoe de Blassenville: It has been a sad year to write so far. This chapter unfortunately, reveals more sad things to Teecie. Lucius's writing will play a bigger role later on, probably next year. Here's the next chapter for you to read!  
  
Polgarathesorceress2: I'm glad you're enjoying the story and I will try to read some of your writings as soon as I can. Here's the next chapter, enjoy!  
  
Another Blow  
  
Author's Note: Due to an unfortunate happenstance in which my hard drive was erased, along with a month's worth of chapters, I have to rewrite everything after this chapter from scratch again. Because of this, there will most likely be delays in postings, but I hope you'll be patient and understanding! I know waiting is tough, and I hate to have lost all of my writings, not to mention pictures, sounds, and all my games...but I am trying to recover it as quickly as possible and rewrite as fast as I can!  
  
Teecie had been on the verge of refusing to go to classes on Monday when she finally received a letter from Owen. After reading it through several times, she felt her spirits lifting to the point where she could go to classes without a fight.  
  
Master Wilkes had insisted that the girls try to eat in the Great Hall with the rest of the students. They walked slowly down the stairs and into the Hall. Several of the students stared or whispered to each other as they walked past them. Teecie didn't want to eat with her classmates, neither did Kali want to sit with hers. They chose to eat in neutral territory, finding an empty corner at the Hufflepuff table and sitting closely together while they picked at their breakfasts. Unfortunately, this didn't stop many other students from swarming around the girls and inundating them with questions about where they'd been and if they were all right. Many of them were well-wishers, but some were quite too nosy for Teecie's taste. One girl asked if she'd run away to see a boy, to which Kali had stood up and was about to push the girl away, when Professor Boot, Head of Hufflepuff house, arrived and shooed everybody back to their seats. Professor Boot walked back to the professor's table after that, allowing the girls to eat in peace.  
  
The meal passed quickly after that, and soon, the girls found themselves being separated for the first time in over a week. Teecie didn't want to leave Kali and was about to cry when Kali assured her they'd get to sit together again at lunch. Kali hugged her and told her everything was going to be all right.  
  
The first class of the day was Defense Against the Dark Arts, with Professor Lupin. Teecie slipped inside the room and found a desk in the very back of the class. Professor Lupin started a new unit on vampires, and gave a lecture while the students took notes. The house elves had brought Teecie all of her school items that she needed, in her book bag, but she didn't take anything out. Instead she sat with her arms crossed, looking at her desk, and trying to ignore what he was saying. Who cared about stupid vampires? Something that Lisette had called her last year made her almost laugh out loud. She was a "garlic-eater," right? No vampire would ever come near her, so she had nothing to worry about!  
  
Teecie ignored the homework assignment that Professor Lupin assigned to the students while she got up and walked to her next class: Care of Magical Creatures. They'd be studying Jobberknoll's this week, and were reading about them. They were blue birds who never made any noises until they died. Charlie had a few of the birds in a large golden cage, where they fluttered around on little swings or sticks. Teecie understood how they must feel. Stuck in a cage with no chance of escape. Forced to live their lives the way somebody else wanted, not the way they wanted to live. She wanted to run up to the front of the room and open the cage, to set the little animals free, but she didn't want to create a scene, and instead, did nothing.  
  
After class ended, it was lunch time. Teecie met her sister and sat with her at the Hufflepuff table again, where they discussed their first classes of the day. Teecie talked about ignoring most of the things the professors said. Kali, on the other hand, seemed to have thrown herself into her classes. This was her OWL year, and she was determined to do better than any other student who had ever attended Hogwarts. Teecie was disappointed. She'd wanted to convince Kali to try to run away again, but it seemed as though that wasn't about to happen any time soon.  
  
When lunch ended, Teecie trudged off to her Herbology class, where she went through the motions of caring for the plants the class had been assigned to grow. She found it difficult to be around Professor Longbottom, seeing as he had found her and ruined all of the plans she and Kali had been making. The class dragged on almost forever before the bell rang, releasing her from the boredom.  
  
There was no way Teecie was going to sit through her History class, so she walked out of the greenhouse and went for a walk outside. It was a very cold day, and the year's first snow was falling gently around her while she walked. She didn't think about where she was going, or for how long she was going to walk, but eventually found herself on the familiar road to Hogsmeade. She walked past the Three Broomsticks, and turned down a block, off the main road, and kept walking through the snow until she saw another pub. The Hog's Head, a seedy looking place that normally Teecie wouldn't even consider setting foot inside was before her, and she looked at it while contemplating going inside or not.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Teecie opened the door and walked inside. The people there reminded her of the people she'd seen in Knockturn Alley over the summer. Most of them wore veils or hats to cover their faces, for what reason, Teecie didn't know. She walked over to the barman, and sat down on a stool in front of the counter. The man ignored her for a few minutes, until she cleared her throat. The white haired man, with clear blue eyes, scrutinized Teecie before speaking to her. "What do you want girl? Shouldn't you be up at the school now?" He asked in a gruff voice.  
  
"What do you care? I should think you'd serve anybody who had the money to pay for it," Teecie returned harshly.  
  
The barman narrowed his eyes at Teecie before snorting. "You're Renata's sister aren't you? I can hear it in your voice; you sound alike. She was always talking about a bratty redheaded sister of hers. Well, she was always one of my best customers. Let's see how you'll do..." The barman trailed off while reaching under the counter to grab a dirty glass. After setting the glass down, he reached behind himself, took a bottle of Firewhisky off the shelf, and poured a generous amount in it. The man pushed the glass in front of Teecie's hand before standing back and watching her.  
  
Teecie looked at the glass of alcohol in front of her. She was nervous at the thought of drinking it, but wasn't going to let the barman know that. Picking up the glass, Teecie put it to her lips and took the smallest of sips. The liquid burned her mouth, tongue, and throat as she swallowed. Once she'd finished, she gasped, coughed for a minute, and set the glass back down. The barman laughed, whisked the glass away, and replaced it with a dusty bottle of Butterbeer. "It's best to start with small steps," He said before walking away to attend to another customer.  
  
Teecie nursed her Butterbeer for over an hour, and looked around the pub during this time. It was dimly lit and the people in it spoke in hushed whispers. She decided that if she ever returned, she'd wear the scarf she'd bought during the Hogsmeade weekend, over her face. It would help her blend in better.  
  
There was just enough time for the walk back to school for dinner, so Teecie gave the barman a couple of Galleons, and told him she might come back again. The barman said he'd keep an eye out for her, and assured her that any relative of Renata's was welcome at the Hog's Head.  
  
The snow was coming down very fast by the time Teecie returned to the school. She had enough time to return to the Hospital wing to drop her book bag off and change into different clothes before going down to the Great Hall for dinner.  
  
Kali wasn't sitting at the Hufflepuff table when Teecie arrived, so she looked around to find her. There was no sign of her, so she sat by herself and picked at a plate of meatloaf and mashed potatoes before leaving the hall.  
  
Teecie didn't see Kali until later that evening, when she returned to the Hospital wing. She was covered in snow, and her cheeks were a lovely rose colour. "Where were you?" Teecie asked, sounding concerned.  
  
"Flying," Kali replied, sitting down on her bed and opening her school books to work on homework. "Have you done your homework yet?" She asked Teecie.  
  
"Have you eaten dinner yet?" Teecie shot back, narrowing her eyes at Kali. Kali didn't reply, but began flipping through the pages of her book as though she hadn't heard the question. Teecie shook her head sadly before walking over to the easels to work on another painting.  
  
That night, Master Wilkes informed Teecie that this would be her last night taking the dreamless sleep potion. Teecie felt her stomach flutter nervously at the thought of the nightmares returning. She'd been all right when they'd stopped. It had helped her to try to forget about her father. She knew the horrible visions would return, and was determined not to let that happen again. There were some of her potions books in her book bag that she could look through to look up the recipe to make her own potion.  
  
After a dreamless, yet far from refreshing night, Teecie woke up for her next day of classes. She picked at a plate of bacon and eggs while sitting alone in a corner of the Gryffindor table, while Kali had once again joined Paul at the Ravenclaw table. Teecie didn't feel like joining them. It was beginning to feel like the two of them were drifting apart, and it hurt to be close to her right now. She looked down at the smiling faces of her friends while she ate. They all looked so happy and innocent. Partway through breakfast, Teecie caught James's eye. He smiled briefly before standing up and walking over to her. James looked at her carefully before sitting down next to her. "Hi Teecie. I'm glad to see you again. I've missed seeing you," He said quietly.  
  
"Oh? Why, did you find more boys to accuse me of sleeping with?" Teecie asked coldly, looking down at her plate and stabbing at her scrambled eggs with her fork.  
  
James sighed sadly. "Look, that was really stupid of me. I was jealous, and frustrated, and I took it out on you. But that was wrong of me, and I'm sorry. You might not want to be my girlfriend again, but can we at least be friends?" He asked, sounding hopeful that she'd say yes.  
  
Teecie didn't really care about what James had accused her of doing. So much had changed since then that it wasn't important anymore. "Sure, we can be friends," She said hollowly. James smiled and started talking to her, though she didn't listen to him, and soon enough, breakfast ended, and they walked to their Charms class together.  
  
James was able to convince Teecie to sit in the front with the rest of her classmates that morning. She sat in between Patty and Paige, who smiled over having her back with them. The class was working on Cheering Charms, and while Teecie sat at her desk, looking at the table top, her friends tried putting the charm on her. After laughing out loud involuntarily two times, she glared at them, picked up her book bag, and walked out of the classroom, leaving them staring sadly after her.  
  
Teecie sat on the stairs, bemoaning the thought of going to Transfigurations class next. She thought about skipping the class and going back to the Hog's Head. She had lunch after, so she could go for quite a while before needing to be back in time for her Runes class, but was stopped from leaving by Old Man Filch rounding upon her. "You! What are you doing out of class? Up to no good, no doubt!" He snarled at her, reaching down, grabbing her by the arm, and pulling her to her feet. Teecie didn't resist him as he dragged her up to the Headmaster's office. "Oh yes girlie, he told me to keep an eye out for you. Told me to make sure you didn't run away again. I hope he gives you a month of detentions for being out of class," Filch said, cackling evilly. Teecie found herself not caring at all about Filch's words to her. She just tuned him out as they walked to Uncle Sev's office.  
  
When they arrived, Filch insisted on walking her into Snape's office and telling the Headmaster about finding her out of class. Teecie looked at the floor while Filch explained about finding her sitting on the stairs. Professor Snape thanked Filch before sending him back to continue roaming the halls, then turned to speak to Teecie.  
  
"You're not readjusting to your classes very well, are you?" He asked quietly, looking over at her from across his desk.  
  
"Well, seeing as I don't really want to be here at all, I'd say I'm doing as well as can be expected," Teecie replied, folding her arms and tapping her foot on the floor.  
  
"You have to return to your classes sometime. You can't live your life in hiding from the people you knew," Uncle Sev replied quietly.  
  
Teecie looked up and glared at him. "Hiding? You want to talk to me about hiding? You, who've hidden the truth from me my entire life, want to talk about hiding? All right, let's talk. Why did you keep my father's past hidden from me my entire life?" Teecie was shouting at him while standing with her hands on her hips.  
  
Uncle Sev stood up, looking at her with dark flashing eyes and a drawn mouth. "You should have never had to learn such things, particularly when you were younger. We knew you worshipped your father, and we did not want to rob you of that. Your parents chose this path, and all I could do was honour their wishes. If that upsets you, I am truly sorry," Uncle Sev replied in a quiet voice.  
  
Teecie grew furious while Uncle Sev spoke. They'd lied to her for her entire life, and she was supposed to be grateful for it? How dare they? Her eyes wandered around the room. She wanted to pick something up and smash it on the floor, or throw it across the room, but couldn't find anything worthwhile to break. "Well, do me a favour now, and leave me alone! I don't want to be here. I don't want to see you or talk to you or think about you! You've lied to me for too long now, and I'm not going to let it continue, Professor Snape," Teecie shouted before turning around walking towards the door, away from him.  
  
"No more lies," Snape said quietly to himself before looking up at Teecie. "Ticia, wait. There is something I must tell you," Snape said to Teecie as she walked to the door. Teecie stopped and turned back to look at him. His quietness told her he had something unpleasant to reveal to her. "Please, sit down," He instructed her. He watched quietly as she sat down.  
  
Snape sat down and looked Teecie in the eye before speaking. "Ticia, I was also a Death Eater. What you must understand is that the world was a very different place then. Your father and I were young and impressionable, and many others besides us were caught up in the idea of a new world just for us. We were so caught up in our own ideas of what was right and wrong to recognize the harm we were causing.  
  
People like your father and I are rare in that we recognized this before it was too late. We were the lucky ones who got out, and had a chance to start our lives over again. I came to this school to teach, and your father found your mother. We chose to begin our lives again because we saw that we were going in the wrong direction. Both of us have tried very hard to change who we were, though it doesn't make what we did in the past all right. But it does show that we have learned from our mistakes, and tried to rectify the situation as best we could, and tried to atone for the sins of our past," Snape said in a quiet voice.  
  
Teecie sat in the chair with a look of horror growing on her face. How widespread was this Death Eater profession? How could so many people have been so stupid as to believe something like that? She'd read about Adolph Hitler and the Nazi's and what they had done to the Jewish people in Europe a century ago. It was no different. It was very much like The Lord of the Rings as well. Teecie had read that book countless times, and seen the movies, and knew that this was very much like what Sauron had wanted. Thankfully, all of those people had been defeated before they were successful in their plans. How could men as intelligent as her father and Uncle Sev have gotten swept up in something as bad as that?  
  
As Teecie continued to think about all of this, she recalled a few references to Uncle Sev in the copies of the Daily Prophet, where she had noticed the name, but hadn't paid much attention to. She had also seen him in those Muggle books about Harry Potter, only she'd just thought he'd been a professor, she hadn't read anything about him being a Death Eater. Teecie decided she'd have to read those books thoroughly now, to see what other secrets about her family they held.  
  
"I don't understand. How could you and my father be so stupid? How could you hate people you'd never met so much that you were willing to just kill them all? What was so bad about Muggles that you wanted them all to die?" Teecie asked, feeling confused, angry, and upset.  
  
Snape sighed, trying to find the best words to use to explain to Teecie about all of this. "You were very lucky in the way your parents raised you, Teecie. People like your father and I, however, weren't so lucky. Our parents and the society we lived in taught us to believe we were better than Muggles because of the fact that we had magic. We never knew anything else, so we never questioned it. When Lord Voldemort came along, he didn't have much trouble convincing people like us that he was right, because he wanted exactly what we had been taught all our lives, was our birthright," Snape said earnestly.  
  
Teecie's confusion was overwhelming, and soon tears were streaming down her face. She curled up into a small ball in the chair she'd been sitting in, and sobbed. Snape watched her for a minute before standing up and moving to her chair. Kneeling down, he gently wrapped his arms around her, and held her in silence, for he could think of no words to say to make her pain go away. As soon as Teecie felt his arms on her, she sat up and pushed him away. "Don't you touch me!" She screamed. Snape stood back up and walked back to his desk, giving her the space she wanted.  
  
Snape shook his head as he thought about all of this. He'd just told her he'd been a Death Eater, like her father, and now he was trying to make it all up to her. What had he been thinking trying to comfort her like that?  
  
Teecie still didn't understand why they could have fallen for something so evil. Why did life have to be so complicated? Why did it have to be filled with so many lies, and secrets? Why couldn't people just be honest with each other? "But it still doesn't make it right for you to lie about it," Teecie sobbed into her arms.  
  
"Ticia, you're old enough to realize that everybody lies about some things in their lives. Things they don't want others to know about because they might get angry or hurt if they found out. I'm sure there are even things you've lied about in your life that you'd rather I or Draco, or your parents not find out about," Uncle Sev said quietly, leaning back but keeping his hand on Teecie's shoulder. He knew she was scared and angry right now, and was glad she was allowing somebody to make contact with her again.  
  
Teecie thought about what might happen if Uncle Sev or Draco found out about her bodyguard business. She'd never really thought that not telling them was a lie, but supposed it was. Would not telling them make her as bad as they were for keeping the truth from her? If so, she should tell him. But it didn't feel the same to her. She was helping people out with that, not hurting them. Perhaps she'd tell him someday, but not yet.  
  
As Teecie thought about all of this, images of her nightmares crept into her mind. Scenes of her father killing and raping people became overwhelming. Had Uncle Sev done any of that as well? How could he be so calm about this? Looking up at Uncle Sev with round eyes, she asked, "Did you kill anybody too?"  
  
Snape was taken aback by the question. He hadn't been expecting it. He'd tried to forget about those years, to bury them in the deep recesses of his mind, and pretend they'd never happened. But now, he sat before the judgment of a thirteen year old girl, and found he didn't want to look her in the eye. Snape took a deep breath and forced himself to look at Teecie. "I have taken lives," He said in a hollow voice.  
  
Teecie felt as though she'd been kicked in the stomach. She breathed rapidly, trying to get the room to stop spinning. "Why?" She whispered, wrapping her arms about herself protectively, looking up at the ceiling.  
  
"It was our job. It was what the Dark Lord assigned us to do," Snape replied feebly.  
  
Teecie needed to get away from him. Standing up, she spoke not a word as she walked to the door and left the office. Several minutes later, she found herself back in the Hospital wing, unsure of what to do next. She felt as though she was going mad. Her entire world had been turned upside down over the last two weeks. Teecie felt as though she didn't even know who she was anymore. More than anything, she felt trapped, unable to leave, but not wanting to stay either.  
  
Teecie had been lying down on her bed for a half hour before Nili arrived with a plate of food for lunch. "Master Snape says Nili is to bring this food to Ticia Orendes. Master Snape says to ask Ticia Orendes if she wants Nili to stay and keep her company," Nili said in a squeaky voice.  
  
For the first time in a while, Teecie smiled. "Thank you, Nili. I'd like it if you stayed with me for a while," She replied as she picked up the tray to eat her lunch.  
  
Nili looked up at Teecie with a look of concern on her face. "Master Snape says Ticia Orendes is not happy. Nili hopes this is not true," She said.  
  
Teecie's emotions were still in a very fragile state, and the caring look on Nili's face made her start to cry again. Teecie stood up from the tray of food on her bed and knelt down on the floor before throwing her arms around the diminutive house elf. "Oh Nili, I feel as though my heart has been broken into a thousand pieces, and I'll never be able to put it back together again!" She cried into Nili's shoulder.  
  
Nili hadn't been expecting to comfort her charge this much, and was momentarily taken aback before she began to pat Teecie on the back and smooth out her curls. "Nili is sad to hear about Ticia Orendes. Nili hopes Ticia Orendes will not be sad anymore, very soon," She said in a quiet voice.  
  
"Thank you," Teecie whispered before standing up again to sit on her bed and eat her lunch.  
  
Nili watched as Teecie ate a small amount of food before pushing the tray away and lying back down on the bed. Nili picked up the tray and said goodbye to Teecie before disappearing back to the kitchens.  
  
Teecie spent the rest of the day working on another painting before being interrupted by Kali returning from classes. "Hey sis, how was your day?" Kali asked while walking to her bed to drop off her books.  
  
Teecie turned to look at her sister before bursting into tears again. She ran to Kali and threw her arms around her, "Oh Kali! I just found out that Uncle Sev was a Death Eater too!" She cried.  
  
Kali started to cry too, but didn't seem too surprised. "I know, Teecie. I've been doing lots of research on the Death Eaters and Voldemort lately," she said.  
  
"Please can't we run away like we'd planned? Why can't we go some place where nobody knows who we are and start over again?" Teecie asked Kali.  
  
"This is my OWL year, Teecie. I want to finish it and do as well as I can," Kali told her. Teecie cried and implored her older sister, but it did no good. Kali was now determined to stay, leaving Teecie alone in her desires to be rid of Hogwarts and the life she'd known. Since there was nothing else she could do, she turned back to her easel and began to paint.  
  
Teecie had no clue how much time had passed before she felt somebody's presence behind her. When she turned around, she saw that it had grown dark outside. She also saw Professor Weasley standing with a pile of books and papers in her arms. "I have all the homework assignments from all of your teachers," She explained to Teecie while dumping them on Teecie's bed.  
  
Teecie frowned at the large mound of books and papers. She had no intention of doing any of that. Why had Professor Weasley brought them to her? She had to know Teecie had no interest in school, she'd only told her several times already. "Thanks," She said to her professor, feeling resentful of her very presence in the room.  
  
"The Headmaster says you'll be out of class for the rest of the week. So, you have plenty of time to get some of that done tonight. Would you like me to stay and go over some of the Transfigurations notes with you?" Professor Weasley offered.  
  
"No thanks. I can read them all by myself," Teecie replied, turning back to her painting. She didn't see how long the professor stood there before leaving, and didn't care.  
  
When Teecie had finished painting, she set the brush down and turned to look at her bed. Walking over to one side, she pushed all the books and papers onto the floor, then kicked them all under the bed. Next, she went to her book bag and pulled out a few of her potions books that she kept in there, in order to look up sleeping potions and their effects on people. One of the books Uncle Sev had given her had the dreamless sleep potion she'd been taking for the last week. Reading through the ingredients and instructions, Teecie saw that it wasn't that complicated, yet needed to brew overnight. There was no way she'd be able to have it for that evening.  
  
Teecie's stomach fluttered nervously as she thought about the nightmares that were sure to return that evening. She couldn't take seeing those images of her father again, and now they'd probably be joined by equally terrifying pictures of Uncle Sev. She'd just have to stay awake all night long so she didn't fall asleep and have nightmares.  
  
Teecie spent the rest of the night working on the dreamless sleep potion. When Kali asked her what she was working on, Teecie assured her it was make- up work for Draco. Kali seemed suspicious, but didn't try to stop her.  
  
With the potion safely brewing on the stand next to her bed, Teecie decided to write in her journal to help stay awake. She sat cross-legged on her bed and wrote with her favourite pink gel ink feather pen:  
  
Uncle Sev told me today that he was a Death Eater too, when he was younger. Like that makes a big difference. Oh, he was young and stupid, that totally makes it OK. He also told me he killed people too, just like the man who calls himself my father.  
  
He let me out of classes for the rest of the week, so I don't have to worry about that for a while yet. Now I just have to figure out how to keep getting out of classes. Professor Weasley barged in here tonight and gave me all my homework and notes, as if I was going to do them! What was she thinking! I'm never going to go back to classes or do homework ever again, if I can help it.  
  
I've been trying to figure out what to do with myself. I don't want to be here. I can't go home. I could run away like Kali and I were planning on doing, but I don't know where to go. I just feel stuck. It sucks. What kind of a living can a 13 year old girl make in a big city? I could go to London, but what would I do there? Nobody would hire me to do anything. There is nothing I can do, and nowhere I can go.  
  
If I rubbed a genie's lamp, and it gave me three wishes, I'd wish that my father hadn't been a Death Eater. Why did he have to be one? Why not some other kid's father? Why mine? What did I ever do to deserve it? If I could go back in time, I'd go back to when I received that box from Zeren, and burn it before I ever opened it up. If I'd done that, then none of this would be happening now. I'd be happy, and life would be easy again. If only  
  
That night, while Teecie lay on top of her bed sheets, with the notebook on her lap, the nightmares returned with a vengeance. Kali rocked Teecie while she continued to scream in her sleep. Teecie thrashed about in her bed sheets, flailing her arms and crying out for Lucius and Snape to stop trying to kill her.  
  
Snape, a man who didn't sleep much, had been walking the halls of the school when he passed the Hospital wing. He heard the shrieks and cries and came rushing into the room in time for him to hear Teecie scream, "No, no, Uncle Sev, don't! You're killing me!" Teecie was sitting up in the bed, struggling against her sister. Her eyes were open and she seemed to be looking right at Snape while she screamed. Snape's heart pounded as he heard these words. He felt nauseous and had to leave the room.  
  
Once back in his office, Snape poured himself a large glass of Italian Ambermede, and threw it back quickly. His breath came in ragged gasps as he thought about Teecie and how she now thought about him. How could he have told her of his past? She was in such a fragile state as it was, how could he dump that information on her? Why hadn't he just kept his mouth shut? She was just a child. The only thing for him to do, Snape thought to himself, was to stay away from Teecie, and let her work through all of this with Master Wilkes. Hopefully she'd be ready to see him again some day. 


	43. The Eye of the Storm

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Arsinoe de Blassenville: This family sure is messed up, aren't they! They have a long way to go to heal, but I think they'll get there...eventually. I thank you for your patience in waiting for these chapters. I had to rewrite this one from scratch! It has not been a very pleasant experience so far, losing everything I've written for a year, but I'm recovering! But here it is! I hope you enjoy it!  
  
The Eye of the Storm  
  
Author's Note: Due to work constraints, my new posting day will be Saturday. So you can look forward to each new installment over the weekend!  
  
It was dinnertime at the school, but Teecie was sitting on her bed, reading Hamlet. She'd spent her Friday working on a painting since she hadn't been going to classes after the blow up with Uncle Sev, and was refusing to work on homework. She was absorbed in reading about Ophelia drowning herself that she didn't notice the sound coming from the door at first. After a minute, the rustling sound grew loud enough that it drew her attention away from the book. Teecie looked over to see if Kali had noticed too, but as she was writing a paper and looking intensely at the parchment, it was clear that she hadn't. Teecie set her book down and stood up to walk to the door.  
  
Standing at the doorway, trying to support himself, was a young boy whose nose was bleeding. He held himself up with one hand while holding his nose with the other, trying to stem the tide of blood that was flowing down his face and chin. "Oh my goodness! What happened to you?" Teecie cried. "Here, let me help you," She said while walking up to him and putting an arm around his waist. Together they slowly walked into the Hospital wing. Teecie walked the boy to the nearest bed and helped him sit down carefully. "Here, lie back," She instructed him. "Tilt your head back and pinch your nose, I've heard that can help stop the bleeding."  
  
The boy looked warily at Teecie before doing as she'd said. When it became evident that the bleeding wasn't going to stop that way, she stood up and walked over to Master Wilkes's bookshelves to see if there was anything she could read to help her. There were many books available, including one on basic first aid.  
  
Teecie picked up the first aid book and looked through it until she found a series of moving pictures which depicted basic scenarios. She found one of a person whose nose was bleeding and carefully read and watched the instructions. It was a simple spell, she was sure she could do it herself.  
  
Teecie took the book, ran to her bed, and fished out her wand from underneath the mattress before running back to the boy's bed. "Master Wilkes is down at dinner right now. I'll have to help you myself," She said while looking at the book once more. The boy's eyes grew large as he realized the girl sitting over him was about to perform magic on him.  
  
"All right," She began, "Point wand at face...check. Say the spell, Confuto Cruor..." At this time, a soft green light shot out from the end of her wand and enveloped the boy's face. Teecie watched with wonder as the bleeding slowly stopped. When the green light faded away, she smiled. "I did it!" She cried excitedly while standing up to grab a few towels from Master Wilkes's workbench.  
  
As the boy wiped his face off, he glared at Teecie. "What were you thinking, pointing your wand at me like that? You could have killed me you know!" He cried angrily while trying to stand up to leave.  
  
"Wait, you can't go yet! You haven't told me your name," Teecie said while gently pushing him back down onto the bed.  
  
"It's Garrett, Garrett Addison. Can I go now?" He asked.  
  
Teecie could tell by the silver and green accents to his robes that he was a Slytherin.  
  
"What year are you Garrett?"  
  
"Second," He replied.  
  
"And what happened to you?"  
  
"I walked into a door."  
  
"You walked into a door? I don't believe you. What really happened?"  
  
"It's none of your business! Look, I need to go!" Garrett cried, before pushing away from Teecie and standing up. He'd left the room before Teecie had gotten a chance to call him back.  
  
Teecie sighed and went back to her bed. For the first time a quite a while, she thought about her bodyguard business. If a Slytherin had been beaten up, what was going on with the rest of the students? Perhaps it was time to talk to the twins about this.  
  
After sending an owl off to the twins requesting to see them the next day, Teecie had once again become absorbed in Hamlet when a voice startled her out of the reading. "What happened here?" She looked up to see Master Wilkes looking at the pile of bloody rags on the bed Garrett had been lying on.  
  
"Oh, a boy had a bloody nose and I helped him. Sorry I forgot to clean it up," She apologized. Wilkes made her explain in more detail what had happened. Teecie told him about using the first aid book and performing the healing spell on Garrett.  
  
"Teecie, this is amazing. Well, I'll have to award fifteen points to Gryffindor for helping him out," Wilkes said excitedly. This was the first time Teecie had seemed interested in performing magic that he had seen since finding out the truth about her father, and he wanted to encourage it to continue. "So, how did helping the boy make you feel?" He asked.  
  
Teecie hadn't thought about it until now. "It felt good," She replied. Master Wilkes invited her to read all the books on his shelf if she wanted. She thanked him and took the first aid book back to her bed to read for the rest of the evening.  
  
After breakfast on Saturday, Patty and Paige came to see Teecie. They chatted happily for a while before standing up to walk outside. They needed to talk about the bodyguard business away from prying eyes.  
  
"So, how has everything been going? I saw a Slytherin boy yesterday with a bloody nose. He said he'd run into a door, which I know isn't true," Teecie began.  
  
"Well...we haven't been able to match everybody up with a bodyguard yet," Paige said slowly.  
  
"Why not?" Teecie asked, sounding upset.  
  
"Well, everybody knows it's your business, and since you're not taking care of it, they all think that you quit," Patty explained.  
  
"But I thought you two would take over," Teecie replied.  
  
"We've been trying, but it's just not the same," Paige said.  
  
"So, you want me to come back and fix everything? Is that it?" Teecie asked, starting to feel trapped again.  
  
"You did start this," Patty said.  
  
"Well maybe I don't want to do it anymore! It's not like it's my job! Get the professors to stop the bullies," Teecie replied angrily.  
  
"Teecie, why are you so upset all of a sudden? Do you want to quit?" Paige asked quietly while putting one hand on her shoulder comfortingly.  
  
Teecie twisted her shoulder out of Paige's grasp. "Maybe I do! I don't care! It's not my problem anymore. Get somebody else to do it!" She snarled while walking back into the school.  
  
Teecie spent the rest of the day lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Master Wilkes saw her and was saddened to see that all the progress she seemed to have made the day before had somehow been undone.  
  
It was about seven in the evening when Professor Weasley arrived with another pile of books and papers. She sat down at the foot of Teecie's bed with an excited look on her face. "Well, here I am! Your homework helper! Your family has given me full permission to work with you on getting you caught up with your schoolwork. My son and I will be helping you until you're caught up. So, I think we'll start out with the oldest assignments and work on those first," she said while standing up and setting her pile down on the table next to her. Teecie watched openmouthed as the professor bent down and cleared out all the books and papers from under her bed and began to organize them.  
  
"I don't want to do homework. I don't want to go to classes. You can't make me do this," Teecie exclaimed.  
  
"Actually, I can. I have your family's support in this," Professor Weasley replied, smiling at her.  
  
Teecie sat in stony silence for a while as she thought about what to do. There didn't seem to be anything she could do to get out of it. In the end, she sighed resignedly and started working with Professor Weasley. They worked on an essay for Professor Lupin for over an hour before they'd finished. The professor allowed Teecie a fifteen minute break before they started on the next assignment. Teecie used the restroom before going back to work on the next piece of homework. They worked until ten that night before Professor Weasley told her to get a good night's sleep, for she was returning the next morning to work with her again.  
  
Teecie slept as well as she could, though the prospects of a day full of homework with Professor Weasley didn't exactly appeal to her. They spent the rest of the weekend working, and by the time Sunday evening had arrived, they'd finished three day's worth of assignments. Professor Weasley congratulated Teecie on doing such good work, and told her Stephen would be helping her every evening after classes.  
  
When Monday morning arrived, Teecie woke up and got ready for her classes. The time had come to try going again. She didn't want to have to sit through another minute of Professor Weasley's harping on her about returning to classes. It was just easier to go back instead. After a French toast breakfast with Rey and Carl, she went to her Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Professor Lupin was beginning a unit on Banshees. Teecie took notes and paid attention. Some of the boys tried to do impressions of banshees by screaming as loudly as they could. James tried several times to scream, but found his voice breaking each time and had to stop. Daniel did the best impression. He sounded like a scared little girl screaming over seeing a mouse. Teecie couldn't help but laugh over that.  
  
In Care of Magical Creatures class, Charlie was showing the class about fairies. He had several of the small beings that flew around the room and made buzzing noises to one another in communication. Fairies don't speak, but make happy sounding buzzing noises in order to talk to one another. Teecie thought they were the most adorable things she'd ever seen. She smiled as one of them flew to her desk and landed. She couldn't tell at first if it was a boy or a girl, but since fairies don't wear clothing, a close look in which Teecie saw small boy parts, she knew it was male.  
  
The fairy buzzed happily up at Teecie while he climbed up her arm and settled on her shoulder. Teecie wanted to keep the fairy and asked Charlie after class if she could. Charlie informed her that all of the fairies would be returned to the forest from which they'd been taken at the end of the week. Teecie understood that they should go back to their home, but still wanted one.  
  
Teecie was surprised to be having such a great day so far, and as she sat down to a spaghetti lunch, she started to wonder if somebody had planned it. It seemed to be going too well to be a coincidence. While she ate and talked with Rey and Carl, she thought about whether she should go to the rest of her classes that day or not. If somebody was planning a perfect day like this, did she want to give them the satisfaction of it having worked? When Carl insisted on walking with her to Herbology class, she decided to make him happy and went with him to the class.  
  
Teecie and Carl walked together to class, and worked on their plants. Professor Longbottom was showing them the differences between Flitterbloom and Devil's Snare. Both plants looked very similar to each other, but had vastly different properties. He ended the class by assigning an essay about those differences to the students.  
  
The History of Magic class was as boring as it always was, but Teecie went and took notes as best she could anyway. She felt proud of herself for enduring the class while she walked back to the Hospital wing to meet Stephen.  
  
Teecie and Stephen talked for a while and got caught up with one another before starting their work. She couldn't help thinking about the tutoring he'd given her the previous year. They'd spent most of their time snogging instead of studying, and Teecie wondered what Professor Weasley would have thought if she'd ever found out. She'd still managed to do quite well in her Transfiguration class anyway.  
  
Stephen told her about how serious he was about Olivia Blackfell, his girlfriend. Teecie told him she was very happy for him and they talked for a few more minutes before starting to work on homework together. They managed to get through another day's worth of work before Stephen left for the night.  
  
The next day dawned as nicely as the previous one had. Teecie talked with Kern and Robert over sausages and eggs before going to her Charms class. The class was still working on the Cheering Charm from the week before. Teecie tried it out, though not allowing anybody to use it on her. After a few tries, she mastered the charm, and felt her confidence grow as she did so.  
  
In Transfiguration class, they worked on turning kittens into vases. Teecie felt her earlier confidence wane and was about to refuse to try when Professor Weasley walked up to her desk. She looked down expectantly at her, waiting to watch Teecie try. Teecie sighed and picked up her wand before pointing it at the kitten and saying the correct words. The kitten slowly changed into a large glass vase, though it still had ears and fur.  
  
Professor Weasley smiled. "Great job, Teecie. Why don't you try it one more time," She said. Teecie tried it again and was successful in the transfiguration. "Wonderful! Five points to Gryffindor!" She said excitedly. The professor proceeded to tell the class what a good job Teecie had done, which had made her blush. She set her wand down on her desk and looked at it; hoping people weren't looking at her.  
  
Teecie sat by herself at the Gryffindor table during lunch. As she chewed on her roast beef sandwich, she looked around and watched Zeren walk into the Great Hall, followed by a few girls who giggled and held onto every word he spoke. Teecie felt her anger grow. Zeren! He'd made her life miserable after sending that letter. He should pay, but how?  
  
Teecie turned around in her seat and watched Zeren from across the room for a few minutes. He was sitting down and piling large amounts of food onto a plate while talking to Lisette and Roxanne. As Zeren picked up his glass of milk and took a large mouthful, Teecie slowly took her wand out of her robes, pointed it at him, and said the words to the Cheering Charm quietly but emphatically before slipping the wand back into her robes. She sat back and watched as the spell hit Zeren.  
  
Zeren started to laugh uncontrollably. He laughed so hard that the milk shot out of his nose and across the table, soaking both Lisette and Roxanne, who started to scream at Zeren for getting them wet. Zeren just continued laughing at them, which only made the scene worse.  
  
Zeren continued to laugh uncontrollably for several more minutes while the girls screamed at him. After a minute, students at the surrounding tables saw what was going on and started laughing at them. Finally, Draco came over to escort him out of the room. Teecie didn't see where they went, but assumed they ended up in the Hospital wing. Master Wilkes should be able to undo the charm without any problems.  
  
Teecie laughed along with the crowd for a minute before turning around and going back to her lunch. As she scanned the professor's table, she saw Professor Lupin looking strangely at her before going back to his own meal. Had he seen her? Did he know? It made no difference to her. She dug into her sandwich and at all of it, as well as a bowl of chicken noodle soup, more food than she'd eaten in one sitting in over a month.  
  
Zeren wasn't in Runes class, so Teecie assumed he was still being worked on in the Hospital wing. She translated a short story from ancient Celtic runes to English before the class ended.  
  
In Potions class, Teecie worked on the Shrinking Solution that Draco had assigned to them, while chatting happily with Rey. She made Rey cut up the rat's spleen and the caterpillar while she added the cut up daisy roots and skinned the shrivelfig. They were busy talking about the play the Drama Club was performing this year: The Winter's Tale. Rey would be playing the role of Prince Florizel, a fairly large role, and Teecie was happy for him. She was laughing as he recited some of his lines to her when Draco came over. "Will you two quiet down? Potions class is a time to work on your potions, not socializing. You should be quiet and concentrate on your work or you'll not get passing marks," He said sternly.  
  
"It's not like it's a hard potion to do," Teecie replied while scowling at Draco.  
  
"Don't make me separate you two. I'd hate to have to take points away from your house, but I will if you don't behave," Draco replied, his eyes flashing angrily. He'd turned away before Teecie stuck her tongue out at him and went back to talking to Rey about the play, though more quietly this time.  
  
The rest of the class passed without any further incident. Teecie stayed behind to gather her books and ingredients after most of the students had left for the day. As she turned to leave, she came face-to-face with Lisette. "So, Orendes, I've heard the news about your father. You must be terribly upset to have found out the truth. If I can be of any assistance in helping you with your recovery, do let me know," She said, simpering at Teecie while glancing at Draco all the while. "But, if you want my opinion- " She began again before being cut off.  
  
Teecie had listened to the words and saw the look of triumph on Lisette's face while fury built up inside of her. The time had finally come for her to stand up for herself. "No!" She screamed, cutting Lisette off from her opinion. "I don't want to know your opinion! I hate you! For the past three years you've been a complete cow towards me! I won't take it anymore! I won't let you!" She screeched before balling one of her hands into a fist and punching Lisette in the eye.  
  
Lisette screamed and ran over to Draco. "Professor Black, look at what Orendes did to me!" She cried while holding one of her hands over her eye.  
  
Draco had purposely kept his back turned from the scene, in order to not be a witness, and turned around to look down at Lisette. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I had my back turned and didn't see. Perhaps if Miss Orendes demonstrated for me what she did to you, I'd be better able to deal with her," He replied innocently. Lisette scowled up at the professor before turning around and rushing out of the room.  
  
Draco turned to look at Teecie before smiling. "You'll probably want to stay away from the Hospital wing for a while. I'm sure she'll be up there seeking attention for quite some time," He said.  
  
The weight of the events of the day finally took it's toll on Teecie and she sat back down at her desk before starting to cry. Draco walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Why do I always let her get to me like that?" She cried into his shoulder.  
  
"You just have to ignore her, Teecie. It's just the way she is and you can't change that. But I have to say I am proud of you for standing up for yourself. You've given her something to think about now," Draco replied before tenderly kissing Teecie's forehead.  
  
"Really?" Teecie asked, sniffling and wiping away her tears, "You aren't going to punish me?" She asked.  
  
"For what? I didn't see anything," He replied.  
  
"Cool. Thanks Draco," Teecie replied, smiling wanly.  
  
Teecie and Draco ended up talking for over an hour that afternoon. They talked about classes and life in general. Draco tried to talk to her about returning to her dormitory soon, to which Teecie replied that she'd think about it.  
  
Teecie told her brother about feeling lonely. "I just wish I had something to hold. A cat or dog or something. I wish I still had Moses, I miss her a whole lot," She said before sighing.  
  
After a while, Teecie left to return to the Hospital wing to work with Professor Weasley on her homework. Neither Zeren nor Lisette were there anymore. Professor Weasley soon arrived and they spent the next several hours catching up on schoolwork.  
  
Several hours passed before Teecie and Professor Weasley put the schoolwork aside and began talking. They were chatting about their favourite aspects of the Muggle world when they were interrupted. Teecie was facing away from the door and didn't notice anybody arrive. "Ticia, there's somebody here to see you," Professor Weasley said, prompting her to turn around.  
  
Teecie smiled as she saw Draco walking up to her with a box in his hands. It was wrapped in pink paper and had a few holes in it. "I went to Hogsmeade this evening and I saw something that made me think of you," He said while handing her the box.  
  
Teecie gingerly opened the box to see a small kitten looking up at her and crying to be picked up. "Oh Draco!" She cried while taking the small animal out of the box and cuddling it.  
  
As the kitten mewed and nuzzled Teecie's chin, Draco smiled. "She's a pink point Siamese, magically bred. You won't find many of these in the world," He explained. "You'll have to come up with a good name for her."  
  
Teecie looked at the small animal with soft rose coloured ears and matching tail. After a minute, she looked up at Draco and said, "Her name is Rose."  
  
Draco sat down next to Teecie and scratched the kitten's ears. "Well then, hello Rose," He said in greeting.  
  
Professor Weasley petted the kitten. "What a nice brother you have," She said to Teecie, glancing at Draco for a moment.  
  
Draco smiled briefly. "I try my best," He replied, almost humbly.  
  
Kali, hearing all of the commotion, came over to investigate. She stood at the foot of Teecie's bed, looking down at the scene. Teecie smile and held Rose up to her. "Look Kali! A kitten!" She cried excitedly. Kali's eyes grew wide and she looked at Draco before taking a few steps back from the bed. "Draco can get one for you too, if you want," Teecie said, looking up at Kali with a grin on her face. Silently, Kali shook her head, while glaring viciously at Draco before turning around and walking away as quickly as possible.  
  
Draco sighed sadly as he watched this exchange. What had he done now?  
  
After another minute, Professor Weasley said her good night and left for the evening. Draco and Teecie played with Rose for a while before he stood up and walked to the door. Draco brought in all sorts of packages he'd been stowing out in the hall. He'd bought Rose a diamond collar with a red heart name tag that had magically filled itself out with Rose's name. He'd also bought food and bowls for that and water, toys, a litter box, and some other things Teecie would need to care properly for a kitten.  
  
"You know Teecie, Rose is a very small kitten and this room is very big. She might get scared with you at classes all day long," Draco said while Rose snuggled on his lap.  
  
"Maybe we should move to a private hospital room then," Teecie suggested.  
  
"Actually I was thinking that it might be a good time to return to your dormitory. There are many potions and things Rose could get into that might make her ill in this room," Draco said, trying to show her all the reasons she should return to her room. "A smaller room will be safer for her, and also more comforting too. You don't want her in a room where she could get loose inside the school. And Master Wilkes is a very busy man and has no time to look after Rose for you while you're in classes. She's your responsibility and it's up to you to make sure she's taken care of." Draco thought he'd made some good points and hoped it would make an impact.  
  
Teecie listened to all of this as she gazed lovingly down at Rose. She didn't want anything bad to happen to her kitten. "Maybe I should go back tonight so Rose can spend her first night in the room," Teecie said. Draco nodded his head approvingly, but said nothing. "I can start packing now and carry all of this stuff up in a few trips," She said while standing up and picking a few items up.  
  
"Let the house elves do that for you. They'll bring everything up to your room. You take Rose, that's all you need to worry about now," Draco replied kindly.  
  
Teecie walked over to Kali's bed and talked to her about returning to her dormitory. Kali hugged her and said she'd return to hers too. Together, they packed and got ready to sleep in their old beds for the first time in over a month.  
  
Before leaving the room, Teecie walked up to Master Wilkes and hugged him. "It's not you, it's me. This is something I have to do," She explained while telling him of her decision to leave. "I know you'll probably miss me terribly, but don't be sad. This is a good thing. And I still have all my sessions with you, so we'll see each other a lot."  
  
Master Wilkes tried to keep a straight face during this speech. "If you think this is for the best, then I can't stop you. I will miss you, and know that you can always come back here if you need to. I've enjoyed our time together," He said with a kind smile on his face.  
  
Teecie hugged him once more before turning to leave the room. That night, Teecie returned to the dormitory with Rose in her arms. 


	44. The End of the Deluge

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm glad you like Rose so much, I do to! In fact, she gets way cooler in this chapter! She is magically bred after all! I'm also glad you like the way Draco dealt with the situation. It's high time Teecie stood up for herself. This chapter unfortunately gets back into the bad news area of Teecie's life, but I think this is the last of it. I really can't think of any more big family secrets that haven't been revealed after this chapter. Let me know what you think!  
  
Polgarathesorceress2: I'm so happy to see you're enjoying this story. Now that I've gotten things with my computer more under control, I should have time to check you're your writings and review them for you. Here's the next chapter for you to enjoy!  
  
The End of the Deluge  
  
Author's Note: This chapter deals with underage drinking.  
  
Teecie arrived that evening to the open arms of Patty and Paige. Paige squealed over Rose and played with her while Teecie told her about all the things Draco had gotten for her. Patty started unpacking Teecie's belongings while the other girls played with the kitten. When she'd finished, she came over and played with them. "We're really glad you're back," She said, smiling at Teecie.  
  
As Teecie was getting ready for bed, she realized, with horror, that her dreamless sleep potion was empty. What would she do now? Even if she started to make it tonight, it wouldn't be ready until the next night. Her first night back in the dormitory and it would be spent screaming and keeping the twins awake. There was no point in trying to stay up all night, she never seemed to be able to anyway, so she decided there was nothing to do but get through the night as quickly as possible.  
  
Teecie kept Rose in her bed with her instead of putting her in the small bed Draco had purchased for her. Rose's bed was a miniature version of the typical four posters at Hogwarts, and was decorated with scarlet and gold curtains, matching the Gryffindor colours. Teecie smiled as she realized how difficult it must have been for Draco to buy that for her. She intended to train Rose to sleep in it at the foot of her own bed, but for tonight, Rose would join her as a comfort.  
  
After changing into her nightgown, Teecie wrote in her journal while Rose settled onto the pillow by her head. She took a moment to slip the diamond collar around Rose's neck and chuckled while Rose tried to wriggle her way out of it for a few minutes before giving up and snuggling next to Teecie's ear, purring and kneading the pillow.  
  
When Teecie fell asleep that night, her nightmares returned. The images of Uncle Sev and her father haunted her dreams, killing all the people around her. As they rounded upon her, wearing evil grins on their faces, a new character entered the dream: Rose. Rose walked in between Teecie and the men and looked up at them, mewing innocently. The men laughed at Rose for a few seconds, until she started to grow larger, right before their eyes. Rose grew and grew, in size and ferocity, until she resembled a saber- toothed tiger. She growled and charged towards the men, who turned around and ran away, to the very edges of Teecie's mind. There they stayed, for the rest of the night, lurking at the edge, but never creeping any further forward into Teecie's dreams.  
  
Teecie woke up the next morning and wondered if she'd screamed at all during the night. Judging from the fact that the twins made no comments, she assumed she hadn't. She felt more rested than she had in weeks though, and found she retained information during the day much better than she had in a long time.  
  
Over the next week, Teecie found she had no time to prepare the potion, but was pleasantly surprised to see Rose in her dreams every night. Lucius and Uncle Sev were always there, but Rose managed to keep them at bay for the whole night. After a couple days, Teecie even found her dreams turning to more pleasant subjects, like Owen. Rose was always there, but stayed in the corner of the dream, while Teecie and Owen kissed...or went even further. Rose politely turned her back to them to allow them privacy during these intimate moments, for which Teecie was quite grateful.  
  
Because of the refreshing sleep, Teecie found herself doing better in her classes and homework. She was able to retain much more information for longer periods of time as well. She'd finally gotten caught up with all her old assignments and was now able to focus on her current work. Though it was difficult, as Hogwarts homework always was, Teecie found herself rising to the occasion and doing better than she ever had before.  
  
It was the first week of December, and Teecie was sitting in her Runes class, working on a translation that was giving her some trouble. She'd brought Rose to class for the day, on her harness that Draco had gotten for her. Rose sat on the desk patiently. When Zeren sat down next to Teecie, Rose started purring at him. Zeren began to pet her, much to Teecie's dismay. Teecie looked up from her paper, scowled, and slapped Zeren's hand away from Rose. "Don't you touch her!" Teecie snapped at him while pulling Rose gently towards herself.  
  
Zeren looked confused. "What's the matter?" He whispered.  
  
"Oh, like you don't know!"  
  
"I don't! What is wrong?" Zeren asked, truly confused.  
  
"I thought you were just playing dumb, but perhaps you truly are! Are you forgetting about a certain letter and a few Daily Prophet articles you sent me?" Teecie asked sarcastically.  
  
Zeren narrowed his eyes dangerously. "I'm not forgetting a damn thing! Perhaps you're the one who is having mental lapses!"  
  
Teecie grew upset at this point in time and stood up. "I hate you! You bastard! You ruined my life and then you pretend not to know anything about it? What is wrong with you?" She cried while reaching down to grab Zeren by the collar and attempt to pull him up to her level.  
  
At this point in time, Professor Creevey finally took notice of the situation. "Children, please settle down and return to your studies," She said calmly before picking the book she'd been reading back up.  
  
Teecie let go of Zeren and went back to her translation while keeping her back turned to him. Zeren wasn't about to let this go, and followed after her when class let out. "Ticia, wait!" He said while grabbing her by the arm and pulling her around to a secluded corner of the hallway. "What the hell is wrong with you? Are you mad?" He asked harshly, keeping his grip tightly on her arm.  
  
Teecie studied his face carefully for a minute before speaking. "You truly don't know, do you?" She asked. After another minute, Teecie explained to him about the letter and articles sent to her after their date. "It was signed by you! If it wasn't you, who was it?" She asked in confusion.  
  
Zeren narrowed his eyes again, but stopped gripping Teecie's arm so tightly. "Leave this to me, all right? Let me handle this," He said while moving his hand to squeeze Teecie's shoulder encouragingly. In silence, they walked together to Potions class.  
  
Teecie watched as Zeren slipped into the seat next to Lisette and started whispering to her. Teecie sat down next to the twins and worked on their potion. Nothing particularly important occurred, and the class ended soon enough.  
  
When Potions class ended, Zeren put his arm around Lisette's shoulders and walked with her back down to the Slytherin common room. Teecie watched them as she walked back to her common room. She took Rose back up to her room and spent the rest of the day working on homework.  
  
Zeren sat on a sofa in the Slytherin common room, next to Lisette. "So...I talked to Ticia today," He said, looking down at Lisette.  
  
Lisette snuggled a bit closer to Zeren. "Did you now? Ticia, Ticia, Ticia, such a lovely girl, don't you think?" She said silkily, while running her fingers through Zeren's golden locks.  
  
"Yes, quite actually. We had an interesting conversation, in which she told me about a letter she'd received a few months back," Zeren continued, looking down at Lisette again.  
  
"Oh? What kind of letter? A love letter?" Lisette asked innocently.  
  
"Not quite. This letter contained terrible news of her family, and what's more, it was signed by me. Now I didn't send her a letter, so it must have come from somebody else. But who would forge my name?" Zeren asked casually.  
  
"I have no idea. Isn't that interesting?" Lisette replied while looking at her robes intently for lint.  
  
"I just wish I knew who did it. I would love to congratulate whoever came up with this trick. It was quite cleaver," Zeren said quietly.  
  
"Really? Well...I suppose I could tell you. I haven't told anybody yet. I sent the letter! I spent all last summer holiday studying that family. I saw Orendes in Professor Black's office one night, and found out they were related. I had to tell her about her father. It's only what she deserves for being such an insufferable cow!" Lisette said, sounding put out over having to think about Teecie.  
  
Zeren tried to hide the disgust he was feeling from showing on his face. He'd always known Lisette was rather...zealous in her dislike of Ticia, but hadn't had a clue she was this overboard. "You did?" He asked, trying to sound casual. "Well, that is good to know. You know who else would be interested in hearing this? Professor Black, in fact, I think we should go tell him now," He said, standing up and taking Lisette by the arm. Lisette began to struggle against Zeren, but he forced her to her feet before dragging her out of the room and down to Professor Black's office.  
  
Lisette protested the entire time. When they arrived at the office, Zeren knocked several times before Professor Black called for them to enter the room. Zeren kept his hand tightly around Lisette's arm as he pulled her into the office.  
  
Zeren looked at Professor Black for a minute before speaking. "Lisette and I were having an interesting conversation just now, and she told me something that I thought you'd want to hear, professor," He said politely. Zeren gently pushed Lisette forward. "Go on, tell him," He said quietly.  
  
"Zeren, why did you bring me here? Why do I have to tell him?" Lisette asked, moving closer to Zeren and wrapping herself around his arm.  
  
"Tell him or I will!" Zeren growled.  
  
Lisette sighed before turning to Professor Black. "I was the one who told Ticia about her father," She said while putting her hands on her hips and looking her professor squarely in the eye.  
  
Draco's nostrils flared and his eyes dilated. He felt blood rushing in his ears and could feel his heart pounding loudly against his ribcage, but tried to show no emotional reaction. "I see," He replied, "and why did you do this?"  
  
Lisette stood up straight and looked proudly at Professor Black. "That girl is just too big for her britches and needed to be knocked down a bit. She deserved it. But she's so ungrateful! Lucius Malfoy was the greatest Death Eater Voldemort ever had, until he turned from his true path! Orendes should be proud of him, not ashamed. I don't understand it!" She said, pouring forth all her pent up confusion.  
  
Draco remained seated, his eyes flashing brightly, his hands clenched tightly on top of the desk. When he looked into Lisette's eyes, he was startled to see the lack of caring behind them. As furious as he was with her, the girl's attitude seemed to indicate there was something off about her. He wanted to strangle her for the hell she'd put his sisters through, but knew it was dangerous for him to even come close to her, or he probably would.  
  
Draco slowly stood up and kept his hands firmly clasped behind his back. Through clenched teeth, he finally spoke, "Mr. Travers, will you please escort Miss Crabbe to see the Headmaster with me?" With that, he walked to the door and opened it for the children. Together, the three of them walked in stony silence to see Professor Snape. Draco wanted to kill Lisette. He wanted to so badly he had to force himself to keep a certain distance from her before he felt assured that he wouldn't so anything foolish out of anger. Having Zeren escort her allowed him the space he needed from her. As he walked in front of the children, he tried to keep his mind focused on the task at hand: getting Lisette thrown out of the school.  
  
Professor Snape listened to Lisette's confession without betraying any of his emotions. How could he have missed this? Lisette was clearly less than sane, and he'd let her interact with his students for nearly three years now. How could he have not seen this?  
  
Snape cleared his throat before standing up and turning to Zeren. "Thank you Mr. Travers. Will you escort Miss Crabbe back to your common room?" He asked while watching Zeren grab Lisette's arm and pull her out of the room. As soon as the door had shut, Snape walked to the desk, pulled out his bottle of Italian Ambermede, and poured two glasses. After handing one to Draco, Snape took a long slow sip, feeling the golden liquid heat his mouth and throat as he swallowed. "I'll have to talk to Master Wilkes about this," He said slowly.  
  
"How could we not have seen this? How could we not have known? I never would have let the girls anywhere near her if I'd had a clue she was that bad," Draco said quietly, echoing Snape's thoughts.  
  
Snape just shook his head, unable to think of what to say to Draco. For a few minutes, the two men nursed their drinks in sad silence. "I'll have to tell her father. She'll probably have to be taken out of the school. I doubt there's anything a potion or a stay in St. Mungo's can do for her, she's too far gone," Snape finally said, more to himself than to Draco.  
  
"Vince was my mate at school. I should tell him, in person," Draco replied. "I'll have to tell the girls too." After a few more minutes, Draco stood up to leave. As he opened the door, he turned back to look at Snape. "Severus, do you want me to inform the rest of the staff?" He asked quietly.  
  
"No, I'll do it," Snape replied while folding his arms and sitting back in his chair.  
  
Draco spent a sleepless night while he thought about talking to Teecie, Kali, and Vince. In the end, he decided to tell the girls the next day, but wait until the tests with Master Wilkes came in to talk to Vince. That way he could give him conclusive answers to the many questions he was sure to have.  
  
As the hours passed, Draco's thoughts turned to the girls once again. He'd often thought about the best way to broach the subject of the kidnapping from so long ago. He realized now that keeping it from them, well, Teecie at least, was no better than what their parents had done in keeping the truth about Lucius's past from them. He felt a pang of guilt build up when he realized this. He'd have to talk to them soon.  
  
During this time, Teecie was blissfully unaware of what was happening with Lisette. After finishing her homework, she spent the evening in the common room, sitting on the sofa and watching the intense chess matches being played. Robert was by far the best player of the entire house. No matter what year his opponent was, he beat them soundly every time.  
  
James sat at the other end of the sofa, reading his Amazing Spiderman comics, and looking up at Teecie wistfully every once in a while before returning to his reading. After a while, Carl sat down next to James and looked at the comics too. They whispered back and forth for a few minutes before Carl stole a glance at Teecie as well. Teecie looked over in time to see him look away back at the comic, nod his head and whisper something to James with a smile on his face. She had no idea what in the world they were talking about and why they kept looking at her, but tried to ignore it as best she could.  
  
Teecie wrote in her journal for a while before falling asleep that night. Rose was still in her dreams. She was quite a source of comfort to Teecie. In her dreams, Teecie rode upon Rose's back and laughed at her father and Uncle Sev while they cowered in the corner of her mind, too afraid of her to come any closer. She awoke the next morning feeling refreshed and ready to meet the day ahead.  
  
The day passed quickly with no events worthy of noting, until dinnertime. Teecie was sitting and talking with the twins when Draco approached her and asked to speak with her. She stood up and followed her brother as they walked to the Ravenclaw table, where Kali was sitting next to Paul. Kali came with them to Draco's office. Both girls were frightened over what Draco wanted and held hands as they walked. Once inside the office, Draco told them to sit down in the seats across from his desk.  
  
When the girls were seated, Draco told the girls about Lisette and the letter. Teecie was shocked that she hadn't thought of that herself. Of course Lisette would have done something like that! "I feel you girls have the right to know this, though I ask that you not speak of it to any of the other students just yet. There is a chance that Lisette will be leaving the school. She...isn't well. There are...issues that she is dealing with that mean it might better for her to no longer attend Hogwarts," Draco said gravely.  
  
From the way Draco was talking about Lisette, Teecie could tell that something really bad must have happened to her. "Poor Mr. Crabbe! He'll be so upset!" She cried.  
  
"I dare say he will be, but he'll work through it," Draco replied. "Vince is a strong man who's had to deal with some tough things in his life so far, but he's always gotten through it," He said, trying to reassure Teecie.  
  
Teecie didn't know exactly what was wrong with Lisette, but it sounded like it wasn't her fault. "Is Lisette going to be all right? I mean, it's nothing really serious is it?" She asked, sounding concerned.  
  
"I can't believe you actually care about that girl! After all she's done to you over the last three years!" Kali cried angrily, looking at Teecie with amazement on her face.  
  
"I can't help the way I feel! She might have been horribly cruel to me, but I can still feel sorry for her!" Teecie replied, looking at Kali and throwing her head back defiantly.  
  
Kali sighed loudly. "You'll probably even forgive her, won't you? You'd forgive anybody who treated you badly. Her, father, him!" She cried, stabbing a finger in Draco's direction.  
  
Draco felt as though the floor had dropped out from under him. He hadn't wanted it revealed in such a harsh manner, but there was no way out of it now. He felt the pang of guilt shoot through him once again as he looked into Teecie's face and saw the look of confusion in her features.  
  
Teecie looked at Kali. "Kali, what are you talking about? What did Draco ever do?" She asked innocently.  
  
Kali and Draco stared at each other in deadly silence for a minute, as though daring the other to speak first. Finally Kali opened her mouth and spoke. "He stole us from our parents when we were little! You were too young to remember, but I do!" She snarled while maintaining eye contact with her brother.  
  
Teecie looked back and forth between the two, trying to take in the new information. She turned to Draco. "Is this true?" She asked quietly.  
  
Draco looked into Teecie's eyes, silently nodded his head, and sighed loudly.  
  
Teecie felt as though she'd been kicked in the stomach. "I don't understand," She whispered.  
  
"He stole us from mum and father! He hated them and wanted to hurt them by stealing us! He kept sneaking onto the property and giving Reni gifts to buy her off! She helped him. He took us to some run down prison and kept us there for days! I tried to escape, lots of times, but he kept bringing me back," Kali said in a harsh voice before turning to Draco and speaking to him directly. "You tried to get me to ride on your broom, to buy me off, but I wouldn't let you! I wanted to smash it into a million pieces and stab you with the shards! I hated you then for what you did, and I still hate you now!" Kali broke off, breathless and seemingly drained. After having spoken the words that seemed to have been built up for years, she ran out of the room, leaving Draco and Teecie alone.  
  
Teecie looked up at Draco with wide eyes. "I don't understand," She whispered again.  
  
Draco found he couldn't look at Teecie and turned his gaze to the shelves he kept well stocked with potion ingredients. "It's a long story, Teecie. What would you like to know?" He asked, sounding tired.  
  
"Why did you take us?"  
  
Draco took a deep breath before speaking. "I was a very angry young man. What you must understand is that father was not the man he is now when I was a boy. He was quite...cruel to me and my mother when I was young. But when he met your mother, I was jealous of the love he gave to her so freely. And when you girls were born, I hated him even more for being so kind to you. So, I decided to get back at your parents by taking what they loved most: you girls. I see now how wrong it was, but at the time, I couldn't think of anything else to do," Draco said, feeling as though he was giving a very lame excuse for his past action.  
  
"Where did you take us?"  
  
"Malfoy Manor. It was where I grew up, though it had grown quite run down by the time we arrived," Draco replied.  
  
"What did you plan on doing to us?"  
  
"Nothing," Draco replied quickly. "I hadn't taken you to hurt you or anything. I was angry with father. And in the back of my mind, I think I knew it would bring father there. It really was just my way of getting back at him. And while we were there, I really enjoyed the time I spent with the three of you. I suppose, looking back on it now, it was really stupid of me. But I wasn't exactly thinking clearly," He said quietly. "My only regret is how much I hurt all of you. Even father."  
  
"How old was I when this happened?"  
  
"About two."  
  
"So, Kali was only about four. She remembers it pretty well. Now it makes sense for why she hates you so much," Teecie said. "But why didn't you ever get into trouble for this? You could have been sent to Azkaban for something like that."  
  
"Father, Snape, and eventually your mother, decided to give me a second chance. We chose not to talk about it again because of the fact that I could have gotten into trouble over it. Snape arranged for an apprenticeship on the continent, and I went. I even met Tanith there," Draco replied, looking as though lost in thought.  
  
"Does she know?"  
  
"Yes, I've told her, and we've talked about it in great detail," Draco replied.  
  
Teecie felt anger welling up inside of her. "I see. She knows. My sisters know. Everybody knows but me! Why doesn't anybody ever tell me anything?" Teecie's voice was growing louder. "We can't tell Teecie, she's too young and stupid to understand! Let's not tell her ever! That's what you are all saying, isn't it?" Teecie was yelling now. "Well, you know what? I hate you! I hate all of you! Mother, father, Uncle Sev, you! All you ever did was lie to me my entire life! My whole life has been one big lie! How can you live with yourself? How can you sleep at night? How can you tell me you care about me and love me and then hurt me so badly? How?"  
  
Draco looked as though his heart was breaking. "Teecie, none of us meant to hurt you. We were actually trying to keep from hurting you," He said as he stood up to walk towards her.  
  
Teecie stood up as he approached her. "Well you did a great job! I'm not hurt at all!" She screamed while punching Draco in the shoulder. "All of you can just go to hell! I never want to see any of you again," With that, Teecie turned around and ran out of the room, leaving Draco rubbing his shoulder and wondering what he should do now.  
  
Teecie ran up to her dormitory and fed Rose quickly before fishing her sheer pink scarf out of her trunk. Neither of the twins was in the room, so they didn't see her leave again. Within minutes, Teecie was standing outside the main entrance of the school and thinking about where to go. While walking to the property's edge, she decided on the Hog's Head and began the walk into Hogsmeade.  
  
Teecie arrived twenty minutes later at the Hog's Head. Taking the pink veil out of her skirt pocket, she carefully tied it around her face, covering everything from below her eyes behind it. It was the fashion at the pub for the patrons to keep their identities a secret, and she wanted to fit in.  
  
The barman pretended not to know who Teecie was, though she was quite unmistakable with her pink clothing. From her demeanor, he could tell she was reacting to something she didn't want to deal with. He knew it would only create a scene to try to offer her a Butterbeer, so he watered down the glass of Firewhisky that she demanded he serve to her.  
  
Teecie nursed her drink while kicking her heels against the rungs of her stool. The barman made polite conversation with her, though keeping a proper distance from what was truly bothering her.  
  
Teecie felt trapped again. She had nowhere to go, and didn't want to stay at the school with so many liars. She hated everybody and wouldn't have cared if she never saw them again. She had nobody to turn to now. There was nobody to love her and nobody for her to love. She had never felt so alone before.  
  
After paying for her drink, Teecie walked back up to the school. Uncle Sev was walking out of the Great Hall from a late dinner when he saw her come inside. For the first time in a while, he ventured to speak to her. "Where have you been?" He asked.  
  
"None of your damn business," Teecie replied hollowly as she walked away from him and back up the stairs towards the Gryffindor common room.  
  
Snape called after her to get her attention, and when she didn't respond, climbed up the stairs and grabbed her by the arm. "Ticia Enora, you will listen to me when I talk to you," He said firmly as he started pulling her towards his office.  
  
"Let me go!" Teecie shrieked while flailing against him. "I hate you! Why won't you people just leave me alone?" She cried while trying to get away.  
  
Snape kept his grip on Teecie's arm and pulled her quickly up to his office. Once inside, he set her in a chair before standing against his desk and looking down at her. "We need to talk," He said sternly. "Draco has informed me of what took place this evening. I understand your anger, which you are entitled to, but you cannot flout the authority of this school. You cannot leave the school whenever you wish without permission. And I know I do not have to reiterate the rules about underage drinking either, though I can smell the alcohol on your breath," Snape said, folding his arms.  
  
"Do you really think you have any place to tell me not to drink? Coming from the man who yelled at me at Christmas for pouring his Firewhisky down the drain, it doesn't mean that much," Teecie replied, looking him defiantly in the eye.  
  
Snape stood up to his fullest height. "I have allowed you a great amount of leeway Ticia, but you are reaching the limits of my kindness. No more drinking, there is no room for discussion or debate here. I was unable to recognize the signs your sister showed with her drinking problems, and therefore unable to stop it from happening, but I will not allow it to happen again. Do you understand?"  
  
Teecie grumbled for a minute before muttering, "Yes."  
  
"There are other issues we need to discuss as well," Snape said, leaning back once again. "You are having to deal with a great amount of unpleasant information this year, as well as the fact that the truth has been withheld from you for most of your life. I feel I must repeat what we have previously spoken of. The circumstances of your father's, Draco's, and my past, are just that: the past. We were all allowed to have a second chance at rebuilding our lives and making something better of ourselves. If we were still dangerous, the Ministry of Magic would never have allowed us to reenter society. They saw fit to forgive us, for which we have been eternally grateful and we have been inspired to live up to. Can you not do the same thing for the people you love? Can you walk away from your family because of the horrible things they did a lifetime before your birth? I understand how horrible it feels when you have been lied to, but those are separate issues."  
  
Teecie sat in silence as she thought about all of this. None of the things she'd learned about this year had actually affected her personally. The knowledge of it had, but the actions of the past had not. They had been given the opportunity to rebuild their lives. Because of this, both men were far better people than they when they had been following the original paths they'd chosen. And all because people had chosen to forgive them and allow them a second chance. It seemed that forgiveness was quite a powerful force in the world; one of the hardest to harness, but a force that could make great changes in a person if used correctly. But they had kept all of this from her. They said it was for her protection, for her own good, but even if it had been, it still hurt to find out things had been withheld from her. She didn't know what to think anymore, it was all so confusing.  
  
"Ticia," Snape said softly, "I can see that this is a lot to take in right now. I'd like you to do something for me. I'd like you to rejoin your extracurricular activities. It's time you started interacting with your peers again." Snape knew that Teecie did better with her life when she was extremely active. The less time she had to sit and think about things, the better. "I'd also like to make sure you're continuing your sessions with Master Wilkes and that you are still writing in your journal and painting as well. I believe those are helpful tools for you to use," He said, looking down at Teecie, who was nodding her head.  
  
Teecie was exhausted after her day. She had no more energy to fight or argue with Uncle Sev, and he did have a point. Perhaps it was time to let go of the anger she'd been clinging to for so long now. She saw now that they did care about what she thought. It clearly upset Uncle Sev to think she hated him and would never forgive him for his past. She liked the feeling of power that gave her.  
  
Snape knew Teecie just needed more time to think about her life. He knew she would recover if she had enough help and support. The urge to hug her crept over him for a fleeting moment, and when she rose to leave for the night, he surprised himself by impulsively reaching a hand out to grab one of hers, squeeze it encouragingly, and let go once again a moment later.  
  
As Teecie was walking back up to the Gryffindor common room, she saw a light in one of her favourite professors' room, and went to investigate. Professor Creevey was sitting at her desk reading a book. Walking into the room, Teecie sat down in a chair, and cleared her throat loudly a few times before the professor even noticed. They talked for a few moments about runes. Teecie informed her that she'd be returning to the Runes club next week at which, Professor Creevey smiled.  
  
There was a copy of the Quibbler on the desk. Teecie picked it up and started reading it. There was a fascinating article about the endangered Gnarlizard that lived in the rare Red Willow trees of Tanzania. The Gnarlizard was on the brink of extinction because Muggles were cutting down the trees they inhabited at an alarming rate. The article was so vivid that Teecie wanted to visit Africa to see the animals before they were gone forever.  
  
When she had finished the magazine, Teecie folded it up and put it back on the desk before saying goodnight to Professor Creevey. Once back in the hall, Teecie took her wand out of her pocket and placed it behind her ear, emulating Professor Creevey, before walking up to her dormitory.  
  
That night, Teecie dreamt of her usual images, though this time, Draco was in her mind as well. As he approached her, hands extended in order to snatch her, Rose turned into a sword. Teecie picked up the sword. It was bright and looked as though the sun was shining upon it. She held it high above her head, to show the men she was not scared of them and ran after Draco. Draco ran in terror to the edge of her mind, afraid to encounter the Mighty Ticia with her Golden Sword. Teecie knew that her dreams would no longer trouble her, for she had the power to ward them off. She slept soundly that night and woke up ready to face the day ahead of her. 


	45. A Hogwarts Christmas

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm so excited that you enjoyed the last chapter. The Lisette stuff was so tough to write and I'm glad to hear you approved. There's a couple of lighthearted moments in this chapter that I hope you'll like. Also, this is the last one of the reconstructed chapters from my unfortunate computer crash, so I'm all caught up, for which I'm very excited. Enjoy!  
  
A Hogwarts Christmas  
  
Author's Note: Harry Potter appears in this chapter and his post-school life is based on ElfFlame's story Lost Love. Not everything will make total sense unless you have read that story. I highly recommend it, for it's a very good story.  
  
Christmas was fast approaching and the students at Hogwarts were excited for the holidays. The excitement was dampened only by the thought of end- of-term exams which were also coming up within the next two weeks. Teecie's life was busier than it had been for a long time, having returned to her clubs, working on school, going to her counseling sessions, and she had even returned to running her bodyguard business, which was busier than ever before.  
  
Lisette's friends and followers were making life very difficult for a lot of the students at the school. Lisette had been spending a lot of time with Master Wilkes, taking tests and being evaluated. Teecie assumed her friends knew something was going on with her, and wanted to make life as miserable for those she hated for as long as they could. Fortunately, Teecie had been able to arrange for bodyguards for all the students requesting one, and things had improved over the last week.  
  
Teecie was sitting at the Gryffindor table enjoying a moment of peace while eating a plate of beef stroganoff, and looking through her first issue of the Quibbler that she'd gotten a subscription to, when Kali sat down next to her, looking excited over something. "Did you hear the news? They're taking Lisette out of the school today! Her father's on his way up here now!" She said quickly.  
  
"Really? How did you find out?" Teecie asked curiously.  
  
"I was in Uncle Sev's office when Draco showed up to talk. I only stayed for a little while after that. Now you know why I don't like to be around our brother too much," Kali grimaced while dishing herself a plate of salad for lunch.  
  
Teecie ate in silence, thinking about the trouble Lisette had given her over the years and how it was all coming to an end. Any brief feelings of wanting vengeance against her were dissipating quickly. She just wanted Lisette to go away, that was all.  
  
The rest of the day passed pleasantly. As Teecie was walking past Professor Lupin's office, she saw him sitting alone at his desk. It was Saturday, time for their afternoon tea. She hadn't had tea with him in a few months; she'd been too angry with him to do so. Perhaps, in light of Lisette's upcoming departure, it was time to put the forgiveness Uncle Sev had asked her for to practice. She stopped at the door and looked in at him for a few seconds before he looked up, saw her, and smiled ruefully.  
  
Teecie walked inside and sat down in the chair across from him. "I thought I'd come for tea," She said quietly. As she looked up at Professor Lupin, she knew the time had come to make up with him. She'd missed spending her Saturday afternoons with him, talking, laughing, and eating. She'd grown quite close to him over the three years she'd been having her tea with him. The look on her teacher's face showed that he too, felt the same, and had missed her as well.  
  
"Teecie, I...I wanted to let you know that I'm sorry this happened to you. I only wanted to be your friend, and I wasn't at liberty to say anything about your family to you. That was for your parents to do when they were ready. But..." Lupin trailed off before sighing and looking at his feet.  
  
"It wasn't your fault. I can see that now. I'm sorry I yelled at you and was so angry with you. Can we be friends again?" She asked earnestly, standing up and putting one of her hands on Remus's.  
  
"Of course we can. And don't even worry about yelling at me. I understand your anger. But let's not talk of that anymore. Let's have our tea," Professor Lupin said, smiling, and ending any more apologies. Professor Lupin spent the rest of his tea listening to Teecie talk his ear off about classes and club meetings. Teecie tried to get information about the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam, but the professor wouldn't tell her anything. Teecie left later that afternoon slightly disappointed over not having any answers for the exam.  
  
By the time Teecie had gone down to the Great Hall for a late supper, Lisette had left the school. Mr. Crabbe had arrived that afternoon, met with the Uncle Sev, Draco, and Master Wilkes. Wilkes explained about Lisette's mental condition. There was little they could do to help her. The best thing for her now was to return home where her father and specially trained healers could work with her on a personal level. There were no potions or spells that could change the way Lisette thought, so she had to be kept away from people she could hurt. After talking for over an hour, they called Lisette to the office where they informed her she'd be leaving the school to return home with her father. Wilkes had been giving Lisette calming draughts over the past week though, and because of this, she didn't protest. The house elves packed up Lisette's belongings and brought them to the office.  
  
And so, in the middle of a Saturday afternoon in the beginning of December, Lisette left the school. There was little protest from the student body, for most didn't find out about it until after the fact. The proud House of Slytherin was in an uproar for several days afterwards, until Professors Snape and Black talked to them personally, explaining to them that their housemate needed to be cared for in a way could not be done at school, but she would be all right.  
  
Teecie felt quite sorry for Mr. Crabbe, who had to deal with taking care of Lisette now. She had liked Mr. Crabbe a lot ever since they'd met at Black Manor a couple years ago. Teecie ventured to write to him a few times, and even received responses from him. After a while though, she got the feeling that Mr. Crabbe wanted his privacy during this trying time, and out of respect, she stopped writing to him.  
  
End-of-term exams came and went with little excitement. Teecie revised very hard, spending several hours every day for her exams. When she'd finished taking them, she felt she'd done as well as she could have, and wasn't too worried about them.  
  
Teecie and Kali sat next to one another at the Ravenclaw table one day at breakfast, talking about Christmas plans for the next week. Neither girl felt ready to return home yet, so they decided to stay at the school together. "Maybe we can go into Hogsmeade for the day, you know, go to the Three Broomsticks for dinner, or something," Teecie suggested while Kali nodded her head. "Do you think Uncle Sev will be going to the property again? I wonder if he'll be staying at the school the entire time." Kali shrugged her shoulders while sipping a glass of water. "Either way, I think we're on our own this year."  
  
By the end of the week, most of the students had left for the holidays. Teecie and Kali were sitting together at the Gryffindor table reading books when a child's voice startled them. "Teecie! Kali!" Both girls looked up to see Roo running up to them, followed closely by Draco and Reni, who was carrying Hunter in her arms.  
  
The girls stood up, surprised to see their family. Roo ran up to Teecie and hugged her fiercely. "I missed you!" He cried. Kali walked up to Reni and smiled before Reni held Hunter out to her. Kali grinned at Hunter as she took him in her arms. Reni followed behind Draco and remained silent as the younger children yelled and laughed. After a few minutes though, Hunter started fussing and Reni took him back. The family sat down at the table and started talking.  
  
"We thought we'd bring your presents to you, since you didn't want to come home," Draco said slowly. He knew both of the girls were still upset with him, and was uncertain as to how they'd react to any of this.  
  
Kali remained quiet while Teecie smiled. She wasn't about to pass up gifts, no matter who they were from. Draco assured her that they'd open the presents later, but it was time to visit with the children now. Roo was talking Teecie's ear off about the things he was learning from his tutor, when James sat down across the table to eat lunch. He watched silently as Roo kissed Teecie on the cheek. "Teecie, will you marry me some day?" He asked innocently.  
  
James watched with silent fascination as Teecie smiled down at the young child and kissed the top of his head. "Oh Roo, I'm afraid I'm a bit too old for you. You'll want a girl who's your age," Teecie replied kindly while glancing quickly up at James, seeming to notice him for the first time. James flushed slightly and looked down at his plate of meatloaf, trying to compose himself. He'd missed being closer to Teecie over these past few months. Even though he was seeing Candace Howe, and liked her a lot, the thought of Teecie marrying anybody but him made James panic a bit. Even though this kid was her five year old nephew, next time it could be somebody she might actually say yes to. Deep down, James still felt that they were meant to be together, and he had to be patient with her until she saw that.  
  
After several more minutes, Draco herded the children down to his office to spend more time in private with his family. Before they could make it all the way to the office, the group was intercepted by Professor Lupin, who was going down to the Great Hall to eat lunch with James. "Hello Reni! I haven't seen you in a while," He said, smiling as he looked at her. "And is this your son?" He asked, leaning down to look at Hunter more closely, "What a big boy!"  
  
Hunter was sitting in his mum's arms and looked at Remus when he spoke to him and smiled widely at the man. "Hi!" Hunter exclaimed, wriggling happily.  
  
"Yes, this is Hunter, and next week will be his first birthday," Reni replied, smiling slightly as she looked down at her son.  
  
"Well, happy birthday Hunter!" Remus said before standing up again. "I've got to go meet James, so I'll let you go off and do your family thing now. Happy Christmas Reni, it is good to see you again." With that, Remus gave a slight bow as he turned and walked towards the Great Hall once again.  
  
When everybody was finally settled in Draco's office, he passed around the presents. Roo and Hunter wandered around the room, touching things Draco specifically told them not to, while Teecie and Kali opened the gifts from their family. Teecie received clothes, money, and more Amaris books from her parents. One of the books had a letter tucked inside, but Teecie carefully put that in her pocket to read later. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know what the letter said, but knew she didn't want to read it in front of so many people. Uncle Sev gave her a paint set for her art therapy. Draco and Tanith gave her amethyst butterfly earrings that matched her necklace and bracelet from the party last summer holiday. She hadn't worn earrings since Lisette had torn the hoop out of her ear last year, but in honour of her leaving the school, Teecie smiled and put the earrings on.  
  
Kali was quiet as she politely opened up her gifts. Teecie watched as her sister's jaw dropped open while holding up Draco's gift. "A Swiftbough 3500, this isn't even out on the market yet," Kali said quietly to herself while running her hands up and down the smooth black stained broomstick. Suddenly she looked up and narrowed her eyes at Draco. "Are you trying to buy my affection? Because this won't make up for what you've done in the past," She said stormily.  
  
Draco frowned while he looked at Kali. "I thought you might appreciate a top of the line broom. But it appears as though you don't. Shall I return it?"  
  
Kali glared at him for a moment and was about to speak when Teecie interrupted them. "What a great gift Draco! Kali will fly better than ever on this new broom! All your teammates will be jealous!" She said, a little more happily, perhaps, than she actually felt. When this didn't do anything to calm either Draco or Kali down, Teecie could see that a diversion was in order so she moved her head to show off her earrings better. "So, Draco, what do you think of the earrings? They look good, don't they?" Draco was distracted and started talking to Teecie. She felt a bit better at having diverted a disaster.  
  
The rest of the afternoon passed pleasantly. Reni talked to her sisters alone for a while before leaving. "I found out about father while I was at school too. I dealt with it in ways that were probably not the healthiest way to solve problems, but, father and I have made peace with one another, for the most part. You'll be all right," She assured them before turning away and leaving the school, Hunter in her arms.  
  
That evening, after Teecie had returned to her dormitory, played with Rose, and written in her journal, she fished out the letter that had been in her Amaris book. After a closer look, she saw the writing on the outside was her mother's. After a minute of debating whether to read the letter or not, Teecie slowly opened the envelope and took the paper out. She opened the paper and read the contents of the letter:  
  
My Dearest Ticia,  
  
I hid this letter in your book because I'm not supposed to be writing  
to you, but I felt I couldn't wait any longer. Severus will be upset  
to find out I did this, but I don't care. I have to.  
  
I just wanted to tell you how incredibly sorry I am that I kept the  
information about your father's past a secret for so long. I wanted  
to protect you from knowing because I knew it would hurt you so much.  
You and your father have always been so close and I didn't want to rob  
you of that any sooner than was absolutely necessary.  
  
I know you are angry with us right now. You probably hate us, and  
might not want to see us ever again. I understand this, for it is  
nothing less than I deserve, but I beg you not to cut your father out  
of your life completely. For as much as you have loved and been  
devoted to your father, so has he been to you. He has changed so much  
over the years, and deserves the second chance he has been given.  
Someday, if you wish, he will tell you about his past, but only if you  
feel you want to.  
  
I wrote to you to ask you that if you are angry, please direct it  
towards me. Your father...is not very strong right now, and I would be  
lying if I said I didn't fear for his health. I'm a stronger person  
than he is, and can handle your anger better than he can.  
  
I want to wish you a Happy Christmas. Please know that you are loved  
very much, and we miss you. I love you so much it hurts to be apart  
from you, and to know I've hurt you so terribly. I'm so incredibly  
sorry, Ticia, you must believe me.  
  
I remain always,  
Your loving mother,  
Adriana  
  
Teecie folded up the letter and placed it on her nightstand. How dare Adriana do this to her? She was only trying to scare her into coming home again. She'd show her! She'd never go home again! Then they'd be sorry they ever dared to lie to her! Even as Teecie's confidence was growing, she felt the fear she'd had after her father's heart attack welling up inside her once again. Was he ill again? Would he have another heart attack? What if he was so upset over her anger towards him that it killed him? She'd never be able to live with herself if that happened. She was very upset and angry with Lucius right now, but she didn't want him to die. She didn't want that to ever happen.  
  
Teecie was uncertain as to how this made her feel. It didn't make her want to run home with her arms wide open. She felt much angrier with her parents than she had before, but was now worried that her father was about to drop dead at any moment. It took Teecie a very long time to fall asleep that night, and as she did, she wondered if Uncle Sev really would be angry to know Adriana had sent her a letter. Maybe she'd tell him, just so he could yell at her mother.  
  
The next morning, Teecie went to the common room while still in her pyjamas and bathrobe. She sat down on the sofa and started reading a book, while Rose purred and sat down on her lap. After about a half hour, Peter Lupin came into the room and sat down in a chair near Teecie. They started talking together, and soon they were joking and laughing. James and Sirius joined them soon after.  
  
All four were in their pyjamas, robes, and slippers when they walked down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Kali was already at the Ravenclaw table, but joined them when they sat down at the Gryffindor table. James was doing his best to be a friend to Teecie, because he knew that's what she wanted from him.  
  
The group of children talked loudly while eating, when they left the room, remaining professors were quite pleased. Teecie and the boys went back up to change into clothes, and met back in the common room to decide what to spend their day doing.  
  
Teecie noticed that James was still barefooted when he walked up to her. He and Peter had been planning on trying something based on their favourite comic book hero, Spiderman, and invited Sirius and Teecie to join them. They accepted the invitation, and together, they all walked out of the room and down to the sixth floor, which wasn't in heavy use at the moment.  
  
James took two rolls of something that looked like ropes out of his pockets and held his hands out to Teecie while asking her to tie the ropes around his wrists. Teecie furrowed her brow, but did as she was asked. When she'd finished, James rolled the thin white ropes back up and stuffed them under his sleeves.  
  
Next, James turned to Peter and held his hands out again. Peter took his wand out and pointed it at James's hands while saying, "Lentesco Manus". The kids watched as a slimy film began to secrete from the palms of James's hands. Next, Peter bent down, pointed his wand at James's feet, and said, "Lentesco Pedi". Teecie wrinkled her nose, but watched with fascination as James turned to the wall and stuck his hands on them. Next, he put one foot up against the wall, and carefully pushed himself up. The film coming out of his hands and feet allowed him to stick to the wall somehow, and James carefully began to walk up the wall.  
  
"This is so cool!" He cried down at the other kids. Once he'd made it about five feet off the floor, the spell on his hands and feet seemed to wear off, for after taking another step up the wall, he slipped and fell back to the floor. "Ouch!" He yelped as he tried to stand back up again.  
  
"We'll have to work on that spell some more," Peter said, looking slightly disappointed that his brother hadn't gotten further up the wall.  
  
"Now how will I get up there?" James asked, scratching his head.  
  
The kids thought for a few minutes before Teecie had an idea. After taking her wand out of her pocket, she said, "I know, let me try this...Wingardium Leviosa!"  
  
James started to float up in the air. Teecie kept the spell going until he'd reached the ceiling and tied one of the ropes to the rafter. "Thanks Teecie! You can stop the spell now if you want," He called down to her while holding onto the rafter with both arms. Teecie put her wand back in her pocket and smiled up at James, proud of her great accomplishment. "OK, now what I'm going to do, is let go and swing from this rafter to the next one, using the rope. Everybody watch me!" With this, James let go of the rafter, held onto the rope carefully with the hand it was tied to, and swung quickly from where he'd been hanging, straight into the wall a few feet away.  
  
James remained motionless for a few seconds before falling backwards away from the wall and hanging limply from the rope tied to his wrist. His other arm hung lamely at his side, the rope tied to his wrist dangled in the air. "James!" Teecie screamed, "Are you all right?"  
  
James moaned and nodded his head slightly, which made him start swinging back and forth a bit. Sirius could no longer contain himself and burst into peels of laughter while looking up at his younger brother.  
  
"What the hell is going on here?" A voice roared from behind the group of kids. They turned around and saw Professor Snape standing at the head of the stairs, hands on his hips, and wearing an extremely angry expression on his face. The Headmaster walked up to the group and looked up to see James dangling from the ceiling. "What were you thinking, you imbecilic child?" He snarled while taking his wand out and cutting the rope James was holding onto. Next, Snape floated James back to the ground, where he slumped to the floor and looked up pathetically at his Headmaster. "Get up boy!" Snape said harshly.  
  
Teecie knelt down at James's side and put her arm under his, helping him to sit up. "You leave him alone, Uncle Sev! Stop yelling at him!" She cried, glaring up at him.  
  
"Get up off the floor!" Snape snarled at Teecie. Teecie held onto James and helped him stand up. She kept her arm around his shoulders while he clung to her for support. "What were you children doing?" Snape demanded.  
  
Peter, who'd walked up to stand next to James, looked up at the Headmaster, and slowly explained everything that had happened. Snape listened to the Peter in amazement. He'd never heard of a group of children having done anything quite that idiotic, and he'd seen a lot of stupid stunts in his time. Snape rounded upon James and sneered. "You're just like your namesake, you know that? Him and all his little friends. You'd have made them proud," He growled in low tones. Next, Snape turned back to Teecie to speak to her. "And you girl, I cannot believe you went along with this. I know you are capable of doing some less-than-intelligent things, but this is the worst!" Teecie narrowed her eyes; feeling quite hurt at his harsh words, but couldn't think of anything to say.  
  
Snape looked around at the group with the sternest expression on his face that Teecie had ever seen. There was a vein on his forehead that pulsed and his lips were drawn in a straight line. He was breathing through his nose which made his nostrils flare with each exhale of air. Finally he spoke in a deadly calm voice. "All right, you will all write an essay as punishment for this little stunt. Two rolls of parchment, small letters, and no large spaces between the lines. You will write about the dangers of performing experimental magic while underage. You have two days to turn this in. And Sirius, as the eldest, and the one who should have stopped this, you will receive two days of detention on top of the essay," He said before turning to leave.  
  
Sirius's jaw dropped open, yet he said nothing. In silence, the group walked with James to the Hospital wing.  
  
Master Wilkes found all sorts of small tasks for Teecie to help him with while taking care of James, who had dislocated his shoulder and sprained his ankle from the day's events, as well as scraped up his arms and legs. The impact from the wall had given him a bloody nose as well. Teecie enjoyed taking care of James. She liked the feeling of helping someone who was hurt or unwell feel better. It made her feel much less stupid, as Uncle Sev seemed to think she was. Maybe she'd become a healer some day and show him how smart she really was!  
  
The next two days passed slowly as the children worked on their essays. Teecie, James, and Peter wrote theirs together while Sirius moped over having detention. Two days later, Professor Snape received four essays during breakfas.  
  
Snape made the mistake of reading Teecie's first, while he ate his porridge. He was shocked to see it was actually as long as he'd asked for it to be, and was curious to read its contents. He'd just taken a bite of porridge when he read the concluding paragraph, which had made him almost choke on his food:  
  
A person must be careful not to lift herself into the air because she might flip over accidentally, and then everybody would be able to see her underwear. And if she wasn't wearing any underwear, then she'd be in real trouble, because, then all the boys would be staring at her bottom. It would cause many problems, and this is why an underage wizard should not perform experimental magic.  
  
The End  
  
Just how often did Teecie go around without wearing any undergarments? Though he was glad to see she'd done the assignment with no protests, he saw that there was another discussion to have with her. He'd wait until after the holidays though, this time of the year was stressful enough, without having to worry about things like that.  
  
When Christmas Eve arrived, Teecie and Kali were trying to figure out what to do for the next day. Both girls were finding it lonelier to not be home with their family than they thought it would have been. They were sitting at the Ravenclaw table together, during lunch, watching the Lupins eating at the Gryffindor table and laughing together, when they decided they must do something fun to make up for being so lonely. "We could go to Hogsmeade for the day, just you and me," Teecie suggested, "We could eat lunch at the Three Broomsticks."  
  
"Maybe. That does sound like a good idea," Kali said in agreement.  
  
Teecie spent her afternoon writing a letter to Zeren, thanking him for what he did in bringing Lisette to justice, apologizing for accusing him of writing the letter, and wishing him a Happy Christmas. She also received a letter and gift from Owen. His gift made her blush, but she couldn't help but wonder what he'd do if she ever had a chance to wear it for him. Since she was alone in her dormitory, she tried it on and paraded around the mirror for several minutes, until the mirror chided her about girls who wore clothing like that and the likely careers they would end up having when they grew up. Teecie took off the clothes and changed back into her normal outfit soon afterwards.  
  
The night passed slowly. Patty and Paige had gone home with their family for the holiday, so Teecie was alone in her dormitory with Rose. She wrote in her journal and worked on a painting before reading a few chapters of Rilla of Ingleside and falling asleep next to Rose.  
  
The next morning, Teecie found a pile of gifts and a Christmas stocking at the foot of her bed. Her parents had sent many more presents for both her and Rose. Teecie opened them and enjoyed the books and clothes she received. When she'd finished, she dressed and left for breakfast down in the Great Hall.  
  
Teecie and Kali ate breakfast together with the rest of the students and professors who'd remained behind at the school. They all laughed and talked about the gifts they'd received. When she'd finished eating, Teecie slipped down to the kitchens to spend some time with Nili and the other house elves. They sang Christmas carols and worked on the big dinner for the rest of the students. The house elves applauded Teecie's singing, which was horrific by human standards, but operatic by house elf standards. The elves made her promise to return often and sing for them again. Teecie blushed, told them she would, and left to go find Kali.  
  
The girls dressed for the walk to Hogsmeade and left the school arm-in-arm. They talked about what their parents had sent them that morning while they walked to the pub. Once they arrived at the Three Broomsticks, both girls were dismayed to see that the pub was closed for the day. "They can't be closed for Christmas! What's wrong with Madam Rosmerta? Now what will we do?" Teecie asked while pressing her nose against the window, trying to peer inside the pub.  
  
"I suppose we should just go back to the school," Kali replied.  
  
"But it's boring up there. Let's walk around, maybe there's another place we can go to," Teecie suggested, taking Kali's hand and leading her on a walk through town. She didn't want to go the Hog's Head on Christmas, and all the stores were closed. As they reached the edge of town, they saw a large house on the top of a hill. "I wonder who lives there," Teecie said while walking towards the hill.  
  
"That's the orphanage. Harry Potter runs it. It used to be the Shrieking Shack until he bought it and remodeled it," Kali replied knowingly.  
  
"Cool! Let's go see!" Teecie replied excitedly. The girls walked in silence up the hill, until they reached the house. "Now what?" Teecie asked.  
  
"I don't know, this was your idea," Kali replied, looking as though she didn't really want to be there.  
  
"I've met Harry, he's pretty nice. He took Moses in after I had to give her away," Teecie said, peering into the window to see if anybody was inside. "Maybe they'll let us in for dinner."  
  
"We can't eat orphan's food! They're poor orphans!" Kali cried.  
  
"But Harry's loaded! Those orphans probably eat better than we do. They probably have better clothes too. And books, and toys too," Teecie reassured her sister. "Oh, there's one! A little fat boy with brown hair! He looks well fed to me," Teecie cried while staring in the window.  
  
Just as Teecie said this, the boy looked up and saw her face in the window. The boy looked curiously at her before walking out of Teecie's sight. "Oh, he left, but he saw me! He's a cute little butterball of a boy," Teecie said to Kali. "I don't know why anybody hasn't adopted him, he was adorable!"  
  
"Hey, you girls!" A voice called out to them from the porch. Kali and Teecie turned to look up at the porch and saw the little boy standing at the top of the steps. "What are you girls doing here? Are you supposed to be here?" He asked them, looking curiously at the two girls.  
  
"We, well, we were in the neighbourhood, and I've not seen Harry Potter in a while, so we thought we'd stop by and say hello. Is he here?" Teecie asked, smiling at the boy.  
  
"Yes, he's inside. We were all about to sit down to Christmas dinner. Do you want to join us?" The boy asked.  
  
"Sure!" Teecie cried, taking Kali's hand and dragging her towards the porch. Once they were standing next to the boy, Teecie asked, "What's your name?"  
  
"Warren Brewster," The boy replied while ushering the girls inside the house. Warren led the girls into a large dining room with a long table heavily laden with delicious-looking foods. Harry Potter was carving a turkey as the kids looked at him with wonder. George Weasley was settling down with an infant in his arms. Two young boys, who looked like younger versions of Harry and George, looked on. Teecie realized that this must be their twin sons, Arthur and James. She figured they had to be about six or seven years old now.  
  
Warren led the girls over to Harry. "Harry look! I found them, can they stay for dinner?" He asked while pointing at the girls.  
  
Harry stopped carving the turkey and looked down at the girls. "Teecie, what are you doing here?" He asked, looking confused to see her. "And who is this? One of your sisters?"  
  
"Yes, this is Kali. We were at the school for Christmas this year and we were bored so we went to Hogsmeade but the Three Broomsticks is closed today so instead of going back to school we walked around until we came here," Teecie explained to Harry all in one breath.  
  
"Teecie, take a deep breath before you pass out," Harry replied while smiling as Teecie tried to catch her breath. "There's plenty of room and food for you girls if you'd like to join us for dinner," He said, inviting them to say.  
  
"Cool, thanks Harry!" Teecie replied while taking a seat at the table in between two girls. Kali was a little more reluctant to sit down, but finally did before Harry said grace. When the prayer was over, the children started passing around plates and bowls of food. The older children helped serve the younger ones, and soon, everybody had full plates and began eating.  
  
Teecie looked around, and noticed a few kids she actually knew. There was one girl with cocoa brown skin and jet black hair that she recognized as Maida Johnston from her Runes class. There was also a boy that Teecie knew. He was one of the bodyguards she'd hired. His name was Rylan Denham and he was a couple years older than she was.  
  
Seeing people she knew in the orphanage made Teecie wonder what it would be like if she was an orphan. Would she live in this house with these kids, and Harry and George looking after her? This thought saddened her as she suddenly thought about her parents and family back at home right now.  
  
Teecie's mood was considerably subdued for the rest of the meal after that. For the first time that day, the true meaning of being an orphan really hit her. Looking up at Harry, she felt guilty realizing that her father had probably contributed to the fact that Harry's parents were dead. Teecie had two living parents, while Harry had none. That wasn't fair, and she didn't know what to do about it. Perhaps asking Harry if there was anything she could do to make up for her father's past would help. She resolved to talk to him after dinner while eating a slice of pumpkin pie.  
  
When the meal was finally over, Teecie helped clear the table while the other children ran off to play with their new toys. Kali and George were sitting in chairs, sipping hot cider and talking quietly while Teecie and Harry cleared the table together. "You were pretty quiet at dinner," Harry observed.  
  
"I...I was just thinking about stuff," Teecie replied slowly.  
  
"Oh? What kind of stuff?" Harry asked.  
  
"I was thinking about how unfair it is that I get to have a father while you don't. My father was a Death Eater! He probably helped to kill your parents. No wonder you tried to strangle me the first time you met me. I'm so ashamed that Lucius Malfoy is my father. It made me wonder what it would be like to be an orphan, but that thought scared me," Teecie said in a whisper, tears filling her eyes and streaming down her cheeks.  
  
"Teecie," Harry said quietly while putting his hand on her shoulder, "Whatever your father did in the past, it has nothing to do with you now."  
  
Teecie sniffled. "But, it's my father's fault that your parents are dead. Don't you hate me? Don't you want me to die?" She asked earnestly.  
  
Harry furrowed his brow and knelt down to look into Teecie's face. He took her face in his hands before speaking. "Teecie, listen to me. I do not hate you at all, and I do not want you to die. You are a very nice girl who happens to have a father who had a horrible past. But that doesn't make you a bad person for loving him. He is your father, and you only knew about the good things. It's always upsetting to find out disturbing things about the people we love and never knew about them. It's a very difficult thing to learn to deal with."  
  
Teecie started to sob and threw herself against Harry, wrapping her arms around his neck. Harry wrapped his arms around Teecie's waist and gently rocked her back and forth, trying to calm her down. After a few minutes, she calmed down a little and pulled away from Harry. "I...I still should do something to help you," She said, sniffling. "I think I should help you out here. I can help take care of the children. I'm real good with kids. And I can change nappies. And tell stories. I'd be a real help to you."  
  
"I suppose you can volunteer up here once in a while, if you like. I'll talk to the Headmaster about it," Harry said, his eyes glinting as he spoke. "I'm sure he'd be very happy to find out that you want to spend more time with me and the kids."  
  
Teecie smile weakly at this thought. She knew Uncle Sev and Draco had less than warm feelings for Harry Potter. Harry handed her a handkerchief to wipe her tears away and blow her nose. When she was cleaned up, the two of them joined in the festivities in the other room.  
  
When it came time for Teecie and Kali to return to the school, Harry escorted them back. He told them there were things he needed to talk to him about anyway. When they walked up to the Headmaster's office, Teecie couldn't tell what Uncle Sev was more upset over, the fact that the girls had left the school without permission, or had been brought back by Harry Potter.  
  
As the girls were shooed out of the office and returned to the Great Hall for cocoa, they talked about what fun they'd had at the orphanage that day. It had turned out to be a pleasant Christmas after all. 


	46. A Date Which Will Live In Infamy

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!  
  
Arsinoe de Blassenville: I had a lot of fun writing that stupid Superman stunt! I titled it: "No, no, THIS is the stupidest thing James has ever done!" He is capable of a lot of comedy in my story. That was the last of the reconstructed chapters from having my hard drive wiped out, so this one is the first all new one. I'm quite nervous about it as you will see from the author's note. I hope I don't get too much flack from this chapter! Let me know what you think!  
  
A Date Which Will Live In Infamy  
  
Author's Note: I am very nervous to be posting this chapter. It deals with underage sex and I really want it to be known that I personally do not approve of underage sex. I debated for a long time over to do this chapter this way or not, and I finally decided that I couldn't manipulate the story to fit my personal beliefs when it would compromise the character's personalities. Sometimes the best way to explain why something is a bad idea, is to show it, and show it's negative aspects, which is what I have chosen to do. The stories an author writes take on lives of their own, and unless you are a writer yourself, you might not be able to understand that, but it's very difficult to change certain things that are just going to happen no matter what. So, I am in no way promoting or condoning underage sex, and Teecie will have to deal with the consequences of her actions, which is something she's struggled with during this entire story. I have also kept it very vague as to the actions taken, it's not graphic at all, but if you feel uncomfortable in reading this chapter, you can skip it and it will pick up in the next chapter with more of the consequences. So, I am interested in what the readers think, so please, review and let me know, k? Thanks!  
  
Uncle Sev grounded Teecie and Kali for two weeks after they returned to theschool on Christmas Day.  
  
"How many times have I told you that students are not allowed to leave the school grounds without permission? I feel I must take severe measures against you girls, for you do not seem to want to follow the rules. Now Kalare, this is your first offense, so the grounding will suffice, but Ticia, I will be revoking your permission slip and you will not be allowed to go to Hogsmeade for the rest of the year. I hope this teaches you not to leave school grounds without permission. You will still be allowed to go to the orphanage, but you must be escorted to and from by a responsible adult," Uncle Sev spoke severely while pacing the floor behind his desk.  
  
On top of this, he assigned them more punishments. Kali had to work in the kitchens again, where she'd have to touch raw food. The thought alone had made her turn a sickly green as she sat in the Headmaster's office. Uncle Sev assigned Teecie a fifteen page essay about safety and making good choices. Teecie had cried and tried to get him to shorten the length, but he'd refused. When she said that she'd learned from his bad choices in life and was a better person because of that, so she didn't need such a long essay, it still didn't work, which confused Teecie, because she thought he'd be glad to hear that. When nothing worked to get Uncle Sev to rescind the essay, she started to cry and beg him to allow her to go to Hogsmeade.  
  
"But Uncle Sev, Hogsmeade is the only place I have fun in! You don't want to rob me of yet more happiness do you?" She cried, pawing at his robes as he walked past her.  
  
Snape sighed and rolled his eyes. "Do not try me Ticia. If I hear of anymore visits or attempts to visit Hogsmeade, I will be forced to lock you in your dormitory after classes for the remainder of the year. I know we're family, but I am the Headmaster of this school and you must respect that. I have allowed your disobedience to go unpunished for far too long," He said while turning to glower down at Teecie.  
  
After several more minutes of whining and crying, Teecie finally accepted her punishment while sniffling that with that large of an essay, she wouldn't have any time to volunteer to help the poor starving orphans in Hogsmeade. Uncle Sev assured her she'd have plenty of time to do the essay over the rest of the holidays.  
  
The days had dragged on for Teecie as she spent hours in the library doing research for her paper. It took the rest of the holiday, but she finally finished it. A large part of the paper was focused on what making bad choices can do to a person's life. In this, she talked about how if a person made the choice to do the wrong thing with their life, it could have negative results for many others, not just that person. Teecie used Death Eaters as one such example of people who made poor choices with their lives that resulted in affecting the lives of the people around them and the people who loved them.  
  
When the holidays and the grounding were over, and the paper had been turned in, life went on as usual for Teecie. She attended classes, club meetings, sessions with Master Wilkes and enjoyed them all. On Saturdays, Teecie spent time at the orphanage reading stories to the younger kids or playing games with them. They were a lot of fun to spend time with. Draco, and Professors Weasley, Lupin, Longbottom, and Creevey rotated turns in escorting her back and forth. Draco usually stopped halfway up the hill to tie his shoe laces and let Teecie walk the rest of the way by herself, while the other two professors usually stayed for tea with Harry.  
  
Teecie was so busy now that she found she had to stay up late at night in order to get all her work done. Some mornings she was so tired it was difficult for her to wake up and she found herself drifting off to sleep at the breakfast table or her classes. These were dangerous times to fall asleep, for Rose wasn't with her, and the images of her father and Uncle Sev, though not as persistent, still showed up once in a while. She was terrified of the thought of waking up in the middle of a meal or class screaming in front of the students.  
  
After three days in a row of falling asleep at breakfast, Teecie decided to do something about it and looked through her potion books for potions that would wake her up in the morning. She found one called the Renovo Potion, which was supposed to wake up the weary potion-maker in the morning. It sounded perfect, and the ingredients were all readily available, so Teecie made a batch one weekend in mid January to try on Monday morning.  
  
That Monday, Teecie drank some of the potion and found it helped her immensely. She felt awake and revived and ready for the day ahead. She also found herself feeling refreshed and able to function for the entire day, but still able to get to sleep that night. The Renovo Potion became a staple in Teecie's life after that.  
  
Teecie's life went on in a blur of classes and club meetings. The only things she slowed down to enjoy were the now daily letters from Owen. She wanted to see him so badly it made her body ache just to think about how far away she was from him. Owen seemed to feel the same way about her as well. He'd just celebrated his 16th birthday and wanted to see her soon.  
  
Owen's letters always made Teecie want to visit him. She wanted to do some of the things they talked about in their letters. She'd never done most of the things they wrote about, but they sounded like lots of fun. Each new letter left her heart racing and breathless as she imagined doing what Owen wrote about. There were days Teecie was sure she'd explode unless she got the chance to see him soon, but luckily, she remained in one piece.  
  
Teecie grew more and more distracted over the next couple weeks. When Professor Lupin kept her after class one day to talk about why she'd ignored him when he'd asked her a question, he could sense her hormones raging. Lupin could sympathize with Teecie. Being a teenager was such a difficult time when a person's mind was overridden by the physical needs of the body. He remembered his own teenage years. They'd been difficult as well, though one could arguably say that his experience had been significantly worse, seeing as the lycanthropy heightened such things. Unfortunately, sensing what she was going through threatened to trigger his own hormones, which he didn't want, so he dismissed her without talking about her lack of participation in class.  
  
Over the next few weeks, Teecie found she was having a lot of fun with her housemates again. She and James had become friendly again, which she was enjoying. He was a lot more fun to be around when he wasn't pressuring her so much. One afternoon, the two were working on homework for their Charms class when James surprised Teecie. "So, Teecie, you're a girl, I can ask you this," He started, putting down his quill and looking seriously at her, "What's a good gift to give a girl for her birthday? Candace's birthday is in a few weeks and I want to get her something special. She really likes animals, and she's Muggleborn, so I was thinking of getting her a book about magical animals. Something nicer than our school book. What do you think?"  
  
Teecie didn't know James was still going out with Candace. For some reason, it made her feel upset to think about. Sure she was writing to Owen and wanted to spend more time with him, but the thought of James seeing another girl made her feel a little ill.  
  
"Oh, well...I guess that would be a good gift. So, you're pretty serious about Candace, eh?" Teecie asked, trying to sound nonchalant.  
  
"Yes, she's really nice and a lot of fun to be around. She's really different from you too. She's really quiet and shy," James replied.  
  
"Oh, I see. Well, I hope you two are very happy together."  
  
"You're not upset are you? I figured, you've moved on, you're writing to that guy you met at your party, right? So, I thought it was time I moved on too."  
  
"No, I'm fine. It's good. It is...for you to move on, that is," Teecie said, staring at her hands.  
  
"Good, I'm glad! We'll just be good friends, right?" James asked, smiling and patting Teecie's shoulder.  
  
"Of course," Teecie replied, more enthusiastically than she felt. Teecie excused herself not too long afterwards to spend some time writing about her feelings in her journal.  
  
The next two weeks passed so quickly that Teecie's life was barely more than a blur. She spent time reading to the orphans in Hogsmeade and playing with them on her weekends. Her classes, clubs, homework, and sessions with Master Wilkes took up so much time that she found she could no longer wake up in the morning without the Renovo potion she took each day.  
  
Before she knew it, Teecie's birthday was only a day away. Things were going so quickly that she barely had time to think about it. She'd be 14 this year, and felt so much older now than she did a year ago. It seemed as though a lifetime had passed in one year.  
  
When Teecie thought about how she'd spend her birthday, she felt angry at Uncle Sev for taking away her permission slip to Hogsmeade, seeing as Valentine's Day was set aside as another Hogsmeade day. All of her friends would be going into the village to celebrate the holiday and she'd be stuck at the school on her birthday. Teecie thought about going to Uncle Sev and asking for special permission to go on account of her birthday, but knew that would never happen.  
  
The next morning, Teecie woke up to a pile of gifts at the foot of her bed from her family. As usual there were books and clothes and trinkets that she enjoyed. None of the presents was quite what she'd been wanting though, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was she was looking for this year, so she tried her best to ignore the feeling of growing dissatisfaction within her.  
  
The students sang Happy Birthday to Teecie that morning at breakfast before they all left to get ready to go to Hogsmeade. Instead of joining them, Teecie walked back up to the Gryffindor common room where a large group of first and second years were sitting and talking or reading. Ashford Creevey saw her and walked over to her. "So, you're not going into Hogsmeade this time?" He asked, trying to make conversation.  
  
"No, I don't really feel like it today," She replied, not wanting to get more detailed with the true reasons she wasn't going.  
  
"Oh, well, you're free to join us in our game of Exploding Snap if you like. We'd love to have you play," Ashford offered, grinning at her.  
  
Teecie smiled, "Thanks, maybe later though. I'm going to get some work done in the library." She turned around and left the common room afterwards and walked down to the library.  
  
As Teecie approached the library, she spotted James walking down the hall with Candace. They were holding hands and walking very closely together. She watched as James stopped walking and pulled Candace over to him. He put his arms around her and slowly pressed his lips to hers. Teecie watched in horror as Candace wrapped her arms around James's shoulders and settled in for a nice snog in the hallway. Without uttering a sound, Teecie turned around and ran back up to her dormitory.  
  
Teecie spent over an hour rereading her letters from Owen. She wanted more than anything to see him. After pacing the floor for a half hour, Teecie knew she couldn't stand it any longer; she had to see Owen now! There was a flurry of activity as she packed a bag with her wand, money, her pink scarf, and a few other items she wanted to take with her, before she left her room once again.  
  
With as much speed as she possibly could manage, Teecie flew out of the main entrance doors, down to the school's edge and onto the road to Hogsmeade. She didn't stop running until she'd made it all the way to the Hog's Head. After putting on her pink scarf, she stepped inside the pub. The barman was there as usual and Teecie felt confident as she walked up to him. "Is your fireplace connected to the Floo Network?" She asked him.  
  
"Yes it is, but there's a ten sickle fee to use it," The barman replied.  
  
Teecie fished the money out of her handbag, handed it to the barman, and walked slowly over to the fireplace. It was then that she realized she didn't have any of her anti-nausea potion with her. She hoped this wouldn't make her ill like it had a year ago.  
  
After taking a deep breath and a handful of floo powder, Teecie stepped inside the fireplace. As she threw the powder onto the grating, she cried, "Beauxbatons," before feeling as though she was being twirled a hundred miles an hour in a hot jet stream. It took a minute for her to arrive at the school and she felt quite grateful that, when she was spat out right across from what looked like their Great Hall, she didn't get sick.  
  
Now that she'd gotten to the school, Teecie was unsure of how to get in contact with Owen. She didn't have an owl to use to write to him. The majority of the students were French and therefore unable to tell her where he might be, and besides, she didn't want to get caught.  
  
From the hallway, Teecie could see there were a few people strewn about the tables, eating or reading, and she knew this was her only chance of getting help. After walking around for a few minutes, she spotted a kind-looking girl, a year or two younger than she was. Teecie walked up to the girl, smiled, and said, "Excuse me, Owen Fairfax?"  
  
The raven-haired girl looked at Teecie with curiosity on her face. "Quoi?"  
  
"Owen Fairfax," Teecie repeated.  
  
"Quoi?" The girl repeated.  
  
"Oh, damn it! Why didn't I ever take French?" Teecie cried to herself. "Why don't you speak English?"  
  
"You English speakers always expect us to kowtow to you and speak your language. You are all so arrogant," A boy's voice called out from behind her.  
  
Teecie whipped around to look at the boy. "You're speaking English," She said, narrowing her eyes at him.  
  
"That is for business purposes only," The boy replied.  
  
"Well, this is fascinating, but I'm looking for Owen Fairfax. Do you know where his room is?" Teecie asked while tapping her foot impatiently.  
  
"Up on the third floor. Are you the girl he's always mooning over? He's always writing letters to some English girl," The boy sneered, looking at Teecie with scrutiny.  
  
"Thank you," Teecie replied, walking away from the boy and not bothering to answer his questions.  
  
Teecie managed not to be caught by any school official on her way up to the third floor. When she reached the right floor, Teecie walked up and down to see if there were any signs of which room was Owen's. In the middle of the hall was a door with the initials O.F. on the front. Was it his? There was no other way to find out but to knock and see who answered.  
  
Teecie raised a fist to the door and rapped gently a few times. Her heart pounded as she waited for the door to open. She took a deep breath as the door opened to reveal the gorgeous golden-haired boy she'd been waiting to see again for such a long time. "Owen," Teecie said breathlessly as her pulse raced and her abdomen began to throb.  
  
Owen looked at Teecie with wide eyes. What in the world was she doing at Beauxbatons? More importantly, why had she come? "Ticia, what in the world are you doing here? Come in," Owen said while grabbing one of Teecie's trembling hands and drawing her into his room before shutting and locking his door.  
  
"I had to see you. It couldn't wait," Teecie whispered while looking around the room. Owen had his own room and bathroom. It seemed that Beauxbatons students had a few more luxuries than Hogwarts students. "Today's my birthday and I couldn't think of anybody I wanted to spend the day with more than you."  
  
Owen smiled before embracing her. "I'm very glad you came. I've wanted to see you too," He said before leaning down to kiss Teecie's lips. Teecie's body melted against his and they kissed for several minutes before stopping to catch their breaths.  
  
The two kids talked for a few hours, enjoying one another's company. Once they got bored of talking, they started kissing again. At dinner, Owen ran down to get food for both of them, and brought it back to his room. They sat and ate in silence, stealing glances at one another as though afraid the other would disappear if they looked away for too long.  
  
When they'd finished eating, Teecie stood up and walked to the window. She was looking out at the moon when Owen came to stand behind her. Teecie turned around and looked into his eyes as he leaned in to kiss her. Her eyelids shut as their lips touched. She sighed happily while he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. There was a brush of his tongue against her lips, and she opened her mouth, allowing him to slip his tongue inside. After several seconds of exploring her mouth, his tongue made contact with hers and soon they were gently entwined.  
  
The happy couple kissed for several minutes before Teecie pulled away from Owen and sat down on his bed. As she caught her breath, she smiled up at him and patted the part of the bed next to her. Owen sat down and took one of her hands in his, entwining his fingers in hers. "Owen, I don't want to stop," She whispered in his ear as he nuzzled her soft neck.  
  
Owen stopped kissing Teecie and looked up at her, eyebrows raised curiously. "What?" He asked.  
  
"I...I...want to do more than just kiss," Teecie replied, suddenly feeling shy and looking down at the hand that was entwined with his.  
  
Owen looked at Teecie for a moment before kissing her again. "Are you very sure you want to do this?" He whispered as he pulled away from her.  
  
Teecie nodded her head and demonstrated her willingness by lying back on the bed, arms slightly outstretched. Owen smiled and leaned down on the bed, kissing her gently before moving his hands slowly to the buttons of her blouse...

It wasn't until the evening that Draco and Snape realized Teecie was missing. She hadn't appeared at lunch or dinner, and when Draco asked Patty Weasley if she'd seen Teecie in her room and she'd said no, he knew something was wrong.  
  
Snape wasted no time in calling Professor Weasley and asking her to search Teecie's room for signs of where she'd gone.  
  
After a brief search of Teecie's room, Professor Weasley found all of Owen's love letters lying out on Teecie's four poster. Sighing, she picked them up and brought them with her back to the Headmaster's office.  
  
"I found these on her bed," Professor Weasley said to Draco.  
  
Draco read through a few letters and saw the sorts of things Owen had written about wanting to do to Teecie. His lips turned white as they drew tightly into a straight line. His hands balled into fists and crushed the letters he was holding. Without saying a word, he turned and stormed out of the room.  
  
Professor Weasley could see the curiosity on Snape's face and quietly explained about the letters and their contents. Snape sighed and shook his head sadly. He could only imagine what Teecie was doing right now. Several minutes passed after Professor Weasley left the office before Draco returned. "I have to go get her, now. I swear, if that boy tried to do anything, I'm going to kill him," He said in an eerily quiet voice.  
  
"Let me contact the Headmistress first. We cannot go barging into another school in the middle of the night," Snape said while walking towards the fireplace and sticking his head inside. After a brief discussion with the Headmistress of Beauxbatons, the two men flooed to the school.  
  
Madame Maxime greeted them in the hallway and asked for more details on the situation. Snape told her how they were hoping that Teecie had come to visit with Owen. He asked where his room was, and Madame Maxime allowed them to go up to his room alone.  
  
Draco walked as quickly up the steps to Owen's room as he possibly could. If it turned out that Teecie and Owen had done anything, he wasn't sure what he'd do, but it probably wouldn't be pleasant.  
  
Snape followed behind Draco by no more than a step or two. He knew Draco would do something rash if he suspected Teecie had done anything that was less than maidenly, and wanted to be there to stop him from doing anything he'd regret.  
  
When the two men had reached the floor that Owen's bedroom was on, they walked to the door before stopping and listening. Draco put his ear against the door and concentrated on listening for any sounds he could hear. His stomach lurched and he started to feel light-headed as he heard the sounds of a girl's giggles coming from the room. Every few seconds the giggles were replaced by a moan. Draco didn't know how much longer he could stand at the door listening to what he knew was going on inside.  
  
Snape felt more than a little uncomfortable at listening to the sounds beyond the door. He wanted more than anything to run back to Hogwarts and pretend he'd never heard any of them, but when he saw Draco start to take his wand out of his robes, he knew it was good that he'd come. Snape put his hand on Draco's arm, shaking his head silently as Draco whirled around to glare at him. "We will be doing this without violence," Snape hissed. The two men stared at each other for a minute without saying a word. Finally, Draco sighed and slowly put the wand back in his robes.  
  
Draco listened to the girl moan for the third time before he knew he couldn't stand to wait another moment. His hand went to the door and slowly turned the doorknob before walking inside the room.  
  
The first thing Draco saw was the bed. The covers were all over the floor and the shapes of two people were silhouetted through the thin cover sheet. Snape walked in after Draco and looked at the bed as well, growing much paler than he normally was.  
  
Draco walked over to the bed and ripped the sheet off the bodies, revealing the horrific scene underneath. A sea of naked body parts writhed on the mattress. Draco felt the gorge rising in his throat as he saw his baby sister underneath Owen. Teecie and Owen were so engrossed in their activity that they didn't notice the sheet had been removed and there were now two men standing over them.  
  
Draco's anger grew beyond the boiling point and before he realized what he was doing. "You get off my sister!" He snarled fiercely while bending down, grabbing Owen by the scruff of the neck, wrenching him off of Teecie and throwing him onto the floor.  
  
Teecie was shocked and horrified to see Uncle Sev standing next to her. One second she'd been happily making love to Owen, and the next, he was on the floor and her Headmaster was looking down at her. She started to scream and threw her arms over her body to cover herself up as best she could.  
  
Teecie looked over and saw Draco hovering menacingly over Owen and yelling at him. She couldn't even understand what he was saying, it just sounded like wordless bellowing. "Leave him alone Draco!" Teecie shouted.  
  
Draco turned to Teecie, his face red with rage. "Cover yourself up girl!" He roared while picking up the sheet and throwing it at his sister. Teecie wrapped the sheet tightly around her body, carefully not looking at Uncle Sev, who still seemed to be in shock over the sights he'd seen since walking in on Teecie and Owen. Though he appeared to be looking at her, Teecie wasn't sure he was paying any attention.  
  
Teecie stood up, got off the bed, and walked over to Draco. "Leave Owen alone, Draco! He didn't do anything wrong," She yelled at Draco, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from the boy on the floor.  
  
"Didn't do anything wrong?" Draco hissed. "I come in here, and he's on top of you! Have you no shame girl? Have you no sense of honour? You have ruined any chances you had at making a good marriage. Unless..." Draco's voice trailed off as he turned his head to look down at Owen, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "There really is no other thing to be done," He said while turning back to look at Teecie, "Consider yourselves engaged."  
  
Teecie's jaw dropped open. "Excuse me?" She asked, unsure if she heard her brother correctly or not.  
  
"Are you deaf? I said, consider yourselves engaged," Draco snarled. "Now get dressed. We're leaving in a few minutes."  
  
Teecie and Owen looked at each other with looks of pure terror on their faces. After a minute, Draco punched the wall so hard it shook the window panes. "I said get dressed! Now!" he bellowed. Teecie snapped out of her shock and ran to gather her clothes that were strewn across the floor. Once the clothes were all found, she slipped into the bathroom and got dressed.  
  
When Teecie finally left Owen's room, Draco grabbed her by the arm and dragged her behind him down the stairs towards the fireplace. He dug his fingers into her flesh until she was sure they'd leave bruises. "Ow, Draco, you're hurting me!" She cried while trying to pry his fingers off of her arm.  
  
"How could you? How could you do such a thing? Running off and acting like a cheap slut," Draco hissed quietly, more to himself than to Teecie. Teecie wasn't sure but she thought she heard him mumble something about, "Just like your mother," but chose to stay silent about it.  
  
Teecie was beyond mortified that Draco and Uncle Sev had walked in on her when she and Owen had been having sex. At least it hadn't been her very first time. They'd been doing that for a few hours before they'd been caught. It had been a beautiful and wonderful experience until the fateful interruption. Surely Draco must be joking about the engagement. She was only 14 years old, he couldn't force her to become engaged at that young of an age. Come to think of it, he couldn't force her to get engaged to anybody, could he? He was just upset over catching her with Owen. He'd be over it by morning probably.


	47. Consequences

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm glad you aren't too upset! I was so worried, but I couldn't change it really. This chapter is basically the second half of the last chapter, dealing with the aftermath of what Teecie chose to do. Let me know what you think!

Consequences

The first thing Draco did when they flooed back to Snape's office was to escort Teecie to the Hospital Wing. He would let Master Wilkes examine her. There was no way in hell Draco was going to allow Teecie to share in Reni's fate. Draco was furious with both Teecie and Owen. Teecie should have used better judgment and found a better way to spend her time. She was far too young to even be having such feelings anyway. The girl was undisciplined and out of control. Moreover, she was a completely spoiled brat. Draco decided he'd have to make it his mission to change all of that.

Just thinking of the boy made Draco's hands clench into fists. Owen had taken advantage of his baby sister when she'd been very vulnerable. The cur had no honour in "deflowering" her in such a way. Draco could only imagine the sorts of things Owen must have said to Teecie in order to make her willing to sleep with him. Maybe he'd even used magic on her-used a spell, charm, or potion on her. The very thought made Draco want to throttle the boy.

As upset and infuriated as Owen made Draco, he was still a good match for Teecie. The Fairfax family had a good standing among the pureblooded Wizarding society. They were also quite wealthy. Teecie would never have to worry about working a day in her life and their children would be able to have all the privileges available to them. And from what Draco had seen, there should be no problem with those two having children. Just not now, he thought, as he led Teecie into the Hospital Wing.

Draco pushed Teecie onto one of the beds before quickly explaining the situation to Master Wilkes. He couldn't help but feel a little surprised when the healer asked him to leave the room. Instead of returning to his office or leaving to talk to Snape, he paced outside the Hospital Wing doors and waited for Wilkes to finish with Teecie and fill him in on the situation.

After about a half hour, Wilkes emerged from the room to talk to Draco. "Is she pregnant? Have you taken care of her? Is she all right?" He asked quickly as soon as the door shut.

"You can relax, everything is fine. Teecie and I had a long talk and she assured me that there is no reason to believe she could be pregnant from this. You can go talk to her if you want, but don't upset her. She's been through quite an ordeal today," Wilkes said calmly.

Draco rushed into the room to talk to Teecie. "Wilkes says you are fine. Should I take it that your paramour took precautions?" he asked as soon as he sat down across from her.

Teecie looked blankly at him. "My paramour is none of your business! It's mine not yours!" she cried, hugging herself tightly, afraid Draco had seen her paramour that night. It was terribly humiliating to know he'd seen her naked.

Draco looked at her carefully, well aware that Teecie's response meant she had no idea what the word meant. "It means 'lover' Teecie," he explained.

"Oh. I knew that," Teecie replied, moving her arms back down to her sides. "We used protective spells. Owen put them on before we did anything. Unless those spells fail, I believe I'll be fine," she replied frankly.

Draco sighed in relief before lighting into her again. "Why did you do this Teecie? Running away to France? Sleeping with a boy? What has gotten into you? You're completely uncontrollable," He said, sounding exasperated.

Teecie sat in silence for a minute before responding. So much had changed for her this past school year, and none of it had been her fault. Lisette had revealed to her many disturbing things about her family's past. That had led to nightmares and images of the three men she loved most in the world that had terrorized her for months. Because of that trauma, Teecie had nearly failed all of her classes before catching up again, which had taken a very long time to do. After all of this, a trip to France to spend time with Owen hadn't seemed like a big deal to her at all. Teecie felt that she deserved some release from all her worries.

A small part of Teecie felt let down after her first sexual encounter. She'd read so many love stories where after the girl finally lost her virginity, she fell madly in love with the boy and felt so much more enlightened about the world, so much more grown up. But Teecie felt the same as she had before. She wasn't in love with Owen, she was just as confused about life and love and the way of the world as she had been before. Wasn't sex supposed to solve all of that? Wasn't that why it was always shown in movies and on telly and written about in books? What was wrong with her? Sure it had felt good and had been loads of fun, but it seemed hollow, empty. It had felt meaningless and had left her feeling worse off than before she'd run to France. And on top of this was the possibility of being engaged to Owen. She hadn't been in love with him; it had merely been a physical attraction that she had been acting upon. Perhaps telling all of this to Draco would help change his mind about the possible engagement.

Teecie of course, knew she could tell none of this to Draco. She didn't want to tell this to anybody. "You wouldn't understand," She finally replied in a whisper. After another minute of silence, Teecie ventured to see how her brother felt about the situation now. "So, were you really serious about the engagement? Because, I'm much too young to be engaged to anybody, and you promised that you wouldn't force me to marry anybody when I had the party last year," Teecie said calmly.

"Teecie, I wasn't the one who told you to run to France and have relations with that boy. You chose to do this yourself. Now, I have to look out for what's best for you, and finding somebody who's willing to marry you is one of my duties. You have ruined most of your chances at finding a boy worthy of you by...sleeping with Owen, so it's only fitting that you eventually marry him. It's a good match and you'll be well cared for," Draco replied.

"And what happens if I refuse to marry him?" Teecie asked.

"That isn't up to you to do. If I enter into a marriage contract with Owen's parents, it's legally binding, and you will not be able to refuse marriage," Draco explained.

"You would really do something like this to me? Even when you know it would make me very unhappy for the rest of my life?"

"It's for your own good. You obviously like the boy on at least one level. Given time, you'd come to appreciate him for what he can provide for you. I'm sure you'll come to love him in time," Draco replied. He didn't care how unhappy Teecie said she'd feel over the marriage. He was doing this for her, she deserved the best in life and it was his duty to make sure she got it. He had no other choice but to do this.

Teecie looked up at Draco with flashing eyes yet spoke with a calm and steady voice. "I will not marry Owen. There's nothing you can do to make me, either. I'm going to my room to get some sleep. Goodnight." When Teecie had finished speaking, she stood up and walked out of the Hospital Wing, head held high, and showing off much more confidence than she truly felt.

The next morning, Teecie went to speak to Uncle Sev. He'd seen what happened last night, and knew how Draco had reacted. He had to know Draco was completely serious about the engagement. Uncle Sev would be able to get her out of it. He could do anything. "What can I do to get out of this engagement? Draco says it'll be legally binding if he goes through with it. I can't marry him, Uncle Sev, I just can't. I know that if I do, I'll never be happy again," Teecie said in an imploring voice. The confidence she'd been showing the night before finally wore off and tears streamed down her cheeks. Within a minute she was sobbing uncontrollably.

Snape was surprised when Teecie stood up and threw her arms around him for comfort. He was pleased that this situation had at least made the girl feel more comfortable around him, even if nothing else good came from the incident. Snape returned the hug briefly before gently pushing Teecie away from him in order to look into her face. "Teecie, I'll do my best to have Draco rescind this engagement. You'll have to do a lot of the work though. You need to remain calm through all of this. He will not respond well to emotional outbursts. This situation needs a logical argument in order to persuade him this is unnecessary," He told her, hoping he'd make an impression on her that would last.

"I do not agree with your brother in forcing you to marry somebody you have no love for. I came from a world where young people didn't have many choices they were allowed to make for themselves. I don't want to see that happening to you. Let me think about this today and we can talk some more tomorrow." Snape gently wiped away the tears on Teecie's cheeks and kissed her forehead before sending her out of his office. He spent the rest of the day working on arguments to use against Draco.

Fencing club meetings were usually held on Friday evenings, but there was a special tournament that Sunday night. It would take place in the Great Hall, and all of the students were invited to come and watch. Sirius Lupin was the returning champion and this year's hopeful as well. Teecie wasn't nearly adept enough at fencing to join in the tournament, but thought it would be a good way to get away from her troubles for a while.

The tournament was very exciting. Paige, Teecie, and Carl all sat together and cheered for the fencers. James, Rey, Zeren, and Patty were all competing in the tournament. Contestants were first pitted against their immediate classmates, until all but one were eliminated, then each winner would go on to face the other contestants until only one remained. Patty went up against Marius Towler and the two fenced long and hard before she defeated him, sending an angry Marius to sit with his housemates.

James and Zeren were sparring partners in one of the rounds. Teecie found herself watching with rapt attention to the match. She wasn't sure which boy she wanted to win, but was a little surprised to see James come out of the round victorious over Zeren. Zeren shook James's hand like a true gentleman before taking a seat next to Teecie. "You did a good job, Zeren," She said, patting him on the back sympathetically. When she'd finished saying this, she looked up to see James walking to Candace and kiss her enthusiastically.

A voice startled her out of watching. "Ow, Ticia, that hurts," Zeren said quietly as he looked over at her.

Teecie looked over to see she had been gripping Zeren's shoulder so tightly her knuckles had turned white. "Oh, sorry," She replied sheepishly, taking her hand off his shoulder and placing it in her lap.

For the rest of the evening, Teecie cheered on her classmates. James beat Robert Bones, but lost to Rey. Rey lost to Stephen, and by the time it was down to Stephen and Sirius, the entire school was cheering them on loudly. The two sparred for a half hour before Sirius scored the winning point. The cheers were deafening as Sirius pumped his fists victoriously in the air and Pamela Weasley, his girlfriend, ran out onto the floor to kiss him.

From the other side of the room, Teecie could see Stephen standing at the sidelines, his head hanging down in defeat. Within a minute, Olivia Blackfell was at his side, holding him while he buried his face in her dark clouds of hair.

When the time came for the medals to be awarded, both boys walked back onto the floor, shook hands and waved to the crowd as the medals were placed around their necks. They shook Professor Snape's hand while the cheering continued.

It took about fifteen minutes for the crowd to calm down and slowly disperse to their common rooms. Teecie was sure the party atmosphere would be continuing in Gryffindor Tower far into the night.

For some inexplicable reason, when Teecie saw Draco cleaning up chairs and tables and picking up discarded foils, she felt compelled to approach him. "So, have you made any arrangements yet?" she asked bluntly.

"Not yet. I haven't gotten in contact with my solicitor yet," Draco replied.

"I see," Teecie replied while bending down and picking up a foil in her left hand. "What will you do if Owen's parents refuse this?"

"I'm quite certain that will not happen. When the situation is clearly explained, they'll see it's in their best interests to allow your marriage to their son. It wouldn't be good to have it known that their son, who is of age, was caught having relations with a minor. It would besmirch their family name and reputation, and quite damage their standing in society," Draco carefully explained, showing how well he'd thought out his plan.

Teecie felt anger welling up inside of her. She gripped the foil in her hand tightly, and found she used it when she spoke to her brother. "So, you're really going to do this to me, eh?" She asked, poking him in the chest harmlessly with the capped end of the foil. "You'd really rob me of any chance at happiness in life?" As she poked him again, Draco took up the foil in his hand and hit her foil away from him.

"Excuse me, but I seem to recall YOU were the one in his bed. You obviously don't find him totally objectionable," He replied, poking her in the shoulder to emphasize his point.

Teecie growled at him as she looked down at her shoulder. Suddenly, she lunged at her brother with a ferocity he'd not been expecting. Neither person had any protective gear on, but seeing as the foils had caps on their points, hopefully the worst damage they could do to one another would be minor bruises.

Snape noticed the ruckus from the corner of his eye and turned to see what was happening. Teecie and Draco were locked in a fierce battle of foils and wills. He'd never seen Teecie fence as well as she was doing now, and found he was quite impressed with her abilities. He stood and watched as they thrust and parried their way back and forth over the floor. The look of anger and determination on Teecie's face was unlike anything he'd ever seen from her before. In a way, she looked much older than she really was.

After about ten minutes of exhausting fighting, Teecie was growing too tired to keep up the pace at which she'd been going. When Draco lunged at her, she twisted her body to one side and was standing beside him when he began to straighten up. Teecie turned to face him and swung her foil sideways at his shoulder, so the length of the sword caught against his robes and tore the fabric before he even knew what was happening. When Draco stopped to examine his shoulder, Teecie lunged at him, and once again caught him off guard, sending him toppling him to the floor.

Draco had no idea what was happening to him as he fell. The next thing he knew, his sister was on top of him, snarling at him. Teecie grabbed a handful of his hair and wrenched his head back, so his chin stuck in the air, baring his neck dangerously to her foil. He didn't want to make any sudden moves so he remained as still as possible while she caught her breath. "Do you yield?" She whispered. When Draco didn't respond, Teecie tightened her grip on his hair. "Do you yield?" She repeated.

Draco took a deep breath before replying. "Yes," he finally said, quietly.

That was all the response Teecie seemed to need, for she immediately let go of Draco's hair and threw the foil as far away from her as possible. With eyes wide in shock, she looked down at her hands, as though not truly believing she'd been capable of doing what she'd done. She inched slowly away from Draco before standing up and backing away. After several paces, she turned and ran out of the room.

Snape was amazed to see Teecie emerge victorious in that fight. He could see from the look on her face that it had frightened her to see that she'd beaten Draco. After walking up to him, Snape held his hand out and helped Draco to his feet. "Well, I never thought I'd see the day when you'd be bested by a fourteen year old. Boy or girl," He said as Draco straightened his robes.

Sighing, Draco swept his hair back off his face. "There'll be no living with her after this," He said in a voice that clearly showed he'd expected to win that fight.

Teecie met with Uncle Sev on Monday after school let out for the day. He'd had a chance to draw up a list of possible arguments to go over with her. They talked for over two hours on planning the best way to approach Draco. When they were feeling confident about their argument, Uncle Sev took the opportunity to have a serious discussion with Teecie.

"Even if you do get out of this engagement, there will need to be some form of punishment for leaving the school after I specifically forbade you from doing so. By rights I could have you expelled; you do know this, don't you? I must have some reassurance that this will not happen again. I truly do not know what to do with you, Ticia," Uncle Sev said in a stern voice.

"I don't know either," Teecie replied. "I don't want to be a bad person, I just can't help it. Ideas come to me and they sound good at the time, so I do them."

"You're far too heedless and impulsive. You always have been. You need to develop the ability to think of the consequences of your actions before you take them. I've noticed that this is a typical Gryffindor trait, but I do believe it can be overcome if you try hard enough," Snape said, looking Teecie in the eye.

"I can try," Teecie said. "I'll try real hard, I promise. And in any case, I don't think I'll be going back to see Owen again any time soon."

"And while we're on that subject, I feel I must say something. You are only just fourteen years old, Teecie. It really is too young to be acting out your feelings for boys in that way. There are other alternatives that have less dire consequences such as you are now facing. I know being your age is difficult. I was young once too, but you must learn to be patient in life," Uncle Sev said, feeling extremely uncomfortable at the thought of the "alternatives" to sex. He just hoped Teecie didn't ask him anything about them. Hopefully she already knew enough about such things.

"But...it was fun," Teecie replied quietly, blushing.

"I understand that, but sometimes propriety takes precedence over amusement in life," Uncle Sev replied.

"You always choose propriety over amusement, don't you?"

"Usually," he replied, nodding his head thoughtfully.

"Amusement is important in life too though," Teecie said, scrutinizing Uncle Sev as she spoke.

"There are many important aspects of life. Amusement is only one of them," Snape replied.

"What about love?" Teecie asked.

"Love is important, but one shouldn't get too wrapped up in it. You wouldn't want to lose yourself," Snape advised.

Teecie sat in silence for a moment. "I think love isn't all it's cracked up to be. That's why I've decided to never fall in love," She revealed.

Snape looked at Teecie with curiosity. "Why have you decided that?" He asked quietly.

Teecie looked at her lap. "It hurts too much when you love somebody and they hurt you. So it's better to just not love anyone," She explained.

Snape was taken aback at her response. He was also greatly saddened as well. "There are good things about love too though," He finally replied. "You don't want to be alone all your life, do you?"

"Why not? You're alone and you seem fine," Teecie replied.

Again Snape was taken aback. How could she think being alone all your life was a pleasant thing? "You think I like being alone? I cannot fathom how you think I enjoy being a cold-hearted recluse. I did not choose this life, and I can tell you that you would enjoy it no more than I have," Snape replied, shaking his head and frowning.

"But..." Teecie said, trailing off, now unsure of what to say.

"Look, Ticia," Snape said, looking into her eyes, "You are very young still. You have a long life ahead of you and plenty of time to figure all of this out. I know you'll find love in your life, and you'll be a very happy woman when you grow up. You're going through a difficult time in your life right now. There's a reason they call them 'growing pains.'"

Teecie sat in silence for a moment, lost in thought before speaking again. "Were you ever in love Uncle Sev?" She asked, looking at him with large, inquisitive eyes.

Snape looked at his desk, thinking back to the few people he'd ever allowed himself to love during his life. His mother, and on occasion, his father, Adriana, and looking at Teecie, he found himself recalling another girl. A red-headed girl with brilliantly green eyes had been the object of his affections while at school as a student. Snape had never acted on those feelings though, for which he'd always had some regrets as he looked back on his life. He'd been tormented for another seven years as her son, bearing the same eyes that haunted his dreams, attended the school. Snape had hated the boy, for the woman he'd loved had born the child to his enemy, a man who'd spent his entire school career torturing him and making his life miserable.

Snape knew first-hand how love could make a person feel as though they were on top of the world one minute, and then the next minute, they felt more depressed than they ever thought they could. Love had never been a good experience for him, but he knew it didn't have to be that way for Teecie. "Yes, I've been in love before," He replied quietly before clearing his throat. It was time to change the subject. "Now, don't think this diversion is going to get you out of punishment. We still have to decide on that." With that, Snape ended all talk of love or feelings and set about to create a punishment that would actually work for her.

Snape decided that he wanted to keep a close eye on Teecie, and even though it would probably be more of a punishment for himself, he assigned her to act as his personal assistant for the remainder of the school year. Every day after school, she'd have to come to his office and take notes or organize papers for him. She'd be free to go to club meetings and work on homework after dinnertime.

For the first time, Teecie started to feel overwhelmed at the amount of things she had to do each day. Classes, clubs, homework, volunteering with the orphans, sessions with Master Wilkes, and now detention with Uncle Sev, Teecie was beginning to think she might be stretching herself a bit thin.

On the way back to her room, Teecie thought about what Uncle Sev had revealed to her. He'd been in love before. He didn't like his life. He hated that he was a lonely old curmudgeon. Surely there was a way to help him out. Maybe Teecie could find him a woman who would love him like he deserved. Uncle Sev was the best "uncle" in the entire world, and he deserved to be happy. But there was nothing she could do about it now, so Teecie stored that idea away for future use at a better time and went back to thinking about her big day tomorrow.

After walking back up to her dormitory, she made a new batch of the Renovo potion, for she couldn't afford to mess up tomorrow by being tired in the morning.

The next day dragged by for Teecie. She went over the argument she planned to use several times, and found herself unable to pay attention during classes. Finally, once classes had ended for the day, Teecie walked to Uncle Sev's office and sat in silence with him until Draco arrived.

When everybody was seated, Snape began to speak in a calm tone of voice. "I asked you two here today because we need to discuss what happened on Saturday and more importantly, what came of it afterwards. I have already assigned Teecie's punishment, so all that is left is to discuss the engagement," He began.

"I've contacted Owen's parents and they've agreed to my terms," Draco replied, looking at Teecie. "All I have to do now is have the solicitor draw up the papers and get all the signatures. Everything should be settled by week's end."

Teecie's heart raced and her mouth went dry as she contemplated the thought of failing in her mission. This was no longer a battle of wills between her and Draco, but a fight for her life and happiness. It was, quite possibly, the most important thing she would ever do. There was no room for failure today.

Teecie cleared her throat and stood up. She'd seen enough programmes about solicitors on the telly to know how she should act. Taking a deep breath, she looked down at Draco and began to speak. "First of all, I'd like to start out by saying thank you Draco, for caring about me enough to go to such great lengths to give me the best in life. I understand that you want what's best for me, and that is what is driving you to secure this engagement." Teecie stopped and took another deep breath. Draco nodded his head in agreement over what she'd said. She glanced at Uncle Sev before starting again.

"Now that that has been said, I will present my argument against the engagement. I ask that you listen with an open mind during this time," Teecie began pacing as she spoke. "First of all, you made this decision out of anger. I can only imagine how mortifying it must have been to walk in on a person you've known and loved all your life, engaged in activities of a sexual nature. It could arguably be said that you are forcing this engagement in order to teach me a lesson, or to make me feel as upset as you did that night," Teecie paused and looked at Draco to see his reaction, but he wasn't betraying any feelings at all.

"My second point to make is...that while leaving the school was against the rules, sleeping with Owen wasn't a crime for which I need to be punished. It's my body and my choice to do with it as I see fit. I have come to see that I am too young for such activities, and do not plan on having sex again for a few years. So, if the engagement was supposed to stem the tide of my choice in activities, you no longer have to worry about that," Teecie glanced over at Uncle Sev to see how she was doing. He nodded his head in silent encouragement to continue. Draco still remained impassive.

"My last point is that, the feelings I have for Owen or any other boy, are natural for somebody my age. Exploration of those feelings is a part of growing up and becoming a normally functioning adult. It should not mean a lifetime of commitment to somebody I have no love for," Teecie stopped pacing and took a final deep breath. She turned to look at her brother with an expectant look on her face.

Draco stood up and looked at Teecie. "If you've finished, I need to contact the solicitor about the signatures," He replied before turning to leave.

Teecie's jaw dropped open and she felt panic rising inside of her. "Is that all you have to say? Aren't you even going to think about what I said?"

"Teecie, once and for all, you are too young to know what you want and what is right for you. This is what's best for you," Draco replied, walking over and patting her on the shoulder before turning to leave again.

"You don't care about me at all! If you did, you wouldn't hurt me this much," Teecie cried. "I embarrassed you and now you want revenge. If you go through with making me marry Owen, it'll ruin my life forever!" Teecie was about to lose control and begin to cry, but bit her lip to keep herself from doing so.

Draco didn't say anything while he opened the door to Snape's office. Teecie turned to Uncle Sev and looked at him imploringly. Snape's mouth was set in a thin line as he looked after Draco. "Draco, there is such a thing as being too stubborn. You make Gryffindors seem flexible in comparison. This isn't about Teecie and how society will view her, it's about you and how they'll view you. Don't ruin her life to save your pride," He said in a quiet voice, folding his arms as he sat in his chair.

Draco whipped around and glared at Snape. "I have always had Teecie's best interests at heart," He declared.

"You've been acting like your father ever since we found Teecie in France. The resemblance in attitude is uncanny. I understand that you don't want this to get out to people, but if you force the engagement, it will make society more suspicious, not less. An engagement so quickly drawn up between two people of such young ages is going to create questions. Do you really want that to happen?" Snape looked at Draco.

"Of course I don't want that to happen," Draco replied harshly.

"All of the involved parties have reasons to keep this to themselves. This incident will disappear if you stop making it an issue," Snape said quietly.

Draco looked back and forth between Snape and Teecie. Teecie felt a ray of hope welling up inside of her as she looked at her brother. She could tell he was considering what Uncle Sev had said. "And if I do consider this, what is my guarantee that this will not be made publicly known?" He finally asked.

Teecie looked at Uncle Sev. She knew they'd won! It was only a matter of appeasing him now. "I for one would never tell anybody. I haven't told anybody yet. I don't want to have a bad reputation any more than you want me to have one. What I did was a mistake and I want to just forget it ever happened. I'll even stop writing to Owen if it will make you happy," She replied, looking earnestly over at Draco.

"You will not be writing to that boy again. In fact, you will not be in any form of contact with him, written or otherwise, ever. If I have to, I'll start screening your letters before the owls deliver them. This is never happening again, got it?" Draco said, striding over to Teecie and glaring down at her, his nostrils flaring as he breathed. His eyes glinted angrily as he bored into his sister's soul. Teecie gulped and nodded her head in silence.

"I believe we are all in agreement to not divulge this information outside of this room," Uncle Sev assured Draco. "I can only imagine the boy and his parents will be in concurrence with this."

Draco looked at Snape for a minute before giving a curt nod of his head. "All right, since you've both promised to maintain your silence about this, I'll retract the engagement," He said before turning to Teecie. "I hope you understand the full consequences of this. You'll never be able to have a marriage to an upper class boy now. Owen was your only chance. I truly do want what is best for you; I hope you'll see that someday."

Teecie took a deep breath. "I do understand, and I love you for trying to protect me. But I have to live my own life, and make my own mistakes. You said before my party that it didn't matter if I married any of those boys or not, you only wanted me to be happy. I don't think I'm meant to be a high class girl. I never quite fit in at your parties, and besides, I don't think I could ever be meek and demure enough to be a rich girl," Teecie said, biting her lip when she'd finished and looking up at her brother.

Draco smiled sadly before embracing his sister. "Don't sell yourself short, Teecie. You'd have done well there, I know it. But, you're still young. Who knows, maybe I can find a good..." Draco paused for a moment, looking as though he had a bad taste in his mouth, "middle class boy for you."

"Or, I could find one for myself..." Teecie replied, grinning up at him.

"We'll see," Draco replied before kissing her forehead and turning to leave the room.

When the door shut, Teecie sighed in relief and threw herself back down in her chair before starting to cry. The events from the past couple days hit her in full force now that they were all over. She'd managed to keep her emotions to herself longer than she ever had before, but needed to release them now.

Snape sat at his desk, letting Teecie have her cry without interruption. He knew this had been terribly stressful for her over the last couple days, and even though the mess had been of her own making, he still didn't like to see her so upset.

After a few minutes, Teecie calmed down and wiped her tears away. When she stopped sniffling, she walked over to Uncle Sev and threw her arms around his shoulders. "Thank you Uncle Sev! What can I ever do to make it up to you? Besides promising to behave and all of that?" She asked.

Snape thought to himself for a minute before peeling Teecie off of him and looking into her eyes. "Promise me, that you'll think before you act from now on. And if you are having problems in making the right choice, come to an adult and talk about it. You can even come to me, if you want," He said slowly and sternly. Teecie thought she could see a twinkle in his eye as he spoke, though it could have been the candlelight hitting them at just the right angle.

Teecie smiled and kissed his cheek. "I promise I'll come to you with my next problem. You know, if you were younger, I'd marry you so you didn't have to be alone anymore. That way you could be happy," She said while hugging him again. When Uncle Sev didn't respond, she kissed his cheek one more time before bouncing out of the room happily.

When Snape was alone, he shuddered at the thought of living with Teecie. He loved the girl, but in very small doses. The thought of being stuck with her for long periods of time made him cringe. It also made him rethink his punishment he'd assigned for her. Hopefully he'd make it through unscathed.

Snape enjoyed a glass of Italian Ambermede that evening before retiring to bed. Only four more years, He thought to himself while sipping his drink. Just four, agonizingly long years...


	48. When Ticia Grew Up

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm glad you approved of the arrangement made between them. This chapter was difficult to write. The entire year has been so bad for Teecie that it was hard to find a way to pull it all together and get her to the next level in the healing process, but I think I found a way. I took a bit from past chapters, and wove it into this chapter, and expanded it. And I did find a way to end the school year on a happy note. I figured both Teecie and I deserved it! I've been on a two week vacation from writing this story, which has been good for me, but it means that this is the last currently written chapter I have ready to post. So, for the next few weeks, posting might be delayed, so please be patient! Here's the next chapter, enjoy!

When Ticia Grew Up

Christmas passed with little excitement, seeing as Teecie and Kali had not come home. Lucius and Adriana had fun playing with their grandchildren, but still missed their daughters unbearably.

Lucius witnessed a veritable miracle between Adriana and Draco that year. Roo still enjoyed annoying his father by referring to Adriana as "Nana," at which Draco would literally begin to steam. Roo watched his father slyly over his shoulder as he called Adriana Nana once more upon entering the house. Adriana frowned and pulled Roo into the kitchen. Lucius had been mashing potatoes and overheard their conversation.

"Roo, darling, I know you like to call me Nana, but I was thinking it would be more fun if you called me, Addie. Addie is a fun name, and it's special because only one other person in the world has ever called me that before. You remind me of him in a way, because he was a very stubborn person too. Do you think you could do that? Call me Addie?" Adriana had asked while she bent down to look into Roo's face.

Roo remained silent for a while, looking deep in thought. "But, father turns all sorts of colours when I call you Nana. It's fun!" he finally replied.

Adriana stifled a laugh. "You know, some people think a child should actually respect their parents' wishes. Don't you love your father?" she asked.

Roo thought for a minute. "Yes," he said slowly.

"Well then, wouldn't you like to make him happy?"

"I suppose so."  
"Good, it's agreed, you get the honour of calling me 'Addie,'" Adriana replied, smiling and kissing Roo's cheek.

"OK, Addie," Roo replied, grinning and running out of the kitchen and into the living room to play with Hunter.

Adriana sighed and shook her head. She ran into Draco on her way out of the kitchen, right as he had been coming to see where his son was. "Oh! You startled me," she said with a smile on her face.

"Where's Rouvin?" Draco asked, scowling.

"He just left out the other door. I had a talk with him, Draco. He's decided to call me 'Addie' from now on," Adriana said while stepping back from him and allowing him access to the kitchen.

Draco stopped walking and looked at Adriana cautiously. "Well…that would be a step in the right direction," he replied before walking into the kitchen and out the other door, still searching for his son.

Lucius took a break from the Christmas dinner preparations to sit in the living room with his family. Hunter was holding court as all the adults listened to him. He had been talking a lot lately, and seemed excited to have so many people paying attention to him. Lucius smiled as his grandson pointed to different people and called out his name for them. "Muhmuh!" he cried, pointing to Reni. "Bee!" he said as he pointed at Peter Weasley. Lucius wasn't sure how Hunter had gotten "bee" from "Peter", but was sure it made sense to Hunter. "Dada!" Lucius smiled again as Hunter pointed at him. "Yiayia!" Adriana petted Hunter's head as he called her by the name she'd taught to him. "Woo!" he cried, pointing at Roo.

At this point, Roo felt Hunter had received enough attention and decided it was time for the adults to listen to him, so he started to sing. "On top of spaghetti, all covered in cheese…" he sang at the top of his lungs while running around in circles in front of the coffee table.

Draco stood up and walked over to stop Roo, but Roo evaded him, jumping out of the way as his father reached down for him. Roo stopped at the coffee table, grabbed a few peanuts out of a bowl, and turned to the rest of the people sitting on the couch. "Look at what I can do!" he exclaimed as he took one of the peanuts and proceeded to shove it up his nose. Next, Roo put a finger on the other side of his nose, closing it off, and after taking a deep breath, tried to blow the peanut out of his nose. He was quite surprised to see nothing happen. After trying a couple more times, without success, he started to panic. "It won't come out! It's stuck!" he shrieked.

Draco reached Roo right as the boy was starting to tear at his nose to get the peanut out of it. "What were you thinking? You're acting inappropriately around the family. Come on, let's go to the bathroom and get this thing out of your nose," Draco growled while lifting Roo's head to examine his nose. "How did you get it in so far?" he asked while leading his son into the bathroom.

Mel and Liss, who'd been sitting on the couch like proper ladies, watched as their brother left the room with their father. "Mother, why does Rouvin always do things like that?" Liss asked, with a look of disgust on her face.

"Because dear, he's a boy, and he wants attention," Tanith replied while shaking her head.

Roo and Draco emerged from the bathroom five minutes later. Roo ran over to Lucius and held out the peanut that had only moments before, been lodged in his nose. "Look grandfather! Father used a magic spell to get it out," he explained to Lucius.

"Well, that's very good to hear. It's good to see all those years at Hogwarts are finally paying off," Lucius called out to Draco, with a smile on his face.

Draco scowled at his father but sat down next to Tanith without replying.

Lucius turned back to look at Roo just in time to see him put the peanut in his mouth and chew it with gusto. "It's extra tasty now!" he exclaimed before chuckling and running over to play with Hunter and all the toys he'd gotten for Christmas.

Lucius grimaced and at the same moment, Mel cried, "Ew, Roo, that is so gross!"

The rest of the day passed pleasantly. Peter and Hunter played outside together. Reni had bundled Hunter up so much he looked like a silver and green snow man toddling around in the snow. She sat at the window inside the warm house and gazed out at the two as they chased each other around.

Adriana and Tanith finished cooking in the kitchen, which allowed Lucius time to read stories to Liss and Mel. "Grandfather, I don't understand, how can Father Christmas deliver all of those presents without using a wand?" Liss asked him while she sat next to him on the couch.

"And if he's really a Slytherin, then how come he wears Gryffindor colours?" Mel asked him, tilting her head and looking up at Lucius.

"Well…" Lucius's voice trailed off as he tried to think of good answers to his granddaughters' questions. Luckily, he was saved by a knock on the front door.

Snape came for Christmas dinner, but brought no news of either Teecie or Kali. When the meal ended, the adults sat around the table, debating about politics, while the children ran around the room between the two groups, ignoring the shushings of their parents, and laughing until they cried.

When the day was over and all the guests had returned to their homes, Lucius sat on the sofa with Hunter on his lap. He read Goodnight Moon as Hunter fell asleep. When the story was finished, Lucius closed his eyes and listened to the baby's gentle snores, and drifted off to sleep as well. He woke the next morning, still on the sofa, with several blankets wrapped tightly about him. Hunter had obviously been put to bed at some point in the night.

Spending the holiday with his grandchildren made Lucius long for more time with them. One of the things he'd never thought possible in his horrible past, was how much he'd come to love being around children.

The autobiography that Lucius had been writing was nearly finished, and he was looking for something else to fill his days with. He couldn't bear the thought of sitting and waiting for his daughters to be ready to speak to him again. He was very tempted to go to the school and try to talk to them, but knew it would only make matters worse to do so.

When Snape informed Lucius and Adriana about Teecie and Kali's Christmas at the orphanage, it made Lucius think about his past. He had been responsible for creating many orphans in his days as a Death Eater. Many of those children would be grown by now, but a huge wave of guilt passed over him nonetheless.

Over the next several days, Lucius began to think about volunteering his time at the orphanage in Hogsmeade. He wondered if Harry would even allow him near the orphans. Every time Lucius thought about going to Hogsmeade and talking to Harry, he was gripped with fear. Fear of looking in the eyes the boy he'd hated and tortured. Fear of how he'd react. Fear of being rejected. Lucius had dealt with fear his entire life. It was the most difficult thing in the world to try to overcome one's fears, but knew that he had to at least try.

The next Monday, after a lot of talking with Adriana, Lucius apparated to the Three Broomsticks before the slow walk up to the orphanage. It was snowing, and the cold weather was settling into his aching foot. He asked himself several times what he thought he was doing as he walked. Potter won't let me help. I'll be lucky if he doesn't kill me on first sight, he thought.

After a long, slow walk up the hill, Lucius reached the front door of the orphanage. One of the workers led him into an office where Harry joined him several minutes later.

When Lucius looked at Harry, he found his mouth dried up and his hands began to sweat. After wiping his hands off on his black slacks, he started to speak, "I…I hoped…" This isn't working, he thought. Lucius took a deep breath and began again. "Mr. Potter, I had hoped to volunteer my time here. I have a lot of free time that I could use to help out the children here," he said in a more calm voice.

Harry folded his arms and sneered. "And why should I let you near _any_ children, Malfoy? You certainly seem to be having enough problems with your own," he said in an accusatory fashion.

Lucius flushed and looked down at the floor. "I know I've been having troubles with my girls, but...I have to do something. I thought that if I couldn't make it up to them, at least I could help somebody, do _some_ good," he replied quietly.

Harry looked skeptically at him. "And why should I believe _you_ could do anyone any good? You haven't yet, from what I've seen. Draco certainly seems more than happy with his name-change. Maybe that was his way of disassociating himself from you?"

Lucius nodded his head in agreement. "It was his way. I can't say I blame him for changing his name. I can assure you, I've considered changing my name too. I have tried to create a better world for my daughters. They were raised in a loving home, and I just couldn't ruin that by shattering their world with the truth of my past. They're only children. So innocent, so young. I couldn't take that from them," he replied earnestly.

Harry snorted. "No, just from others."

Lucius looked up into Harry's eyes. "From you."

Harry laughed. "Yes me, and how many other children?" he asked bitterly.

Lucius looked back at the floor. "I cannot say. But that is why I am here now. I can't change the past, and what I did then, but I can help the present. I can do some good. It will never undo what I am responsible for in my past. You can never understand the hell I live through on a daily basis, knowing what I've done, and knowing I can't take it back. The waking nights I've spent over the years, haunted by the images of my victims. I did it to myself. I have to live with it," he said angrily, hating himself over the choices he'd made in his life.

Harry looked at him with narrowed eyes. "And what could you possibly say to convince me that you're not simply here to repair your image, make yourself feel better, and reclaim your daughters? How do I know that once you have "recovered," you won't go off into the world and start all over again? Believe me, Malfoy, I know about living hells. I was in one for seven years, thanks to you and your master. And unlike Minister Weasley, I see no reason to 'forgive and forget.' I refuse to believe a leopard can change its spots," he exclaimed loudly.

Lucius remained silent for a minute before speaking again. "I am not a leopard, Mr. Potter, I am a snake. I have shed my skin several times over my life, each time becoming a better man, a better human being. All people change, Mr. Potter. You are not the boy you were while in school. You are a man who's lived through hell and emerged out of that fire as a hero. I chose to leave the world of the Death Eaters behind, and went into hiding on the property I live in now. I was so scared to hurt someone else that I never left. But it's time for me to leave now. It's time for me to do some good for this world."

Harry leaned forward. "Yes, you left them, but why? I mean, I know several Slytherins, Malfoy. I'm even friends with one or two of them. And one thing I know, Malfoy, is that they never do something without a reason. After all, you're nothing like Snape, are you? At least he went and made reparations immediately. I see nothing of that sort of experience in your past. As far as I'm concerned, you should rot in Azkaban, the way you let your 'cousin' Sirius. Even though you _knew_ he was innocent," he snarled angrily.

Lucius hung his head in shame. "I have been in Azkaban. I wouldn't wish it upon my greatest enemy. I have tried to rebuild my life before I reached out to the world. I've spent most of my life being terrified of what would happen if I displeased one person or another. But it was safe, like a blanket. I've wrapped myself up in that blanket for too long. It's time for me to step back outside that safety. I can help the children here. I want to help them," Lucius said earnestly, his hands clasped together.

Just as Harry opened his mouth to respond, the door to the office opened. Both men looked to see who was there, but saw nobody. After several seconds, a small head peeked through the door. One of the orphans was leaning her head against the door and gazing up at the men.

A little girl, who looked to be about four years old or so, with long black hair, mahogany coloured skin, and large dark brown eyes, stared intently back and forth at the two men. She took a deep breath and slowly walked into the room. Lucius watched as she walked over to Harry. The girl tugged on Harry's pant leg and whimpered. "Tata? Zuzu?" she spoke in a quivering voice.

Harry sighed sadly and looked down at the girl. "What's the matter, Sunita?" he asked while patting her head.

"Tata? Zuzu?" the girl repeated. When the girl didn't get the response she was looking for out of Harry, she turned to Lucius and tugged on his cane. "Tata? Zuzu?" she asked imploringly.

Lucius leaned down and looked into the girl's eyes. "I'm sorry honey, I can't understand you," he replied quietly, looking up at Harry.

Harry sighed. "Her name's Sunita. She's been here for a few weeks now. Her parents were immigrants from India and she doesn't seem to speak any English. 'Tata' and 'Zuzu' are the only things she says. Over and over again," he explained.

Sunita's eyes filled with tears as she looked at Lucius before beginning to sob and throwing herself against his legs. Lucius leaned down and picked Sunita up, set her on his lap, and gently rocked her while she cried.

Sunita cried for several minutes in Lucius's arms before calming down again. She looked up at the man holding her, and smiled. Lucius leaned back in his chair to allow Sunita more room on his lap. She leaned her head against his chest, while reaching a small hand up to his shoulder. Lucius smiled as she began to pet his long hair. After a minute, she looked up at him once again. "Sapheda," she declared before putting a thumb in her mouth and settling in on Lucius's lap.

Harry watched all of this in silence, wondering what it all meant.

"I remember when my girls were this age. There's nothing better than the feeling of a child who loves you, is there?" Lucius asked, smiling down at Sunita and petting her hair.

"You've actually allowed yourself to feel something other than hatred?" Harry asked sarcastically.

"It's what makes life worth living," Lucius replied.

"And yet you still seem to manage to disappoint those you claim to love," Harry said.

"I still have a lot of growing to do. I just need the chance to try," Lucius replied.

Sunita seemed to have grown bored and crawled off of Lucius's lap. She grabbed his hand and started tugging on it. "Sapheda!" she cried as she tried to drag him to the office door.

"Hold on, I'm coming," Lucius said while slowly standing up and leaning heavily on his cane. He kept his other hand in Sunita's as she pulled him out of the door. He could hear Harry following closely behind them as they walked into the living room, which was cluttered with toys.

In the middle of the room was a small table with a blue china tea set. Two small chairs were set on either side of the table. Sunita sat down in one of the chairs and grinned up at Lucius. He was clearly supposed to join her in a tea party. The chair was far too small for him to sit in, so he gingerly lowered himself down to the floor in front of the table as Sunita set up the tea cups.

Lucius and Sunita enjoyed their tea together. Sunita chattered away in her native tongue. Lucius pretended to know what she was saying, and talked to her as though they were communicating perfectly. At one point in time, Lucius picked up one of the teacups, held it out to Harry and said, "It's excellent tea today, Mr. Potter. Sunita has just informed me that she'd like you to have a cup."

Harry snorted, yet took the cup and held it in his hand. "I must say I've never seen her this happy before," he replied quietly.

"If you like, I can give you my wand every time I come here. You can keep it with you until I leave," Lucius suggested while smiling at Sunita.

Harry looked at them for a minute before replying. "All right. I need somebody to work Wednesday's through Friday's, nine in the morning until five in the afternoon. Are you up to that?"

"I'll be here this Wednesday. How many children are there?"

"Fifteen, but three of them are up at Hogwarts. There are 12 children under school age, including one infant. You'll meet them when you come back," Harry informed him. "You'll be assisting in reading, playtime, lunch, snacks, naptime, you know, all the things you must be an expert at now that you're such a great father." The look on Harry's face clearly showed he still didn't believe Lucius was capable of taking care of children, yet was looking forward to seeing what a large group of children would be able to do to him.

"I hope I can do a lot of good here," Lucius replied quietly before standing up to leave.

"Yes, well, that remains to be seen, doesn't it?" Harry said stiffly as he watched Lucius say goodbye to Sunita and leave the orphanage.

"Uncle Sev, do you want these papers alphabetized or sorted by date?" Teecie asked the Headmaster as he sat at his desk.

Snape looked up from the paper he was writing and looked at the papers Teecie was holding in her hands. "Sort them by date," he told her before going back to his work.

It was now early April, and Teecie was working in his office as her punishment for running way to France. It had taken a couple weeks for them to settle into a routine, but Snape had come to enjoy Teecie's help. He'd also learned to tune out her mindless chattering. After the first week of her non-stop talking and his constant reminders for her to remain silent, Snape finally gave up. Now, for the most part, all he heard when she talked was a dull buzzing noise emanating from her mouth. Sometimes it threatened to lull him to sleep, though he managed to stay awake anyway. He just nodded his head every once in a while.

Teecie enjoyed her detention with Uncle Sev. He always listened to what she had to say. It seemed he truly cared and respected her opinions, as he always listened and responded positively when she spoke.

Over the last few weeks, Teecie had found herself feeling very energized. So much so, that she was now having trouble sleeping at night. Her heart was always beating fast, and she was jittery, unable to stay still for long periods of time. All of her activities were requiring so much energy that she'd been taking the Renovo potion at least twice a day over the last month or so. She was finally starting to feel the side effects of the potion and wondered if it was just a passing thing or if it was more serious.

Teecie sat in her chair and attempted to sort through the papers on her lap, but found she couldn't sit still. As she squirmed in her seat, her heart started to pound. It was beating so fast that it took her breath away.

Snape noticed Teecie twitching nervously, and looked up at her. Her face was all flushed as she reached for the collar of her blouse and unbuttoned it. He felt concerned as he watched her gasping for air. "Teecie, are you ill?" he asked, standing up and walking over to her side.

Teecie shook her head and dropped the papers from her lap as she stood up and clawed at her throat. "I...I…can't…" she said, gasping with each word while her body started convulsing. Snape put his arms around her shoulders and helped her stand, but as suddenly as all her problems started, they stopped. He looked at her carefully as Teecie started to breathe normally.

"What's the matter?" Snape asked, feeling Teecie's pulse and feeling how clammy her skin was.

"I…I…it's getting worse. I promised to tell you the next time I needed help. I've been so busy over the last several months that I've been taking a potion to help me stay awake, but now I can't sleep and it's making me shake and gasp," Teecie replied in a scared voice.

"Which potion?" Snape demanded.

"The Renovo potion," Teecie said.

"Where in the world did you find that? Surely Draco hasn't shown that one in class, not to third years at least," Snape said sharply while looking at her with flashing eyes. His brows were furrowed with concern while Teecie looked at the floor.

"I found it…in one of your books."

Snape rubbed his temples. "We need to get you to Wilkes. Can you walk?" When Teecie nodded her head, they walked slowly out the door and over to the Hospital wing.

Snape explained to Wilkes what had happened, and Teecie told them in more details how long she'd been using the potion and how often she was now taking it. Snape was fuming by the time she'd finished. "Miss Orendes, if you wish to kill yourself, I have perfectly good poisons that would do this kind of damage in half the time," he growled. "You could have had a heart attack, or a stroke! You could have done permanent heart damage," he informed her.

"I didn't know it would hurt me!" Teecie exclaimed. "Now I do, so, what kind of potion do I take now to get all of this to stop?"

Master Wilkes looked at Teecie. "The potion is too strong within your system to mix any others with it. I'm afraid you'll have to stop it altogether and let it work its way out of your body. You can drink lots of water to help flush it out sooner, but I'm afraid you have a painful road ahead of you," he explained. "This will take a few weeks to get over, but I'll help you in any way I can."

The next month passed slowly for Teecie as the Renovo potion dissipated from her body. She had horrible headaches for most of the time. There were some days when she couldn't go to classes because of the jittering and shaking. Most people tried to stay out of her way, for she was in a constant bad mood. Rose stayed by her side the entire time, though, and helped Teecie by cuddling with her when Teecie thought she'd rather die than feel as horrible as she felt at the time.

During this time, Uncle Sev talked her into dropping out of half of her clubs, in order to give her more free time to work on her homework and still have time to sleep at night.

Draco was livid to find out about the potions. He'd made Professor Weasley confiscate all of the potion books Teecie kept in her room, and take all of her equipment, to be stored in his office. Teecie could get them from his office before classes and drop them off afterwards, but she was not going to have them available to her outside of classes anymore.

When the month ended, Teecie was feeling much better, and was finally able to return to her club meetings, classes, and volunteer days at the orphanage in a much better mood. She'd dropped her Potions, Charms, and Herbology clubs, and stayed in the Cooking, Fencing, and Runes clubs.

In the second week of May, Teecie went up to the orphanage on Friday after classes instead of Saturday. Her Cooking Club would be having a longer meeting the next day, and she wanted to attend. As she walked towards the playroom to play with the children, she heard the voice of a person she never thought she'd hear there.

"'George!' Mrs. Darling exclaimed, pained to see her dear one showing himself in such an unfavourable light.

"Then he burst into tears, and the truth came out. He was as glad to have them as she was, he said, but he thought they should have asked his consent as well as hers, instead of treating him as a cypher in his own house." Teecie listened as her father read Peter Pan to the children. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. He was speaking in the soothing voice he'd used when reading her bedtime stories as a child.

Images of Captain Hook, her favourite character of the story, and Mr. Darling, a man she'd always seen as a weak character, filled Teecie's mind. For some reason, images of the angry Lucius Malfoy, Death Eater, entered her mind. They were vastly different from the sight of her frail father, reading to children in an orphanage.

Suddenly, the story seemed to hit close to home. Everybody knew that Captain Hook had represented Mr. Darling in Wendy's mind. The two were essentially two halves of the same man. Teecie could see the Death Eater her father had been, and the man he was now, in the same light, as two halves of the same man.

Lucius Malfoy was no longer a Death Eater, and really, was that much more horrible than being a pirate, when one thought about it? Pirates raped and pillaged and ruined lives…and so did Death Eaters. How could she even think of having a person like that as a literary hero, and want adventures like those, and not be able to forgive that about her own father?

As Teecie thought about it, she knew the answer: Because Captain Hook was just a character in a story, and her father, the former Death Eater, was a real flesh and blood human being. A human who had done unspeakably horrible things in his past, but also a human who had loved her all her life, and had never tried to hurt her, ever. How could he have gone from being such a terrible person to being such a nice person? Could somebody really change who they were? Was that really even possible?

Teecie thought about the experiences she had accumulated during the past school year. She was no longer the girl she had been at this time last year. In many ways, she could hardly recognize herself. Could it be that everybody had times like this in their life when they changed who they were, and didn't even always realize it? It was an interesting thought.

Instead of going into the room with her father, Teecie sought out Harry Potter, who was sitting in his office. "Teecie, I didn't know you'd be coming today," he said in greeting to her.

"I have to know something. Why did you allow my father to work here?" she asked, not bothering with niceties.

"Because he has proven to me that he is capable of working well with children," Harry replied.

"But…you hate him. How can you let somebody you hate anywhere near you?" Teecie asked in confusion.

"I decided to give him another chance, not because of how I feel about him, but because I thought he deserved it. He has proved himself worthy of that chance during his time here," Harry replied.

"So, people can change?" Teecie asked earnestly.

"People change all their lives, Teecie. You're not exactly like you were when you were a little girl were you? You don't expect to be the same person all your life, do you? I know I'm not the same person I was when I was your age. I was a very angry person, just like you. But, I'm not so angry anymore," Harry replied, thinking he knew why she was asking these questions.

After several moments of silence, Teecie opened her mouth to speak. "Should I talk to my father again?" she asked.

"I can't tell you if you should or should not, Teecie, but I can tell you that I see now that there are good reasons to give a person a second chance," Harry replied honestly.

"How long does he usually stay?"

"He leaves at five, and then he floos home from the Three Broomsticks," Harry informed her.

"Can I leave at four thirty today? Please?" Teecie asked.

Harry smiled grimly while nodding his head. "Yes, of course you may."

Teecie busied herself in the kitchen for the rest of the afternoon. She didn't want to risk running into her father in the middle of the orphanage.

At half four, Teecie left and walked slowly down to the Three Broomsticks. She sat on a stool in the middle of the pub and ordered two Butterbeers. When five o'clock arrived, Teecie started looking out the windows and door for signs of her father's arrival. She saw him walk up to the door at about ten after.

Lucius wasn't expecting to see anybody he knew at the Three Broomsticks, and was walking towards the fireplace when he heard a familiar voice call out to him. "Father!" It was Teecie's voice. He whipped around to see where she was and saw her sitting at the counter.

Lucius felt his heart skip a beat as he looked at Teecie. She looked so much older than he remembered her to be. It had been a long time though, since he'd seen her last. "Baby," he whispered to himself as he started to walk towards her. Once he reached her, he felt bold enough to touch her, and brushed his fingers over her cheek. "Look at you," he said quietly, "I've missed you so much."

Teecie looked at her father in silence for many moments before responding. She saw his face in a new light. He looked older than she'd ever remembered him looking before, with lines on his forehead and around his eyes. There was nothing left of the angry, snarling man of the newspaper clippings she'd seen earlier in the year. "I've missed you too," she whispered, while her eyes filled with tears.

After Lucius sat down next to Teecie, she handed him the Butterbeer she'd purchased for him. "I'm so sorry that your mother and I never told you and your sisters about my past. We didn't want to scare you, and I was so ashamed to have you all know about me. It was just easier to pretend it had never happened. But that was wrong of me, and I can never apologize enough for that," he said earnestly.

"I spent so much of my year being angry with you and mother. I hated you all, Draco, Uncle Sev, and all my professors too. I felt lied to and humiliated, and scared to know what you had been. But, I can't keep hating anymore. It takes too much out of me. I know you can never change your past or that you chose to keep it from me for so long, but the choice to forgive you and to move on is mine. I choose this," Teecie replied while putting her hand on her father's and squeezing it lovingly.

Lucius was stunned. He looked into her eyes and wondered how she'd managed to become so grown up in such a short time. Tears filled his eyes as he felt a wave of redemption crash over him. Teecie stood up and put her arms around his shoulders, pulling him down to her level and holding him for several minutes before letting go again. When she finally let go, Lucius saw her face was streaked with tears as well.

When Teecie looked at her father, she no longer saw the superhuman hero she thought he had been when she'd been a young child. She saw him as he truly was: a simple man, trying very hard to make up for a shameful past. A mere mortal with all the foibles and imperfections that all of humankind was plagued with. Realizing her father was like this, made her feel much older than she had even minutes before. While it was a loss to no longer see her father in that heroic light, there was a sense of comfort knowing he was a person who knew what it was like to go through many changes in his life, and had become a better person because of it.

The two sat in contented silence and drank their Butterbeers. When Teecie had finished hers, she looked at her watch. "Draco will be coming to pick me up at the orphanage in a half hour. I should get back to the school in time to save him a trip," she said while standing up.

"Why does Draco have to pick you up from there? You've been to Hogsmeade plenty of times," Lucius replied.

"Well…that is a rather long story, and I'm afraid it will have to wait for a time when I decide you're old enough to know," Teecie said, smiling slightly.

Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Is there something I or your mother should know about?"

"Another time, perhaps. I must be off now," Teecie replied cryptically before hugging her father and walking out the door of the Three Broomsticks.

Lucius sighed as he walked to the fireplace. As much as he wanted to know what was going on in his daughters' lives, they had the right to some privacy. And, He thought to himself, do I really want to know?

The rest of the school year passed pleasantly for Teecie. She did well in all her classes, and had fun in all of her clubs. Her nightmares had subsided, and now Rose wasn't even a part of her dreams anymore. Teecie also continued to write in her journal and work on her paintings. There were occasional days when she and her father worked together at the orphanage, reading books and playing with the children. All in all, it was a very good way to spend the rest of her year.

The lines of communication between Teecie and her parents had been reopened, and she wrote letters back and forth to both parents, telling them more details about the anger she'd harboured toward them, but was not feeling so strongly anymore.

Teecie received a letter one morning, a week before school let out, that gave her something to look forward to over the summer holiday. As she read a letter from Adriana, she gasped, drawing the attention of the twins. Teecie beamed as she waved the letter around in her hand. "Your brother Peter and my sister Reni are getting married this summer! We're going to be sisters!"

Patty hooted, hollered, and stamped her feet, while Paige and Teecie screamed and started jumping up and down in their excitement. Within minutes, the entire school knew. Since there were so many Weasleys, there were many congratulations to be said, as well as many "Welcome to the family's". Paul and Kali grinned and kissed over this news.

Snape and Draco shook their heads in silence as they contemplated the idea of being related to the Weasleys. In a bold, truly Gryffindor moment, Neville and Hermione stood up from their chairs, walked to either side of Draco and bent down to be on either side of him. He glared up at them, and the two of them grinned. "Well, Draco, who would have thought we'd have been somehow related someday?" Hermione said, grinning impishly, knowing he was less than thrilled over this news.

"Yes, we'd just like to say congratulations, and welcome to the family, mate," Neville added, his grin matching Hermione's.

Draco shook his head, looking at his plate of scrambled eggs, which no longer appealed to him. It was going to be a very long summer.

Chapter Notes:

The chapter title is taken from Peter Pan, chapter title When Wendy Grew Up. The passage Lucius reads is from the same chapter.

Translations:

Yiayia: Greek for grandmother.

Zuzu: Sanskrit for mother

Tata: Sanskrit for father

Sapheda: Sanskrit for "white hair"


	49. A Summer To Remember

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm so glad you liked the Peter Pan references, it just seemed so appropriate to use in her situation. I'm glad you fund the chapter so touching, I did too really. So, it's been delayed by a week, but here it is, the first of the summer chapters. I've finally gotten it down to two this year, instead of the usual three! It's still quite a full summer though. I've just gotten a new job and I'm dealing with the possibility of moving in the next month or so, so some of the chapters may be delayed, but don't worry, I'm still working on them, they just might take longer to finish for a while! Here's the next one, enjoy!

A Summer To Remember

"What? You're where? All of you?" Teecie listened as her mother talked to Lucius on the telephone. Reni's bridal shower was winding down, but all the guests were still at the house. Most of them were crowded around the phone, listening to Adriana as she talked to Lucius and grew more and more upset. The majority of the guests hadn't ever used a phone before, and was fascinated with it. "I can't bail you out until the morning, Lucius! All my money is at Gringotts, and they're closed now...Well, you should have thought about that before you all got into a drunken barroom brawl," Adriana was yelling into the receiver now, not because Lucius couldn't hear her, but because she was so angry. "Well, that's good then; a night in jail will cool all of you off, and sober you up...I don't care if you're not drunk! Well, thanks a lot, Lucius, you've made this a wonderful evening for me. Now I get to tell everybody else about this...No, I'll be there in the morning to take you home…No, I don't want any of you attempting magic tonight. You shouldn't do magic if you're drunk…No, Lucius! I'll obliviate everybody who needs it tomorrow when I come and bail all of you out. Just try to get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning…Night," Adriana hung up the phone and sighed before looking at the group of women standing around her.

"What's the matter, mum?" Reni asked, folding her arms and looking at her mother.

"It seems that there was some trouble at the bachelor party. Things got out of hand, the pub owner asked them to leave, and before you know it, punches were thrown, and the authorities were called in. They've all been hauled off to jail for the night until we bail them out," Adriana explained slowly.

"So, they're in Azkaban?" Molly asked, looking terrified, seeing as half her family was a part of the bachelor party.

"No, fortunately they'd left the Leaky Cauldron earlier in the evening and made their way into Muggle London, where the fighting took place. They're in a Muggle jail," Adriana explained.

There was a collective sigh of relief as the women realized their men weren't in any great danger. "Let them stay there for the night. It's the least that they deserve. Imagine them fighting in public," Molly cried, outraged at the very idea.

Teecie sighed and looked over at Patty and Paige. They looked nervous, for their father, grandfather, brothers, and all their uncles, were now in jail. "How are we ever going to live this down? How will Uncle Sev live this down? He's the headmaster of the school, mum!" Teecie cried.

"Well, hopefully this won't leave this group of people. I'll obliviate all the police officers tomorrow and this won't go any farther," Adriana replied grimly.

The party died down after that. The guests apparated back to their homes, and Teecie walked out to the barn to get ready for bed. She'd been sleeping in the hay loft all holiday, now that she was actually home to do so. Sleeping in the hay loft was something she'd always loved to do, and getting the chance to stay farther away from the craziness of all the people in the house appealed to her a lot. This was the first summer holiday since before she'd started attending Hogwarts that she was actually home for the whole holiday, and had really enjoyed herself so far.

As Teecie fell asleep that night, she thought back to her summer to that point. It had been a lot of fun so far.

Master Wilkes had allowed Teecie to borrow several of his medical books to read over the holiday. She'd spent much of her free time sitting under the olive tree at the top of the hill, reading the books. She'd already read through _Gray's Anatomy_, a Muggle book, but still the definitive book for anatomy in anybody's eyes. She also had managed to read _Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions_, _Ancient Chinese Naturopathic Herbology, _and _Magical Healing Made Easy_. Teecie had found all of the books terribly fascinating, and had chattered endlessly to her family about it during meals. It seemed though, that her family just didn't share her interest in the subject, as medical conditions just weren't things they enjoyed discussing while eating.

The one person, who did seem to enjoy listening to Teecie talk about healing, was Uncle Sev. He was spending much of the holiday at the property, and when the wedding planning grew too heated, he would join Teecie under the olive tree and relax while she told him all about the books. He was very happy to see that she was interested in some magical topic. And healing was a field that needed strong potions-making skills. Snape knew she already possessed that talent. He wanted to encourage her in any way he could, to become a healer, if she so desired. It would require many NEWTS and doing well with her OWLS next year, but it was never too soon to start studying for that. He knew that such encouragement would be better if it came from a man like Master Wilkes, somebody Teecie wasn't related to, but looked up to. He'd make sure to have a talk with Wilkes about that before the school year started.

When Teecie wasn't reading medical books, she was spending time with Patty and Paige, who were spending a lot of time at the property this summer with their brothers Peter and Paul. Peter was helping Reni with their wedding plans while Paul spent time with Kali.

Teecie had enjoyed showing the twins around the property. They'd never seen a Muggle farm before, and were impressed with Teecie's ability to handle all the animals herself. She had harnessed the plow horse, Sleipnir, and rode him around to show the twins how much fun it was. Patty had taken a turn on him, but Paige had been too timid to try.

There were many hours when the girls watched movies to escape the midday heat, while Peter, Reni, and Adriana planned the wedding. The twins had seen a couple movies before, and had enjoyed them, so were looking forward to watching more. "That Will Turner is the cutest boy in the world," Paige had gushed while they watched Pirates of the Caribbean one afternoon.

"I don't know…Captain Jack Sparrow sure is fun, and he's handsome to boot!" Patty retorted.

"I like Will too, only it's too bad he's old now, he's like…almost 40 now! Well, the actor who plays him at least," Teecie replied.

Teecie introduced the girls to the world of musicals, which Patty found less than interesting. While Teecie and Paige watched My Fair Lady, Patty slipped out of the house, and ran into Lucius while he fed the sheep in the barn.

Patty watched Lucius curiously, standing a few feet behind him, with her hands behind her back. "Are the sheep very soft?" she finally asked after a minute of watching him.

Lucius was startled and turned to see who was behind him. "Oh, hello…which one are you again?" he asked.

"Patty," she replied.

"Patty," Lucius repeated, "Yes, the sheep are very soft. Would you like to pet one? They're pretty calm beasts," he said, inviting Patty to approach the pen he was standing in front of.

Patty stepped over to the pen and gingerly put a hand inside to pet the nearest sheep. She smiled as she ran her fingers over the soft wool. "Do you like being a farmer, Mr. Malfoy?" Teecie had told her a few things about her father, and she'd heard a few things from her parents, but looking at the aged, but proud figure before her, she saw no reason to fear him.

Lucius considered the question for a moment before responding. "Yes, I suppose I do. It was my choice to become a farmer, you know. It's always fun and enjoyable to do what _you_ want in life, Patty, always remember that," he said with a warm smile on his face.

"All right," she replied. Just then, they heard a loud rustling in the hay loft above them.

Lucius furrowed his brow and walked to the ladder. It took him a few minutes to reach the top. Patty could hear him from above as he started yelling. "You two get out of this loft this instant! You should be ashamed of yourselves, behaving like this! Snogging while you said you were practicing Quidditch! Get down!" Patty watched as Paul and Kali scrambled down the ladder and ran out of the barn while holding hands. Her eyes were wide as she watched Lucius carefully climb down the ladder while only using one foot. It was something he'd obviously adjusted to over the years he'd lived on the property.

"Are you all right, Mr. Malfoy?" Patty asked. She remembered his heart attack from the year before, and worried that something like that might upset him so much he'd have another one.

"I'm fine," he replied. "Kids," he muttered to himself. He led Patty out of the barn, and they walked over to where Paul and Kali were now practicing Quidditch. There were extra brooms available, so within a few minutes, the four people were playing a fun game of Quidditch together.

When the movie ended, Paige and Teecie went outside and cheered the players on. Teecie felt a pang of jealousy to see her father giving Patty flying and playing advice. He was her father, not Patty's! Maybe it was time to give flying another try. Though the last time she'd played Quidditch, the snitch had gotten stuck in her hair, so maybe she shouldn't.

Finally, Teecie couldn't take it any longer and mounted a broom. She kicked off and flew several feet off the ground; though well below the rest of the players. "Can I play too?" she called out.

"Sure, baby, come on up!" Lucius called out to her. After she flew up another foot, she stopped, unwilling to go any further. "I've been playing as beater, but if you want to be a beater, I'll switch to playing chaser, my old position," he called down to Teecie. Teecie nodded her head and watched as Lucius flew down to her, holding the bludger in his hand. He carefully explained how to use it as he handed the bat and ball over to her before flying back up to the rest of the players.

Teecie struggled as the bludger tried to fly out of her hands. It reminded her of the sensation she felt when the snitch had embedded itself in her hair. She looked up at the other players as they flew around in the air. Paul and Lucius tossed the quaffle around while Kali flew around looking for the snitch, and Patty floated in front of the goal post. Teecie couldn't decide who to aim the bludger at, and finally chose her father. "Dad, I'm gonna throw the bludger at you!" she called out to him.

"Honey, it's supposed to be a surprise, you don't tell the person!" he shouted at her.

Teecie waited another minute before throwing the bludger straight up in the air, and swinging the bat at it. Unfortunately, she missed, and swung the bat against her broomstick instead, smashing the broom to pieces underneath her, and sending her flailing to the ground. The bludger, not getting any momentum from the bat, came crashing down on her backside before bouncing off and coming to rest on the ground next to her. Teecie screamed in pain as she hit the ground and again when the bludger hit her.

Paige had witnessed the scene, screamed as well, and ran over to her. "Oh Teecie, are you all right? Are you hurt?" she cried while kneeling down to look at her.

Adriana heard the screams, and ran out of the house in time to see her youngest daughter lying in a heap on the ground while the group of players stood around her. "Teecie!" she cried while running up to her. "What happened here?"

"My finger really hurts!" Teecie cried, sniffling in pain, "And so does my bum!" She held up her hand to show her mother, and cried out again to see her finger bent at an unnatural angle. "Ow!" she cried before biting her lip and looking up at Adriana. Teecie could tell her mother wanted to fix the broken bones right then, or take her to the nearest Muggle hospital, but she wanted to go to a magical hospital instead. She stood up and looked at her mother carefully. "Mum, can we go to St. Mungo's? That way I can watch what they do," she said, hoping her mother would see reason and allow her to do this. She didn't want to miss this opportunity.

Adriana frowned as she looked at her daughter's hand. "All right, but I'll put a pain relieving spell on you, and that's not negotiable. Come on, let's go," she said while carefully putting her arm around Teecie's shoulders and walking with her into the house.

Teecie had returned later that evening as good as new, and with an inspiring experience to draw from. She'd never had to go to a healer before for herself. She'd spent plenty of time at St. Mungo's last summer after her father's heart attack, but had never been a patient. Lillian had been the name of the woman who'd taken care of the broken finger and chipped coccyx. She had carefully explained to Teecie everything she did, what the potions she gave to her were made of, and the names and words to the spells she put on Teecie to repair the broken bones. Lillian also showed her a spectral image of her broken finger. Teecie watched with rapt fascination as a picture of her bones floated in midair. "That's me?" she asked quietly.

Lillian smiled. "Yes, that's you," she replied.

"Wow," Teecie whispered. After a minute, she turned to the healer. "Show me my bum!"

Teecie had also worked on re-forging her relationship with her parents over the holiday. Lucius and Adriana had started treating her like a mature young adult. She now saw her parents as actual people with flaws. It had been hard to adjust to that idea, of her parents being less than perfect, but she'd had enough time to get used to it by now.

In the first couple weeks of the holiday, Teecie had talked to Lucius about his past. They had talked about it while taking care of the animals in the morning. She could tell it was a sad subject from the first time she had asked him about it. "Dad, what made you become a Death Eater?"

Lucius's shoulders had slumped as he listened to the question. He'd known this was coming. Setting the milk pail down and sitting on the bale of hay next to him, he looked into Teecie's eyes with a sad look on his face. "Teecie, I know you've talked to Snape about his Death Eater involvement, so some of this might sound familiar to you. I came from a very strict household. The Malfoy name had had the highest status in the Wizarding world for several centuries before I was even born. My father, Janos, was very proud of that. He was proud that we were pureblooded and rich beyond our wildest dreams. He taught me to be that way too. He taught me to look down upon Muggles and the Muggleborn, and I did that without questioning it. He wasn't the nicest of men, in fact, he was very abusive," Lucius paused, wondering how detailed to get. He decided to let her ask about that if she wanted to know. "Anyway, he got involved with Voldemort from very early on, and wanted me to follow in his footsteps. So, steps were taken to ensure that I came to see Voldemort as the right choice for a leader. I followed him blindly and willingly. I was only a few years older than you are now. I lived that life for almost thirty years before I met your mother. In that time I did horrible things. You already know about that. Your mum helped me see that there were better things in life than hating and hurting people, so I left that life behind me, and began again here," Lucius knew he'd left gaping holes in his story, but didn't want to scare her too much at once.

Teecie stood before him, looking at his face with a look of intense scrutiny upon her own. "What about your mum? You didn't say anything about her," she finally replied.

Lucius flinched. His mother was still a very painful subject for him to talk about. "My mother…I…don't like to talk about her very much," he said quietly.

Teecie looked at her father as he spoke, and wondered why he didn't like to talk about her. Had she run out on him perhaps? Maybe she and his father hadn't been married, like Lucius and Adriana. Or she might have been just as abusive as his father. "Why not?" she asked finally.

"She…died…when I was very young," he slowly replied in a quiet, hollow voice.

"How did she die?" Teecie asked, biting her lip and looking closely at her father.

"Teecie…you don't need to know this. It'll only cause you more pain," Lucius replied, his throat tightening as tears threatened to fill his eyes.

"But this is a part of who I am too. This is my family heritage, our story. I need to know."

Lucius sighed and hung his head in shame. "All right," he began in little more than a whisper. "My mother's name was Rowena…" he went on to tell how Janos and Voldemort had planned to draw him to Voldemort's side by killing Rowena. He was angry by the time he'd finished. "It had all been based on a lie! My whole life and all the choices I'd made. I'd ruined other people's lives without any remorse because of it. That's what made me change. I had to make up for it all. I try to live my life in a way that would have made her proud," his voice softened as he spoke again, "I miss her so much."

Teecie had started to cry during the tale, and threw her arms around her father. Together, they cried in silence for several minutes before she spoke. "Oh dad, I wish I could have known my grandmother. Do you think she would have liked Reni and Kali and me?"

Lucius took Teecie's face in his hands and kissed her cheeks. "She would have loved you girls. She would have loved how free all three of you are, to make your own choices about what you want to do with your life," he replied.

Teecie looked into her father's eyes. She could tell he still blamed himself for his mother's death, even though it hadn't been his fault. "She would have been proud of you too dad," she said while embracing him. Lucius buried his face in Teecie's hair, and wept.

Teecie hadn't been involved in Reni's wedding plans very much; though she had been happily surprised when Adriana told her she and Kali would be bridesmaids. "Oh mum! What kind of dresses has Reni picked out yet? Do you think they'll be pretty dresses? I'm sure they won't be pink, she'll probably make us wear black or something, but at a wedding mum? Black? I mean, I can see black at a funeral, but not at a wedding," she babbled while her mother listened with a small smile on her face.

When Teecie paused to catch her breath, Adriana broke in. "Well, if you're done, I'll tell you about the dresses. Reni has chosen a lovely evergreen satin for the women's robes. The men will be wearing black robes with silver accents," she explained.

"Robes? But what about dresses? I wanted to wear a dress like the butterfly dress from last year! If I ever get married, I'm not wearing robes, I'm going to wear a big white dress like in Gone With the Wind! With hoops and everything," Teecie declared.

"These are nice robes, honey, not like school robes. It's a lot like a dress," Adriana explained, "It has a lovely black sleeveless, vee-necked bodice, tied with silver ribbons, and the skirt is evergreen satin. It's full and flows to the ground, but has a slit on the left side just up to the knee. You'll wear black stockings and evergreen high heeled shoes. You'll look great, I promise."

The description lessened Teecie's reservations about wearing robes, and she soon relaxed and listened as her mother explained the rest of the wedding details.

Since there would be so many people in attendance, it had been decided that the wedding would take place on the property, as would the reception afterwards. It would take place in the middle of August, then Reni and Peter would be honeymooning in the States, touring all the musical sites that the country had to offer. They'd be going to Graceland, Tennessee, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and many other places. Hunter would be staying at the property during this time.

There would be a buffet dinner at the reception, with all sorts of delicious appetizers and dishes for the guests to eat. The cake had been the cause of many headaches among the wedding planners, but a compromise had finally been reached. Two 5-tiered vanilla cakes with raspberry buttercream filling would be covered with white fondant icing. Silver musical notes and gold snitches would be painted in edible paint onto the fondant. At the seam of each level, where the next layer of cake was placed on top of the larger piece beneath it, red and yellow rosebuds with small green stems that had the thorns removed.

Teecie's heart fluttered in spite of herself as she heard she'd be walking down the aisle with Stephen Weasley, one of the groomsmen. She knew he was happily involved with another girl, but she still had a bit of a crush on him. They had had a physical relationship in the past, but it had never evolved beyond snogging and the occasional feeling up of Teecie's chest, but she was still quite fond of him. But she had to get over that. There was no way she'd ever get together with Stephen, so she just had to stop thinking about him in that way.

After Teecie convinced herself of this, she had the inexplicable urge to write to James. She spent the rest of the afternoon writing a letter to him, asking how his holiday had been going and how Candace was. She made it sound as friendly and nonchalant as possible, for there really was no other reason behind it other than to get caught up with him. When she'd sent off the letter with Snowflake, her owl, she spent the rest of the afternoon thinking about James, in spite of her best efforts not to.

The next day, Teecie received a response from James. She spent quite a while reading and rereading it.

Dear Teecie,

This is great, writing back and forth like this! I'm glad you decided to be my friend again. Well, let's see, what is interesting about my holiday so far? Sirius is out of school and we snuck into Knockturn Alley once. He'd heard about this place, and so we snuck into this club called the Knockturn Alley Mission. Boy, were there a lot of interesting things there! They have a stage area where girls dance around in their underclothes. That was a lot of fun to watch! But we got caught and had to have our dad come get us. That was a month ago and I'm still grounded from it!

Candace is doing well. I haven't been able to see her yet, but we've been writing back and forth too. I really wish I could see her again soon, because I really miss her a lot.

I've tried to get my dad to tell me what he's going to teach us this year, so we can get a head start on studying, but he won't tell me anything. I'll keep you informed if I do get any information out of him.

Well, I'd better end this letter now. I promised Candace I'd write to her today too, and that will take some time. She likes it when I write long letters to her. Anyway, it's great to hear from you. I hope all the wedding plans are going well.

Keep in Touch,

James

The letter left Teecie feeling very upset. James and Sirius had snuck into a strip joint! At least they'd gotten into a lot of trouble for it! He was still happily together with Candace, and for some reason, that bothered her a lot. When she'd read the letter for the fourth time, she was very surprised to feel tears streaming down her cheeks.

Teecie threw herself face down onto her pillow and allowed herself to cry her eyes out. The more she thought about it, the more she came to see she still liked James. But James had moved on. He didn't like her anymore. As she thought about this, the tears flowed faster. She was so upset that she didn't hear her mother knock on the door and come into the room.

"Teecie, darling, what's the matter?" Adriana asked while rushing to her daughter's side.

Teecie sat up and threw her arms around her mother. "Oh mum! I'm so unhappy! I'm the most unhappy girl there ever was!" she cried into Adriana's shoulder.

Adriana rocked her daughter for a minute before talking again. "Tell me about it darling."

In between sobs, Teecie slowly told her mother. "I wrote to James, and he's going out with Candace. He started going out with her after we broke up. But…but…" her voice trailed off as she realized she had almost uttered words she'd never spoken before, and wasn't sure she was ready to say yet.

"But what, dear?" Adriana asked kindly, brushing the curls out of Teecie's eyes.

"But…I think…I think I…" Teecie couldn't say it. She wasn't ready to yet.

Adriana smiled sadly and hugged her daughter. "I know, I understand," she said in a soothing voice. Poor kid, she thought to herself, love was such a scary thing when experiencing it for the first time.

"What should I do, mum?" Teecie asked quietly.

Adriana sighed. "I think you already know the answer to that. You just need time to think about it and become comfortable with it. I'll tell you a secret though, something I've never told any of you girls. Your father and I had been together for three whole years before he ever told me he loved me. I was so excited when he told me that. So, in that aspect, you take after your father. Take your time and don't do anything before you feel that you're ready to, and everything will work out just fine," she said before hugging Teecie again.

"Do you really think so?"

Adriana smiled wisely. "I know so," she replied while standing up to leave the room. James had always seemed so devoted to Teecie. She suspected that this other girl was just somebody to fill the void he'd felt after the break-up last year. He was still probably in love with Teecie though, and once he got wind of her feelings, he'd drop Candace in a heartbeat. Poor girl, she thought to herself. Boys really could be insensitive at that age.

Teecie had spent the rest of her day feeling miserable, but somewhat hopeful for her future.

Soon enough though, the wedding started taking over everybody's lives. Reni's best mate Rhiannon Courtland was the maid of honour, and spent a lot of time with Adriana planning the bridal shower. Kali and Teecie, as bridesmaids, were also helping plan the party. "So, can we hire a male stripper mum?" Teecie had asked one afternoon.

Adriana's jaw dropped open in shock and she gaped at her youngest child for a few seconds before starting to laugh. Kali and Rhiannon laughed as well. "Well, I wouldn't mind, but I'm sure your father wouldn't approve of that, honey!" Adriana gasped while laughing.

"Like you'd even know what to do with a naked man!" Rhiannon laughed.

Teecie smartly kept her mouth shut lest she incriminate herself unnecessarily. "Fine then, what other sorts of things do you do at a bridal shower?" she asked.

Adriana shut a book she'd been looking through for game ideas. "Reni will not play any of these games. I think we need to make some of our own up," she replied. "Some of them will work. We can make a list of questions about Reni to see who knows her best, but anything with a clothespin or a roll of toilet paper is out. We can't have her walk out on her own party after all."

The group sat around thinking about games to play. Rhiannon wasn't much help, for she seemed to feel the same way that Reni did about games. In the end, they came up with a few. They planned on interviewing Peter, to ask Reni questions about him. That way they could see how well she knew him. They'd also play a divination game in which they foretold the future for the happy couple. Adriana thought that Reni might enjoy going around the room and listening to everybody talk about their first kiss. Teecie wondered which kiss she should talk about. James had kissed her for the very first time, but she hadn't asked for it. But the thought of talking about kissing James made her want to cry again, so she realized she couldn't talk about him. Her thoughts turned to when she and Rey had kissed, and had gotten into trouble with Draco for it. That would make for a fun story, so she decided to share that one with the group.

During most of this time, Lucius was in the barn trying to stay out of the way. On more than one occasion, he found himself talking with Peter, who also found the barn to be a good escape from the rigors of making wedding plans. It was during these times alone that they made plans on the bachelor party. While all the women met for the bridal shower, all the men would go to the Leaky Cauldron for drinks. Lucius felt nervous to be around so many Weasleys by himself, and insisted that Snape and Draco accompany him. There were much fewer details to be worked out for the bachelor party. As long as there was enough alcohol, there was really no issue. Most of the time in the barn was spent with Lucius and Peter trying to figure out why it took so much time for the women to plan a simple party.

Teecie had been reading in the hay loft one afternoon, and watched as her father talked to Peter. Hunter was there too, toddling back and forth between the two men. "So…how do you feel about becoming an instant father?" Lucius asked casually, though Teecie could tell that he was dangerously calm, and was primed and ready to strike if need be, depending on Peter's response.

"I'm really looking forward to it. I have five brothers and sisters of my own, so I'm used to helping out with children. Hunter's great! Did Reni tell you I plan on adopting him? After the honeymoon and we move into our own home. He'll be my son legally, though he already is in my heart," Peter replied while bending down to pick Hunter up and kiss his cheek.

"I've heard rumour of that," Lucius replied curtly. Teecie couldn't understand why her father wasn't happy. Hunter would have a real father now.

Peter must have caught on to Lucius's displeasure, for after looking at him, he promptly delivered Hunter to Lucius's arms. "Of course nothing will replace the love and care you've given him in life so far. You and Adriana will always have a special place in Hunter's life. You are his grandfather after all," he said while slowly backing away.

"Love you dada!" Hunter said while gazing up at Lucius.

"I love you too, Hunter," Lucius replied while turning away from Peter and hugging his grandson tightly to him, "Nothing will ever change that."

Hunter began to wiggle in Lucius's arms. Twisting around, he held out his arms to Peter. "Bee!" he cried.

Instinctively, Peter walked up to Hunter. "What is it kiddo?" he asked.

"Love you bee!" Hunter cried while grabbing Peter's hand, though maintaining his hold on Lucius as well.

"I love you too," Peter replied quietly. When he looked at Lucius, he knew it was time to leave. "Well, I'd better go see how Reni's doing. I'll leave you two alone." With that, he turned away and walked back to the house.

Teecie gazed at her father while he held Hunter tightly to his chest. She'd always thought he'd have been exited to have Reni and Hunter out of the house. It was a small house and there were too many people living there. Now that she thought about it, he'd always been very fond of Hunter. He'd been the one to hold onto Hunter while he'd taken his first steps. He'd been the one Hunter called "dada."

The house would be very quiet after Reni and Hunter moved out. Lucius and Adriana would be alone in the house while Teecie and Kali were in school. Perhaps they'd be lonely with no more children in the house. She knew Adriana would miss her only grandchild horribly. She caught glimpses of Adriana after Reni talked about moving out, and could tell it was a very painful thought for her. And with the way her father had acted, it was just as painful a subject for him as well. But then again, the house would be empty, and they'd have time to talk and spend time alone. They would have a chance to rekindle their own relationship now. And after her experiences on her birthday, Teecie had a better idea of what her parents would most likely spend a lot of their time alone doing. Maybe they wouldn't mind an empty house after all.

The next week was the bridal shower. All the Weasley women on Peter's side of the family were going to attend the party as well as Tanith, Mel, and Liss. The younger girls were thrilled at being allowed to attend the party with all the grownups. They chatted happily in the living room while waiting for the other guests to arrive.

Teecie was supposed to act as a hostess to greet all the guests and take their purses and gifts when they arrived. Some of them flooed, while others came to the front door. She was nervous about Professor Weasley coming to the house. It couldn't be too much fun to have a professor at your house.

The house was growing loud from the large amount of people in it. The Weasleys sure seemed like a fun-loving group of people. Molly had never been to the property before, and was duly impressed with the size of the farm, though she tried her best not to show it. She'd never been too fond of Adriana, and wasn't looking forward to the prospect of being related to her in any way.

Professor Weasley walked around the house and looked at all the books, paintings, and DVD's they had. Teecie looked at her nervously, wondering what she was thinking about the house, and if she'd let slip what had happened on Valentine's Day to her mother. "Professor Weasley, how are you today?" she asked politely.

"Please, we're family now, outside of school you may call me Hermione," she replied while smiling warmly.

"OK, Hermione, how are you today?"

"I'm fine thank you. And you?"

"I'm fine as well. I'm just hoping nothing goes wrong today. My mum has worked so hard over this holiday to get the wedding just right. I'd hate for anything to upset her today," Teecie said innocently, though hoping her professor would get the point.

"Ah, yes. I'm sure nothing like that will happen," Hermione replied while gazing at a painting of the late Albus Dumbledore.

Teecie felt confident after that that there would be no problems from Hermione, and turned her attentions to the other guests. Reni, Penny, and Angelina were talking in one corner of the room while Adriana, Fleur, and Tanith chatted in the kitchen. Kali was sitting on the couch and talking to the other girls, but nobody was talking to Ginny, who was sitting alone in a chair in the far corner of the living room. She seemed nervous, and Teecie wondered what was wrong. Suddenly she remembered all the research about her father last year, and how much of a victim Ginny had been at her father's hands. A wave of guilt swept over Teecie as she thought about this.

Teecie walked over to Ginny. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Longbottom, how are you today?" she asked politely.

"Oh, hello Teecie, please call me Ginny. I'm fine," Ginny replied while crossing her arms defensively.

"Would you like something to eat or drink?"

"That's all right; I don't need anything right now."

Teecie could see the nervousness in Ginny's eyes still. Shame welled up inside of her once again. "My father isn't here right now, if that's what you're so worried about," she said quietly before turning and leaving the room. She walked into her bedroom, closed the door, and sat down on her bed. Maybe this had been a horrible mistake, letting all those people come to their house. As she sat on the bed wishing the party was over and the guests had left, there was a knock on her door. "Come in," she called out to whoever was on the other side of the door.

Adriana stuck her head inside the room. "Teecie, there you are! We're about to start the games, come and join us," she said to her daughter before shutting the door again. Sighing, Teecie stood up and left her room before proceeding to the living room.

The loud group of women played silly games and talked for hours. Teecie was looking forward to talking about their first kisses. Finally they got to that game. Reni told them about her first kiss first. "It was with a boy named Wade Stimpson when I was thirteen. He was in my class. We were in the same Music Club, and we'd sat next to each other in History of Magic class all year. One night, we were the last ones in the common room, and we were sitting next to each other on the sofa. I'd been working on my Charms homework, but couldn't really concentrate anymore, so I put down my book and looked over at Wade. He'd put his homework away too, and was staring at me. I smiled, sat up, and leaned over to kiss him. He was surprised, but soon he got into it, throwing me onto the sofa and snogging me senseless. I don't know how he got my bra off during that time though…Anyway, that's all," she concluded happily.

Molly went next. "My first kiss was with a boy named Henry Morrison. We were fourteen years old, and had gone to Hogsmeade on a date. It was on the way back to the school that he leaned over and kissed my cheek. I put my hand in his, and we walked back to the Great Hall for dinner. Before I left to return to Gryffindor Tower, he kissed me on the lips and wished me a good night. He was a nice boy," she said while blushing.

"Kali, why don't you tell us yours," Adriana called over to her daughter. Teecie knew Kali was a very shy person when not on the Quidditch pitch. She blushed a deep red and shook her head. "No? All right, Teecie, why don't you go next," Adriana said. She knew that Teecie's first kiss had been when James had kissed her during their first year, and wondered if she'd tell that story.

"Well…OK, Rey and I used to go out in second year," Teecie started, feeling a little nervous to be talking about such an intimate act, "One night after a Potions Club meeting we stayed in Draco's classroom to talk. Rey had always been nice and held my hand, and was a perfect gentleman, but he never went any farther. So, I finally asked him why he never tried to kiss me, and he finally did, right then. When we were done kissing, I looked up at the door and saw Draco standing there. He'd come back for something and had seen the entire thing! He got so angry he took points from our houses, gave us both detention, and an essay on proper public decorum." She looked around to see what the others thought of the story.

"My, Draco sort of over-reacted I'd say," Adriana replied, though she smiled.

"What about your first kiss, mum?" Teecie asked.

"Mine was on my wedding day, to Geoffrey," Adriana said with a faraway look in her eyes. "I'd never been allowed to be alone with him before then of course," she explained to the listening crowd, "Not in those days, with an arranged marriage."

"You had an arranged marriage?" Molly asked incredulously.

"It's the way things were done then," Adriana replied quietly, feeling very old suddenly.

Penny went next. "Percy and I kissed for the first time when he was a sixth year and I was a fifth year student at school. We were both prefects, and walked the halls of the school at night together on occasion. He'd just finished polishing his badge when he looked into my eyes and said, 'would you mind if I kissed you?' I said it was fine by me, and he leaned in to kiss me. It was nice," she said matter-of-factly.

The rest of the women had their chance to talk about their first kisses before the gifts and refreshments. Reni received a lot of lingerie for her wedding night, though the naughtiest came from Adriana. It was an edible teddy, strawberry flavoured, and was very small. "You know, for if Peter gets hungry from all the exercise he'll be getting," Adriana explained with a wicked grin on her face.

"But what about me? What if I get hungry?" Reni exclaimed.

"Open the next box," Adriana instructed.

Reni promptly opened the next box to take out a pair of matching edible boxers for Peter to wear. "Thanks mum. Peter will get a kick out of this!" she replied while laughing.

Patty, Paige, and Teecie were in charge of handing out refreshments to the other guests. They were sitting around, talking and eating, when the telephone rang. Adriana ran to pick it up. Her tone of voice soon brought the party to a screeching halt, as did what she revealed when she'd hung up the phone.

Once the women had vented their anger at the bachelor party that had gotten out of control, and left, Adriana cleaned up the house in a few minutes, while the girls took the gifts to Reni's room. Things were quiet for the rest of the evening. Hunter was at a sleepover with his cousin Roo at Black Manor that night, and Lucius was in jail, so it was just Adriana and the girls that evening.

After a quiet supper, Teecie got ready for bed and left for the hay loft. Who knew what lay in store for the next day after everybody got out of jail? The wedding was in a week, how would it go with all those people in close proximity to each other? Ginny hated Lucius, as did most of the Weasley clan. Molly hated Adriana. And worst of all, Reni and Kali, when it came down to it, weren't fans of big crowds. Reni liked to be in front of the crowd normally, not in the middle of it, and Kali also liked being in front of a crowd, though only in a Quidditch situation. Teecie didn't mind though, she quite enjoyed crowds of people, when they were getting along, that is.

Teecie fell asleep that night hoping that something good would hopefully come out of the wedding. But, only time would tell.


	50. The Wedding

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: Well, the wedding has finally arrived! Yes, Teecie seems to have chosen a career path, but it's a long and winding path. She is only 14 after all. They boy-crazy phase of her life is far from over as you will see over the course of this next coming year. I might not be posting the next chapter for a couple weeks, I'm still behind in my writing. I just started a new job and I'm going to be in the process of preparing to move at the end of the month, so please be patient, but know that I am still working on the story. But here's the next one, so enjoy!

The Wedding

Adriana went down to London the next day. Her first stop was at Gringotts Bank, where she withdrew some money that she had changed into Muggle currency. Next, she went to the station, bailed out the men, and obliviated every officer's mind before leaving. Since she didn't need a wand, the officers had no idea anything was being done to them.

Once Lucius was back at home, the girls demanded to know what had happened at the bachelor party the night before. He sat down in a chair and proceeded to tell them the entire story.

It had started off well. Lucius, Draco, and Snape had all arrived at the Leaky Cauldron at the same time, and had a few minutes to talk before the Weasleys started trickling in. Keith Goodwyn, Peter's best man, had made arrangements for a private room at the pub, and ushered the party members into the room when they'd all arrived.

Lucius had forgotten just how many Weasleys there were. Arthur, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, Harry, Peter, Paul, Stephen, and Pierre were all in attendance. Lucius and Arthur had made their peace with each other earlier in the summer, which was the only thing that made a meeting of this sort possible.

After several minutes of awkward silence, the barman arrived with several flagons of ale and mugs for everybody. Soon, everyone was enjoying the ale and talking loudly to one another.

The Malfoy side of the party stayed away from the alcohol, and watched as most of the Weasleys got thoroughly drunk. Peter had stayed away from drinking as well, and Lucius watched as he moved over to talk with Draco.

Draco pulled Peter aside to have a little chat with him. "If you hurt my sister, or treat her like anything less than the princess she is, I'll kill you. I'm serious. I learned the Unforgivables when I was a child, so don't even think I won't," he hissed at Peter. Peter's eyes grew wide and he slowly backed away from his former Potions Master. Lucius had been sitting close enough to listen to his son threaten his future son-in-law.

As soon as he turned around though, Lucius saw that Snape was waiting for his turn to talk to Peter. Snape had informed him later that night of what he'd said to Peter. "Mr. Weasley, I'd like to have a chat with you," he said while beckoning Peter to another corner of the room. "Renata is my goddaughter, Mr. Weasley, and I am extremely fond of her. I helped raise her for the first year of her life, and so I'd like to ensure her happiness as she begins a new life with you. I'm sure you won't do anything to hurt my goddaughter's feelings, now, will you?" Snape's eyes glinted dangerously.

"I can assure you Professor Snape, I only have the best of intentions towards your goddaughter. I love her with all my heart, sir," Peter replied.

Snape looked appraisingly at Peter for a minute. "All right, but I'll be keeping an eye on you," he said before walking away.

Lucius had heard Draco and Snape planning on threatening and waylaying Peter and got a kick out of watching him sweat over it. Soon, his attentions turned towards the members of the party who'd been drinking and growing louder.

Fred was laughing loudly now, and stood up on his chair, took a sip of his ale, and proceeded to start singing, "Hoggy warty Hogwarts!" over and over again. After a few minutes though, Arthur stood up and pulled his son down off the chair.

When the party kept growing louder, the barman stepped into the room and told them to quiet down or they'd have to leave. A very drunken Charlie stood up and asked the barman why he couldn't just put a charm around the door to keep the noise from annoying the other customers. When the man replied that he was a squib and unable to do so, Charlie found that highly amusing and laughed in the man's face before hugging him. "This guy…this guy here…I love this guy!" he slurred while putting his arm around the barman's shoulders.

It was at this moment when the barman got so angry he kicked everybody out of the pub. Keith paid the bill while the other men milled about, wondering what to do next. Lucius didn't know which person got the bright idea to stumble into Muggle London, but half of them had already walked into the street before he could even try to stop them.

Lucius walked behind the group, realizing the irony that though he had been a Death Eater in his past, he was in fact the person with the most knowledge of the Muggle world of the entire group. He shook his head as he thought about this while the group made a bee-line for the nearest Muggle pub. It wasn't until he saw the name of the pub that he realized this was the wrong place for the group. The Queen's Crossing Pub and Eatery, it had been on the telly recently and was hyped as the latest, greatest gay bar in London. They were known for their cross-dressing musical performances. They had drag queens who dressed as all sorts of female celebrities past and present, and lip-synced to any song imaginable.

A very ugly "woman" named Cherry was on the stage. She had a green sequined thigh-length dress, a red haired wig, and huge breasts. She looked like a rugby player stuffed into a dress. Right in the middle of the song she was singing, Charlie realized she was not quite what she seemed to be. "Dad," he hissed, hitting his father on the arm lightly, "I just thought I'd let you know, I think that might be a man." Arthur thanked Charlie for the information and turned to look at the scene with fascination.

Lucius was trying to get the group to leave when a man with long purple dreadlocks and no shirt on walked up to him. "I've never seen you here before," he said, smiling flirtatiously at Lucius.

Lucius rolled his eyes while nodding his head and looked over the man's shoulder to see Draco and Snape laughing at him from several feet away. "I'm just passing through," he said, stepping aside to walk to his group.

The man stepped in front of Lucius as he tried to pass by. "Well, we could have some fun for the night, if you want to," the man said while licking his lips and reaching his hand out to touch Lucius's shoulder.

Lucius put his arms up to prevent the man from touching him. "Listen, I'm just here to get my group of friends to leave. Now, I'll thank you to leave me alone," he said, trying to stay calm.

"Oh? Thank me how?" the man winked at Lucius and took a step closer to him. "You're really hot, did you know that?"

"Yes, in fact I did, good evening," Lucius said, walking around the man and over to Draco and Snape.

"Father, we need to leave now," Draco said. Together, the three men rounded up the rest of the group and led them out the door.

Arthur saw another pub across the street and started walking towards it. He was startled once he got inside at the large amount of people that were screaming and yelling at something.

Lucius could see the telly screens at the pub. There was a very important England vs. Australia football game being broadcast. The people there were very enthusiastic in their support for their home country.

Arthur was again fascinated to see the telly screens with the images of Muggles playing their sports. He noticed that everybody was cheering on the team in the blue outfits, so he decided to root for the team in green.

When the green team scored a goal, Arthur cheered, which spurred the rest of his family to cheer as well. This was met with less than happy looks on the other people's faces. This went on for a while, the crowd growing more and more angry over the support Australia was receiving from the group of intruders, until the barman told them to leave.

Australia scored another goal. Arthur and the group cheered, and somebody in the crowd hit Peter. Within a second, the group was thoroughly embroiled in a battle with the rest of the crowd. Lucius, being very unstable on his feet, and unable to participate, tried to get the rest of his party to leave the pub. It was high time the night was over.

Right as Lucius had drug Draco out of the pub, the police arrived and arrested everybody involved in the fighting. Draco and Lucius got swept up in this and ended up being sent to jail for the night as well.

Lucius spent the night in a cell with Draco, Snape, and half of the Weasleys. He didn't get any sleep, seeing as Fred kept singing, "Hoggy, warty, Hogwarts" throughout the night, and on occasion, Charlie joined in.

When he'd finished his story, Lucius ate a quick breakfast before taking his leave and going to sleep for the rest of the morning. "I swear, when Teecie and Kali get married, their fiancées had better not have any bachelor parties, or at least none that I'll be going to. One is more than enough for me," he muttered while eating.

"Father, I can't believe you allowed Draco and Uncle Sev to speak to Peter that way!" Reni cried angrily. She had been very upset since hearing about the threats made to her fiancé in the pub the night before.

"Relax honey, it was only a joke. It's sort of a rite of passage at a bachelor party. The groom-to-be is harassed and threatened by the bride-to-be's male relatives," Lucius explained while biting into a slice of bacon.

"Well I'm going to see if he's all right," Reni said before storming over to the fireplace and flooing to Peter's house.

Teecie and Kali laughed over hearing about their father being hit on by another man, but were worried that the men might have gotten hurt in the fight. Lucius assured them that everybody was fine before standing up and leaving the room to sleep for the rest of the morning.

"This stays in the house, got it?" Adriana asked the girls as they sat at the table recounting the story. Teecie and Kali reassured their mother that they'd never tell a soul about any of it.

The rest of the week passed pleasantly and uneventfully for the most part. On Friday the family went to the Burrow for the wedding rehearsal. The wedding would be at the property, but seeing as the Weasleys would be hosting the dinner, Molly, the Weasley matriarch, insisted on having it at the Burrow.

Roo and Mel were the ring bearer and flower girl and seemed unusually rambunctious, and had to be reprimanded several times as they ran around the backyard. Teecie and Kali tried to keep them from misbehaving too much, but didn't have much success. Tanith finally had to scold them and threaten them with no pudding after dinner that evening. They calmed down after that.

Teecie could tell that Paige was a little jealous that she wasn't in the wedding and Teecie was. There were times that Paige would stare at her and then look away really fast, or glare at her, and there was no other explanation other than jealousy. Patty didn't care, which didn't surprise Teecie, but she'd never thought of Paige as the jealous type before.

When the rehearsal was over, the younger kids milled about in the backyard while the adults talked inside the house. Reni had left Hunter in his aunts' care while she and Peter were in the house. Hunter had fun playing with the older kids, toddling around, laughing, and calling out to them. He and Paige played together for a while. When Teecie called for him to come to her, he ignored her. After a minute of calling, she came over to get him herself. "Hunter, I was calling for you!" she cried while bending down to pick him up.

"Oh, Teecie, we were just playing!" Paige said while reaching out to take Hunter back.

"You've played with him long enough. It's time for his lie down now," Teecie replied loftily.

"No! No lie down Teethie!" Hunter cried.

"Yes, Hunter, we have a very big day tomorrow and you need your rest," Teecie said.

"Teecie, don't you think his mother should be the one to say if it's time for his lie down or not?" Paige asked, hands on hips.

"I'm his aunt. I can say if he needs a lie down or not," Teecie was growing defensive, and shifted Hunter to her hip and turned so he was behind her.

"But after tomorrow, he'll be a part of our family too!"

"But he's _my_ nephew! He was mine first and most! And I say he needs a lie down!"

"Well, then can I give him his lie down?" Paige held her arms out to take Hunter.

"No!" Teecie cried before walking towards the house. As she carried Hunter into the house, she thought about Reni marrying into the Weasley family. The Weasleys were such a large family, and Teecie's family was a lot smaller. Now two very important members would be leaving and joining another group. Peter would adopt Hunter and then he'd be a real Weasley, even in name. She didn't want to lose her family to the Weasleys, or any other family for that matter.

Teecie looked around the house for a bedroom. When she finally found one, she slipped inside, set Hunter down on the bed, and lay down next to him. "Come on Hunter, let's have a lie down," she said quietly while he twined his hand in hers. Hunter was quite tired, and snuggled against Teecie's body. His eyes drooped and within a couple minutes, both of them had fallen asleep.

A couple hours passed before Teecie woke up again. She sat up and saw her father standing at the foot of the bed, gazing down at the two children. "It doesn't seem like so long ago when I was putting you down for your lie down. How time flies," Lucius said quietly while reaching down to gently shake Hunter awake.

"Dad, it hasn't been so long. I'm not that old," Teecie replied while sitting up.

"Hi dada!" Hunter said groggily as he opened his eyes.

"Hello grandson. It's dinnertime, are you hungry?" Lucius asked.

Teecie stood up, taking Hunter by the hand, and led him out of the room. The three walked in silence down to the dining room where an extremely large group of people was sitting at two long tables.

Penny, Peter's mother, had hired caterers to cook for the families. There was a wonderful spread on the tables. Platters of steaming roast beef and roasted lamb, trays of grilled chicken and turkey, bowls of fluffy mashed potatoes, and a plethora of cold salads weighed down the tabletops.

Before anybody started to eat, Percy, Peter's father, stood up and looked down at Reni and Peter who sat to his left. "I'd like to propose a toast," he called out to get everybody's attention. When everybody was looking at him, he cleared his throat and began. "I'd like to thank everybody for coming today, to the rehearsal. It's a very special time, a wedding, when two families start to blend together. I'd like to officially welcome the Orendes family to our family. After tomorrow, we are one and the same. It will be quite an honour to have a man like Lucius Malfoy as a part of our great family. I have always admired Lucius, and I am honoured by the idea of being related to you." Percy turned to look at Lucius with a big smile on his face. Next, he turned to the couple sitting next to him. "Peter and Renata, I hope you'll be very happy together," Percy smiled at the couple before looking directly at Peter. "Peter, you're my firstborn son, and I love you very much. You're going to be a father now, and I know you'll be wonderful. I'm not sure if I'm used to the idea of being a grandfather, but I know Hunter will make a wonderful grandson. So, I'd like all of you," Percy turned and waved his arm over the crowd, "to raise your glasses in a toast to the happy couple. To Peter and Renata, may you have a long and happy life together," with that, Percy drained his glass of champagne.

"To Peter and Renata," the crowd murmured while raising their glasses and taking a sip of their drinks. When they'd finished, everybody began passing the food around and eating with gusto.

Teecie was sitting in the row of people next to Reni and Peter, as part of the wedding party. She was sitting across from Paige, who glared at her off and on throughout the meal. Teecie smirked at Paige a few times while she ate. "My nephew and I took a refreshing nap! I need my rest since I'm a part of the wedding tomorrow," she said to nobody in particular, though making eye contact with Paige. Paige glared at her before turning away and ignoring Teecie for the rest of the evening.

When the night was over, Teecie left with her family back to the property. Peter and Reni were going out with Rhiannon and Keith to have some fun together, so Lucius and Adriana were taking care of Hunter for the night. Adriana had invited Mel, Liss, and Roo to sleep over as well. All of the grandchildren would be spending the night at the property.

When Roo found out that Teecie had been spending the entire holiday sleeping in the hay loft, he insisted on joining her. He loved playing with Rose, who'd slept in the loft with her the whole time, and wanted to play with her that night. When Hunter saw that his older cousin would be staying in the hay loft, he ran after him to join in. Mel, Liss, and Kali didn't want to sleep outside, so Liss slept in Teecie's room and Mel slept in Reni's room.

After Teecie and the boys had gotten ready for bed, Lucius made sure they were all safely in the hay loft before putting up safety charms so nobody would accidentally fall out during the night.

Teecie and the boys had a lot of fun that night. She told them stories about Peter Pan, Captain Hook, and Wendy, stories that now had new meaning to her. Roo had always loved those stories and enjoyed adding his own elements to them. "And then, Captain Hook picked up Peter and threw him to the nasty old crocodile! And so, Captain Hook took over Neverland forever!" Roo said while standing before the huddled figures of Teecie and Hunter. Teecie pretended to be afraid, but held onto Hunter, who really was. He wasn't too scared though, for he clapped his hands after Roo finished the story and sat down next to him. "Don't worry Hunter, Captain Hook isn't anywhere near here," Roo said while smiling at him.

When the three were ready to fall asleep, Teecie settled down into the blankets with Hunter on one side and Roo on the other, and Rose snuggled comfortably on her hair. She fell asleep thinking about how much her family would be changing tomorrow.

"Kids, time to wake up! Come get some breakfast!" Lucius called up to the three sleeping children in the hay loft the next morning. Teecie's eyes fluttered open and she yawned before sitting up and rousing her nephews. When they were ready, they climbed down the ladder and went into the house for breakfast.

While Teecie ate her porridge and brown sugar and read through her latest issue of the Quibbler, an owl arrived for Reni, who'd returned that morning from spending the night at Peter's house with him. Her jaw dropped open as she read the letter. "Mother!" she cried out, gaining the attention of everybody in the room. Adriana looked at Reni with concern as she explained, "Mother, Rhiannon went and splinched herself last night after Peter and I left the club! She's in St. Mungo's right now! What will I do now? The wedding is in a few hours and she's the maid of honour."

"Is Rhiannon all right?" Adriana asked, leaning back against the kitchen sink and thinking about making last minute changes to the wedding line-up.

"Oh, she'll be fine. It's not the first time she's done it. I've told her not to drink and apparate before. It's just not a good idea," Reni replied, standing up and starting to pace the floor.

"Mummy! Look!" Hunter chose this time to get Reni's attention. When she looked over at him, he picked up his glass of milk and dumped it on his head. "Cold!" he cried while laughing at himself. Next, he picked up his bowl of porridge and stuck his face in it. When he peeled the bowl off his face a few seconds later, it was completely covered in the sticky white paste. He laughed at himself so hard his cousins couldn't help but join in.

"Adriana, Hunter's all dirty!" Liss called out while giggling.

"Yeah, Addie, he's a big mess!" Roo cried while picking his own glass of orange juice up and blowing bubbles in it.

"Hunter, don't play with your food! You're making a huge mess!" Reni cried angrily.

Lucius took his wand out of his jeans pocket, pointed it at Hunter and said, "Scourgify," and watched as the mess his grandson had made disappeared. Next, he turned to Reni. "Honey, why don't you go to your room and calm down a bit. Adriana, go with her, I'll take care of the kids." Adriana looked warily at Lucius. "Contrary to what you two may believe, I am actually capable of doing things," he said while walking over to the table where all the children were eating.

Adriana took Reni by the elbow and led her to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. "All right, everybody finish eating and we'll get ready for the wedding," Lucius instructed the kids.

It took about fifteen more minutes before everybody was done eating. Lucius led Roo and Hunter into the bathroom to clean them up before taking them into the living room to start dressing for the wedding. Kali and Teecie helped the girls clean up, then took them to their rooms and got ready as well.

Teecie put on her dress for the first time. It was very pretty, for being Slytherin colours, but it didn't fit very well. It was far too tight in the evergreen and silver bodice, and way too short in the flowing white skirt. She could hardly breathe as she had Mel zip up the back. Mel looked at the dress while Teecie gazed at herself in the mirror. "It's a bit small," she observed.

"A bit? I can't even breathe! This must be Reni's idea of a horrible joke," Teecie replied while walking to the door and out to the kitchen where her father was sitting in a chair. "Dad, there's something really wrong with my dress. It doesn't fit, it's all wrong!" she cried.

Lucius gaped at Teecie while she talked. Her body practically spilled out of the dress, and he was not about to let anybody see her like that. He frowned while standing up to walk over to her. Just before he reached her, Kali ran into the room, wearing a matching dress that was almost falling off of her. "Dad, my dress is too big!" she exclaimed. Lucius looked back and forth at his daughters, trying not to laugh. Kali and Teecie stared at one another for a minute before running into the bathroom and switching dresses.

The children were sitting nicely on the sofa watching the movie _Labyrinth_, when Adriana and Reni emerged from the bedroom. They'd come up with a plan to replace Rhiannon at the last minute. Adriana would act as matron of honour for all the pre-wedding preparations like helping her daughter dress for the day. When some of the guests arrived, they'd pull one of Reni's friends aside and have her take over the wedding and post wedding duties. Adriana could easily transfigure a dress for her, so there should be no problems.

The next couple hours passed uneventfully while Adriana helped Reni get ready for the wedding. The children managed to stay out of trouble until Draco, Tanith, Snape, and Peter's family began to arrive. Reni stayed in her room so Peter wouldn't be able to see her before the wedding, but Adriana joined the guests and acted as hostess, welcoming them to the house.

Finally, the time came to prepare for the ceremony. The guests were arriving and the ushers were busy seating them on either the bride's side or the groom's side. When one of Reni's friends arrived, they flagged her down and recruited her to take over the maid of honour position that was now vacant. Anneliese Cromwell, one of Reni's old dorm mates gladly accepted the job and went inside to get dressed.

Everybody in the wedding party began to take their places. Arthur, the Minister For Magic, and Peter's grandfather, would be performing the ceremony. He walked from the side up to the front with Peter and Keith, the best man. They stood at the front of the crowd, watching the others as they began to proceed down the aisle.

Music began to play as the procession began. Stephen and Paul, as the ushers were kept busy. Paul escorted Molly down the aisle to her seat, closely followed by Stephen escorting Penny to hers. When they'd finished, they returned to escort the next set of people. Stephen walked Adriana and Hunter down the aisle to their seat, and hurried back to escort a very nervous but excited Teecie while Paul escorted Kali down the aisle. When they'd reached the front, they separated and stood on opposite sides of the podium. Next came Anneliese as the maid of honour. She took her place at Teecie's side and turned to watch the rest of the procession. Roo and Mel were adorable as they walked down the aisle together. Every couple steps, Mel would gently trail a handful of red rose petals on the aisle floor. Roo held on tightly to his small pillow that had the rings sewn loosely onto the top. They both took their jobs very seriously, and didn't make any mistakes. When they reached the front, they took their places on opposite sides.

Finally, Lucius appeared with Reni on his arm. Teecie thought her father looked very handsome in his formal black robes. Reni looked equally beautiful in her dress. She wore a dress that suited her very well. The evergreen and silver vee-necked bodice was form fitting yet classy. The white skirt was long and flowing, and had threads of pure silver entwined throughout it. Her hair was swept back in a French twist, and she had several blue flowers that could be found on the property strewn about her hair.

Reni and Lucius walked slowly down the aisle, until the reached the front. Lucius walked slowly with the cane in one hand and Reni clinging to his other arm. If she was nervous, it didn't show on her face. She looked elegant and aloof, as usual. Her head was held high as she walked, straight-backed, down the aisle, her hand gently resting on Lucius's arm. When Arthur asked who was giving the bride to the groom, Lucius stood up straight, with a proud look on his face, and said, "Her mother and I do," before kissing Reni's cheek and taking his seat next to Adriana.

The ceremony went flawlessly except for a few moments. During the time when Arthur asked if anybody saw any reason that Peter and Reni should not be married and the crowd was completely silent for several moments, Hunter chose that time to get some attention. "Mummy! Hi mummy!" he cried at the top of his lungs while waving at Reni and bouncing up and down on Adriana's lap. With a horrified look on her face, Adriana quickly shushed Hunter while the audience looked at him and laughed quietly.

The next memorable moment came when Roo went to give the rings to the bride and groom. Never one to let a chance for attention pass him by, he decided to improvise his role. With the pillow in his hands, he bent down on one knee, held up the pillow to Reni and cried, "Your ring, my fair lady!" When Reni took Peter's ring off the pillow, Roo turned to Peter and cried, "Your ring, my good sir!" After Peter took Reni's ring off the pillow, Roo stood up, turned to the audience, bowed, and returned to his place at the front of the line. Teecie saw Draco grimace and shake his head during this performance. He looked quite angry at his son, but she hoped Draco wouldn't punish Roo for what he'd done. It had been quite enjoyable to watch.

The rest of the ceremony passed without any event. Arthur pronounced Peter and Reni "husband and wife," and the crowd applauded while they kissed for the first time as married people. When they'd finished, Arthur came to the front of the crowd and said, "It is my great pleasure to introduce you all to Mr. and Mrs. Peter Weasley." The crowd cheered as the music began once again and Reni and Peter walked hand-in-hand back down the aisle. A quarter of the way though, they stopped. Peter bent down while Reni climbed on his back. He put his arms through her legs and proceeded to give her a piggy back ride down to where the receiving line would be. Teecie laughed as she noticed her sister was wearing a pair of green and silver Doc Martin boots that matched her bodice.

Roo grabbed Mel's hand and they ran back down the aisle next. One by one, the rest of the wedding party walked back down the aisle where they stood in their assigned places at the receiving line. The guests had a chance to greet everybody as they walked over to where the reception would be held.

Adriana had hired caterers for the reception meal. Tables heavily laden with food beckoned to the hungry guests. Smaller round tables dotted the property, set up for people to sit while they ate and talked.

Teecie's head was spinning, and she didn't notice a lot of what was going on. After everybody else had gone through the line for the food, she'd finally gotten a chance to get a plate of food for herself. She sat by Draco and Tanith while eating. They had fun talking about the ceremony. Teecie tried to convince her brother not to punish Roo for his little stunt, and he seemed as though he might let it slide, which pleased her a lot.

After Teecie finished her meal, she slipped off her shoes, which had been pinching her feet, and hid them under the banquet table before walking off to see who she could talk to. Large and small groups of people stood around, eating, talking, and laughing. Patty and Paige were talking with a few of their cousins, and Teecie didn't want to deal with Paige then, so she kept looking around.

Looking over at the punch bowl, Teecie saw a very handsome boy. He had strawberry blonde hair, like Owen's, only a shade darker. He was tall and lean, but muscular. He seemed very confident in himself as he made eye contact with Teecie, smiled, and winked at her. She found herself drifting towards him, and before she knew it, she was standing in front of him. "So, this is the infamous Teecie Orendes," the boy said with a soft laugh. He poured her a cup of punch and handed it to her.

Teecie took the cup and smiled. "And you are?" she asked coyly, batting her eyelashes at the young man.

"Pierre Weasley. I'm a seventh year Ravenclaw, that's probably why you don't know me. But I've seen you around, and I must say I have liked what I saw," Pierre replied, winking again and taking a step closer to her.

Teecie's heart fluttered as she listened to Pierre lavish her with compliments. "Do you like what you see now?" she asked, taking a step towards him, making sure her vee-neck bodice was at a good angle for him to see.

Pierre looked her up and down before smiling fiercely and putting one hand over one of hers. "Most definitely," he replied. Teecie giggled, set her cup of punch down, and gently led Pierre away from the table.

Stephen Weasley had been sitting at a table talking to his girlfriend Olivia when he'd noticed the exchange between his cousin and Teecie. His mother had asked him to keep a special eye out for Teecie, to make sure she stayed safe, and he knew Pierre wasn't the kind of guy to do that. He lived for the thrill of danger, and for the pursuit of happiness, no matter who he trampled over to get it.

When he saw Teecie lead Pierre into the barn, Stephen politely excused himself from Olivia, and followed after his cousin and his latest conquest.

"Would you like to see the hay loft, Pierre? I've been sleeping out here all by myself during the holiday," Teecie said, smiling shyly at Pierre.

"All by yourself in that large hay loft? It must get cold and lonely up there in the night," he replied, walking with her over to the ladder.

"Yes, and dark too," Teecie replied. "Sometimes it gets so dark I'm afraid to be alone."

"Oh, well, we can't have that," Pierre said while he climbed the ladder.

When the couple had reached the top, they looked around and saw the flannel sheet Teecie had used to keep from getting scratched by the hay. Pierre quickly led her over to the sheet, and sat down upon it. Teecie quickly followed suit. They looked at each other seductively for a few seconds before leaning in to kiss.

Stephen gave them a few minutes head start before walking quietly into the barn. He heard rustlings in the hay loft above him, and hurried over to the ladder to climb up to the top. When he reached the top, he looked over to see Pierre with his arms wrapped around Teecie's shoulders. He was leaning back in the hay, while Teecie lay across his stomach. Pierre had undone her hair from its clasp, and it now hung in ringlets on his chest. The two were snogging heavily, and didn't seem to notice Stephen was even there. He stood up and walked over to them. "Teecie! Pierre! What do you two think you're doing?" he called down to them.

Teecie broke away from Pierre and turned over to look up at Stephen. Pierre smiled nonchalantly and said, "Hey, cuz, way to break up a wonderful time here."

"Don't you think you're a little old to be snogging a fourteen year old?" Stephen asked, taking a step forward to stand in between Pierre and Teecie.

"We were just having a little fun. Nothing to get so upset about," Pierre replied while standing up and looking down at Stephen, who stood several inches shorter than Pierre.

"Well, find somebody your own age to have some 'fun' with," Stephen replied, glaring at Pierre and making it clear there would be no further snogging with Teecie that day. Pierre sniffed in annoyance before turning and climbing down the ladder, not giving Teecie a further glance.

When Pierre had finally left the barn, Stephen knelt down at Teecie's side and looked at her. "Are you all right?" he asked quietly.

Teecie felt humiliated at having been used by Pierre for a quick snog. He hadn't even said goodbye. Sure she'd only wanted a quick snog herself, but that wasn't the point. Looking into Stephen's kind eyes brought tears of shame and humiliation to hers. Soon she was sobbing. Stephen took her in his arms and lay down in the hay next to her. They remained there in silence, while Teecie cried on his shoulder, for several minutes before she started to calm down.

They talked for quite some time in the hay loft. Teecie felt a little better after a while. She and Stephen were laughing over a joke when she looked down at her dress and noticed the bow in the front, tying the bodice shut, had been hastily untied during her snog session with Pierre. He hadn't completed the task, and left Teecie with a tight knot where the bow should be. After several unsuccessful attempts to untie the knot, Stephen tried to do it, but wasn't having much luck either. He was straddling her legs, with both hands working on the knot when they were startled by a voice. "What the hell is going on here?" Shocked, both Teecie and Stephen looked up to see Paul and Kali standing at the top of they hay loft.

Teecie scowled before shimmying out from under Stephen and standing up. "What the hell do you think is going on?" she asked haughtily. "I was trying to redo my bow, and it was in a knot, and Stephen was trying to help me," she explained before turning to her sister. "Kali, will you help me?" she asked holding the knot out to her.

While Kali helped Teecie with her bow, Paul stormed over to Stephen, who was now standing up. "Were you snogging my girlfriend's baby sister? I should kick your arse for that!" he growled.

"Oh calm down, nothing was going on! I have a girlfriend," Stephen replied, "Besides, what were you two coming up here for?"

Paul narrowed his eyes and folded his arms. "That doesn't really matter. What does matter is that you were taking advantage of a mere fourth year! How could you? My own cousin?"

Stephen sighed and rolled his eyes. "Look, for the last time, nothing happened! We were just talking, that's all," he cried.

Paul scowled at Stephen. "All right, I'll let this go for now, but I'll be keeping my eye on you," he said before turning to Teecie, "and I'll be keeping an eye on you too!"

"I can take care of myself, thank you very much!" Teecie retorted as Kali retied the bow on her bodice.

When Kali had finished with the bow, she spoke up, "All right, everybody, let's just go back to the party and forget any of this happened." When she'd finished, the four kids climbed down the ladder and walked out of the barn.

The reception continued with dancing. Reni and Peter danced first, then with others joining in, she danced with Lucius. Next, it was Uncle Sev's turn for a dance, and finally Draco's turn. When they were finished, the floor was opened to everybody else. Peter danced with his grandmother, Molly and his mother, Penny. Reni danced with Percy and Arthur. Paul and Kali danced together. Stephen and Teecie danced together, though Paul kept throwing suspicious glances at them.

Everybody had fun dancing. Teecie danced with Roo and Hunter. When Pierre asked her for a dance though, she coolly ignored him and danced with Peter instead.

Next came the cutting of the cake. The top tier of one of the cakes was carefully removed and taken to be preserved. Peter and Reni fed each other small pieces of cake before Peter picked up Hunter, and fed him a small piece of cake. Reni handed Hunter a piece of cake, and he carefully held it up to Peter, who ate it before smiling at Hunter. In that small act, Hunter became Peter's son. No matter when the adoption papers were signed, this was the day that he truly was adopted by Peter. He held Hunter up to the crowd. "My son!" he cried happily while the crowd applauded him. Reni held her husband's hand and kissed Hunter's cheek.

After the dancing and the cake, came the fun part. Teecie laughed as Peter hiked up Reni's dress above her knee to take her garter off. All the single guys lined up as he turned his back and snapped it into the crowd. Paul was the lucky boy to catch it, and waved it proudly in the air with a huge smile on his face.

Next it was Reni's turn to toss the bouquet. All the single girls gathered together and waited breathlessly for her to throw it over her shoulder. Teecie jumped and reached for the bouquet, but Kali caught it instead. She blushed furiously and looked over at Paul with the flowers in her hand.

The reception lasted for several more hours until the sun set and it grew cold. Guests took their leave while the caterers began to pack up the food. Reni and Peter changed their clothes before saying goodbye to Hunter and their families. When they were ready, they picked up the wine glass that had been designated as a portkey and disappeared off to the States for their honeymoon.

When the day had ended, and Teecie went to bed, she felt a little let down. It had been a long and very emotional day, and for some reason, she cried for a while before falling asleep. She couldn't help but wonder what her own wedding would be like one day. Try as she may, she couldn't visualize anybody other than James as the man she kissed and pledged her life to. Teecie sighed sadly before drifting off to sleep, where visions of a certain Gryffindor lad haunted her dreams.


	51. Year Four Begins

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm glad you approved of the wedding! Most of the Weasleys were on their best behavior, with the exception of Pierre, but hopefully that was a one time thing. Teecie certainly doesn't need to get involved with a boy like that. I had a lot of fun writing the bachelor party, I figured with that group of people in close quarters, how could it not be hilarious? Well, now it's back to school for Teecie and her classmates, I can't believe she's getting so old! This will probably be the last chapter I manage to post before I move. I'm so stressed out that writing is taking a lot more time than normal to do, though I find writing those ficlets help with the stress. I am still writing, but more slowly, so please be patient and know that I have not abandoned Teecie or her family! Enjoy!

Year Four Begins

The last two weeks of Teecie's summer holiday flew past quickly. She made sure to spend as much time with Hunter as possible. He went with her and Adriana to Diagon Alley when they went shopping for school books and new robes. Teecie had outgrown hers and needed new ones.

Hunter seemed to enjoy his trip to Diagon Alley. He enjoyed looking at all the owls in the Emporium. His favourite place though, was the Magical Menagerie. Teecie and Adriana pointed out all the interesting animals out to him. He laughed at all the fascinating creatures and clapped his hands excitedly while Teecie held him up to the cage. "Fwog!" he cried, pointing to a gigantic mauve coloured toad that puffed its cheeks out lazily inside its cage. "Bunny!" he exclaimed while looking at a blue rabbit hopping around in its cage. He watched with rapt attention as it slowly transfigured itself into a top hat and then back into a rabbit. When the shop owner held up a small puffskein for Hunter to pet, his eyes grew large, and he smiled so hard Adriana thought he'd give himself a headache. "Like it yiayia! Like it!" he cried while bouncing up and down.

Adriana tried to keep a hold of Hunter before he bounced out of her arms. "You like the puffskein? Maybe it would be good for you to have a pet for when you move to your new house," she said. Hunter was so excited he kissed his grandmother's cheek and wrapped his arms around the puffskein. Adriana looked at the shop keeper, "We'll take it," she said.

As the group left the store, Teecie held Hunter's hand while Adriana carried the puffskein in its cage. "Hunter, you have to name your new pet," Teecie said to Hunter as they walked to the ice cream shop.

Hunter looked thoughtful for a minute. "Fwossy," he finally declared.

"Fwossy? You mean 'Flossy'?" Teecie asked.

"Yes, Fwossy!"

"All right," Teecie replied, "Flossy it is. Why Flossy?"

"Fwossy candy!"

"Oh, I get it, candy floss! I suppose it does look like candy floss," Teecie replied. Hunter was so smart! Only one year old and he'd thought of that all by himself! She was so proud of her nephew.

Adriana bought everybody ice cream for a special treat that day. While they ate, a tall blonde woman with several house elves trailing behind her entered the store. "Narcissa!" Adriana called out, waving to the blonde woman. "I haven't seen you in forever. How are you doing?" she asked.

The blonde woman turned to look at Adriana. "Adriana? It has been a long time. I heard about your eldest daughter marrying one of the Weasleys," she replied with a look on her face that clearly showed she didn't think much of that family.

Teecie stared at the woman. Narcissa Malfoy, this was the woman her father was married to. This was Draco's mother. She looked like him; tall, aloof, and with an air of superiority about her. She glanced down at Teecie and Hunter. "Are these yours?" she asked coldly.

"This is Ticia, my youngest daughter, and Hunter, my grandson," Adriana replied, looking insulted. Teecie felt insulted as well. These? How dare she refer to her as an object?

"The boy I could have guessed as one of your relatives, but the girl? I would have assumed she was a Weasley," Narcissa replied, sniffing and looking at Teecie with a look on her face that clearly showed her disdain for her. What an unpleasant person! No wonder Lucius had left her so long ago. Adriana was much nicer to be around.

As Teecie stared at Narcissa though, she thought she caught a glimpse of something other than the hatred she'd been showing thus far: pure, unadulterated jealousy. Was she speaking so rudely because she'd wished for other things in her life? Why hadn't she gotten a divorce from Lucius and moved on? She could have remarried and been a lot happier than being alone for so long. As soon as Teecie thought that, a picture of Uncle Sev flashed in her mind. He'd been alone for a very long time too, and was also unhappy. He often acted rude when maybe he was just jealous of happy people.

While helping Hunter eat his ice cream sundae, Teecie thought about what would happen if Narcissa and Uncle Sev ever ended up together. They'd either be happy or miserable together. If Narcissa ever got a divorce, then Teecie's parents could get married. She had always believed deep down that Adriana wished she could be married to Lucius, to be his wife, legally, and he her husband, legally.

Hunter had finished his ice cream and was growing very tired and cranky. He wriggled in his seat and began to bang his spoon against the empty bowl. "Yiayia!" he cried while kicking the table leg. "Want Fwossy! Want mummy! Want dada!" he yelled.

Adriana could tell there was a tantrum coming very soon and chose to take him back home before he made too much of a public spectacle. As she stood up and gathered Hunter in her arms, she ended her conversation with Narcissa. "Well, I'd better get this little one back home for his lie down. It was good to see you again Narcissa," she said while floating the packages they'd purchased that day behind her, "Come on Teecie, let's go home." Teecie trotted after her mother, but cast a glance over her shoulder at Narcissa. She was looking after them with an almost wistful expression on her face, but when she saw Teecie looking at her, quickly changed it to an angry scowl before turning to the counter to place her order. Teecie chewed her lip thoughtfully all the way home thinking about Narcissa and her Uncle Sev.

Teecie was too busy during the rest of her holiday to give Narcissa a second thought. She spent her time reading, relaxing, watching telly, and getting ready for school. Finally, September first arrived, and Teecie for once, was very excited to be going off to Hogwarts. She and Kali said goodbye to their parents and Hunter, and boarded the train.

Kali walked away to find Paul, leaving Teecie to fend for herself with Patty and Paige. She found them in one of the compartments, sitting across from James and Candace. Her only choices were to sit by Paige or James. James seemed to be the lesser of the two evils at this point in time, so she sat next him. Her heart pounded from being so close to him. She sat in silence while James and Candace snuggled together next to her. They held hands and nuzzled their noses while whispering to each other. Teecie fidgeted in her seat, wringing her hands and trying to find something else to focus on. Rose was sitting nicely on her lap. Teecie had trained her to wear a harness and walk on a leash, so there was no need to keep her in a cage during the ride to school.

An hour passed with the friends minding their own business before Teecie couldn't stand it anymore. She stood up and left the compartment to take a walk to calm down a bit. Rose trotted faithfully at her side the whole time. After wandering around for a while, she found Zeren and several of his followers sitting in a compartment with Rey and Carl, and joined them for a couple hours, telling them about her summer holiday, and listening to what they'd done during theirs. Carl had spent a lot of time with his mother and sister redoing their flat. He'd helped design each of the rooms, and had really enjoyed purchasing paint, furniture, and fabrics. Teecie gushed over the snapshots he'd taken of the before and after of the flat. His mother's room was now a deep red colour with velvet curtains and bed sheets. He'd put hanging candleholders and lamps to give the room a soft glow. It looked very sexy and provocative. "It's high time my mother started seeing other men. She's been single for too long," Carl said, explaining why he'd chosen to give his mother such a room.

Rey had spent his holiday traveling throughout Europe with his family. He'd enjoyed the time he'd spent in France, Germany, Poland, and Italy. The Magical populations of each country were small like the one in Britain, and enjoyed hosting people from other countries. A lot of the Wizarding folks' income came from the travel industry in their country. Providing food, shelter, and entertainment for magical people had the potential for making a lot of money.

Zeren had spent his summer studying for his classes. He'd read several potions books, gotten ahead in his Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons, and studied Arithmancy. When he'd had time, he'd practiced fencing with his father, who was quite good. He'd picked up quite a few pointers, and felt he stood a very good chance of winning this year's competition.

After they'd all gotten caught up with one another, they settled in for an exciting game of Exploding Snap. Teecie paired up with Carl to play a few Gryffindor versus Slytherin matches. They won two rounds and lost three, which led Zeren, his cronies, and Rey to gloat for over an hour.

When they'd settled down, Teecie took the latest issue of the Quibbler she'd been saving for the train ride, out of her pocket, unrolled it, and began to read while leaning against the window. "How can you stand to read that rubbish?" a voice called out to her while she was engrossed in an article about a woman in Londonderry who'd claimed she'd been abducted by aliens, but had managed to disapparate from the ship before they'd gotten too far out of the earth's atmosphere.

Teecie tore herself away from the fascinating reading to look at Zeren who was looking at her with scrutiny. "It's dreadfully interesting stuff! And of course it's all true. They wouldn't print it if it wasn't the truth," she replied naively.

Zeren snorted derisively, "Oh yes, the 'truth'," he replied sarcastically. "That stuff is all a load of trash, and I should think you'd be smart enough now to realize that! But I guess not, you are _only_ a Gryffindor after all, and you've spent most of your life among Muggles. They tend to be extra stupid and believe anything you tell them. No wonder you believe that stuff!" he said while shaking his head disbelievingly.

"I cannot believe you said that! That is so rude!" Teecie cried huffily, standing up and putting her hands on her hips. "I don't put you down for being a stuffy, uptight, wealthy snob of a Slytherin now do I? Well, do I?" she asked, her voice growing higher pitched with each word. "I don't know why I try to be nice to you, Zeren Travers, all you ever do to me is make fun of me and put down what I like. You know what? You're a real…" Teecie paused to think of the right word to thoroughly insult him, "wanker! So I'll thank you to keep your horribly rude and unwanted comments to yourself!" With that, she rolled up her issue of the Quibbler, smacked him on the arm with it, and stormed out of the room, Rose quickly following suit.

Teecie didn't see Zeren grin and roll his eyes as she walked away from him. "Women!" he snorted to the other people in the compartment.

Teecie stood in the hallway of the train by herself for a while before an old woman pushing a trolley passed her. "Would you like to buy anything off the trolley, dear?" she asked.

"Sure," Teecie replied before purchasing a pumpkin pasty and three chocolate frogs. She sat out in the hallway by herself and unwrapped her lunch. There were no other students around, and Teecie was able to eat uninterrupted. She let Rose eat a few bites of her pasty, and took her to the restroom to feed her water from the sink. When she'd finished, she returned to the hall, sat down, pulled out the Quibbler and continued reading.

Several more hours passed before the train finally arrived at the station in Hogsmeade. Teecie stood up, and walked with Rose off the train towards the coaches that would drive the second through seventh year students to the school. She found a coach with only a few students in it and joined them, for there were plenty of people she didn't want to deal with right now.

Once inside the school, Teecie walked with the crowd of students into the Great Hall, and took a seat in the corner of the Gryffindor table. She sat towards the front, away from her friends, in order to see the first years being sorted. A few of the students looked familiar to Teecie. Sidney Graham, one of the orphans that Teecie and Lucius worked with, was sorted into Gryffindor. She smiled, greeted him, and shook his hand as he sat down across from her. They sat and watched as other students were sorted into the different houses. Irene Carver, another orphan had already been sorted into Slytherin, as had Ashford Creevey's younger brother, Frederick. Diana Weasley, Hermione and Ron's daughter, was sorted into Ravenclaw.

When the sorting was finished, Professor Snape stood up and made a speech to welcome the students to another year of school at Hogwarts, and to wish the first years well. Finally the dishes of food appeared on the tables. Teecie and the new students talked together while they ate. She told them all about each of the teachers and the sorts of things they could expect to do in class. She enjoyed being so knowledgeable and able to help out the younger students.

After everybody had eaten their fill of dinner and pudding, the prefects led the students out of the Great Hall and to their common rooms. Teecie spent time in the common room that night before going up to her dormitory. James was there, without Candace thankfully. She tried to talk to him for a while without losing her cool but found him so attractive she had trouble talking. He'd had a growth spurt over the holiday, and now stood several inches taller that her. His voice had broken and he sounded like a young man now, instead of a little boy. She could tell from the few nicks he had on his chin, that James has started shaving over the summer. He must have spent a lot of his holiday working out, for he was starting to look quite muscular in his arms, and Teecie assumed the rest of his body looked the same.

"So, Reni's wedding must have been loads of fun," James said, smiling over at Teecie as she looked at him from other end of the sofa.

"Yes, it was a lot of fun," Teecie replied, "I wish you could have come." She couldn't help but think his brown eyes looked like pools of chocolate. She could have gazed into them forever.

"That would have been fun," James replied quietly, looking carefully at Teecie. "I'm sure Candace would have liked it too," he said, looking away from Teecie.

"Oh, yes, I'm sure she'd have had fun too," Teecie replied sadly while standing up to go to her dormitory.

Once in her dormitory, she was faced with Patty and Paige once again. Teecie did her best to ignore them and go about her evening routine. Before falling asleep that night, she read a chapter in her new favourite book, _Healing Properties of Food and Herbs_. It was really interesting and cheered her up as she fell asleep that night.

The school year began as usual. Students received their timetables the first morning during breakfast. Teecie glanced over hers and noticed she had double potions with Draco first thing. She hadn't talked to him since Reni's wedding and needed to ask him if he was going to take her ingredients again like he had at the end of the year. She'd brought her potions books as usual, but had no intentions of misusing them again, but somehow she thought Draco might not believe that.

Teecie sat at a table by herself during Potions class the first morning. After Draco assigned the potion for the class to work on, she set to work on preparing the ingredients. As Draco walked around the room helping the students, he passed by Teecie. "Why are you working alone?" he asked quietly.

Teecie bit her lip for a moment before speaking. "I don't feel like working with anybody," she replied. She went back to cutting up her ginger root into tiny cubes and added them to the powdered scarab beetle in her cauldron. Draco frowned but didn't respond, and continued to walk around the classroom.

By the time the class period was over, Teecie had a perfect wit-sharpening potion to turn in to her brother. She walked in silence to her Herbology class, but was stopped along the way by Zeren who was going to his Transfiguration class. "Ticia, wait!" he called out as he walked up to her. Teecie frowned as she waited for him to catch up. When he finally did, she was surprised to see him pull a pale yellow carnation out of his robes and hand it to her. "You aren't really angry at me are you? I only tease you because it's fun to see the reaction," Zeren said coyly with a smile on his face.

"You really hurt me yesterday, Zeren," Teecie replied while looking at her flower.

Zeren suavely took one of Teecie's hands and gently kissed it. "Don't be angry forever," he whispered before winking and letting her hand go.

Teecie sighed and smiled. "All right, I forgive you. Just stop making fun of what I like, OK?" she replied.

Zeren grinned and called out to her while walking away to his class, "I'll just think of something else to tease you for!"

As Teecie walked past James, she couldn't help but notice him scowl. He'd been walking behind her and must have seen the exchange between them. Her heart fluttered at the thought that he was jealous over her. Did that mean he was still interested in her? The thought was overwhelming. She walked off to her Herbology class trying not to think about it.

That afternoon at lunch, Professor Weasley made an announcement to the students. "Professor Snape has appointed me to assist with plans for the annual Lake Party. Each house is to appoint two representatives, a boy and a girl, to help plan the party. You'll meet in your common rooms this evening to choose your representatives, and then tomorrow after classes, they'll meet with me in my office to begin planning for the party," she said to the school.

The student body chattered loudly for the rest of the meal over the party and who to appoint to represent them in the planning sessions. Teecie wondered who'd be chosen for her house, but didn't have too much time to think about it. She'd been thinking a lot lately about her OWLS next year, and thought it couldn't hurt to start working towards them now. She really wanted to do well in all her classes this year, even on the first day.

That evening though, Teecie's thoughts turned back to fun and parties as the house met in the Common room to vote on representatives. Professor Lupin had chosen to not take part in the meeting. He felt this was a good chance for the students to communicate and interact with their peers without an adult monitoring them.

Stephen, who was Head Boy for the year, took charge of the discussion. "We need a boy and a girl, and they should be from different years I think," he said from his chair in front of the fireplace.

"Well I think Teecie should be the girl we choose, because the Lake Party was her idea in the first place," James called out in the middle of a lull in the talking. Teecie whipped her head around to look at him and flushed to hear him talking about her.

After much debate, the students voted to let Teecie and Stephen represent them at the planning meetings over the rest of the week.

The next afternoon, Teecie and Stephen walked to Hermione's office while talking over what they wanted to happen at the party this year. "I think we should hire a band! Reni used to play in a band, you know, though she's still on her honeymoon," Teecie said while they walked into the room.

Hermione seemed to have a lot of ideas for the party already and seemed eager to share with the students. Teecie couldn't help but notice that none of the activities involved swimming or sunbathing. Though the three-legged race did sound like fun, it would be better to have a more balanced party. However, since it was the Lake party, it should involve the lake. She couldn't help but wonder if Uncle Sev was having Hermione plan the party in order to keep the students as fully clothed as possible. Teecie enjoyed showing off her bikini and liked to see the boys in their swimming trunks and nothing else. That's what made the Lake party so much fun each year.

It seemed as though the other students had picked up on this theme of good clean _dry_ fun. They tried their best to find a balance for the activities. "What if we have the three-legged race in the water?" Curtis Goyle, the third year Hufflepuff representative, suggested.

"Or we could have swimming races," Roxanne Zabini, the girl who had taken Lisette's place as the alpha female of Slytherin house, though minus the mental problems. She gave Curtis a look that clearly showed how stupid she thought he was.

In the end, the students struck a nice balance of games involving water and dry land. They were happy and so was Professor Weasley. Each of the students was assigned to plan part of the party details. Teecie volunteered to plan the menu, her favourite part of any gathering. She planned on stopping by the kitchens the next day after classes to speak with Nili about the menu.

When the meeting ended, Teecie took the time to return the medical books Master Wilkes had loaned her over the summer holiday. "Oh, Master Wilkes, they were thrilling books! I never knew there was so much to learn about the human body. It'll take years for me to learn it all I bet," she said with excitement as she chattered away to the healer. Wilkes smiled at her enthusiasm and listened to all she had to say while feeling happy that he'd helped foster a love of something magical in Teecie. "Do you think they make pink stethoscopes?" she asked at one point in time.

"Teecie, magical healers don't need stethoscopes," Wilkes informed her.

"Oh, I was hoping for one. All the doctors on the telly wear them," she replied, looking crushed as one of her dreams was dashed.

"Sorry," Wilkes apologized ruefully. Teecie left a while later to work on her homework before dinner.

The rest of the week passed quickly with classes and planning the menu for the Lake Party. Teecie and Nili had made plans for an international feast for the party. She'd learned from the party Draco had thrown for her that finger foods worked best. There would be an array of grilled skewered meats, and sauces from different countries for them. Tzatziki sauce from Greece and peanut sauce from Thailand would be available for putting on the meats. There would also be egg rolls, barbecued ribs, beef and pork, crostini, prosciutto wrapped melon, crudités, grilled vegetables, and finger sandwiches. For pudding there would be baklava, fruitcake, biscotti, petit fours, handmade chocolates, and five different kinds of pie. There would also be soda, butterbeer, lemonade, and other fruit juices to drink.

Teecie was excited about the menu. She thought it sounded delicious and sophisticated, and hoped the other students enjoyed it.

The other students on the planning committee had worked just as hard on music, decorations, and activities. There were to be several contests with prizes.

Professor Weasley had gotten Charlie involved in the party plans as well. He'd be going to Hogsmeade and purchasing the items needed with the money that the students had pooled together. He was also in charge of picking out the prizes for the contests, and Hermione had given him a list of possible choices. Feather pens, book covers, specialty parchment, and organizers were among the list. Charlie decided those were far too boring for prizes and made a list of his own to buy while in Hogsmeade.

Saturday morning dawned grey and drizzly. Everybody was upset over the prospects of having a rained out party, yet held out hope that it would clear up. After a few hours though, the drizzle turned to actual rain and didn't seem as though it was about to let up at all.

At breakfast, the students were dreading Professor Weasley making an announcement that the party was cancelled. They were surprised and excited to hear her announce that the party would go on, with a few changes. There would start the day off with the swimming contest outside. It was raining and they'd get wet anyway, so why not go swimming? After they'd finished, they'd return to the school, dry off, change clothes, and go to the Great Hall for food, entertainment, and field games.

The students cheered loudly when they heard the good news. After rushing through breakfast, they all ran to their dormitories to change into their swimming gear. Teecie had a new mint green bikini to wear this year. In order to appease Draco, she put on a wrap and tied it around her waist before slipping into her sandals and leaving for the lake.

When she arrived, Draco was already there, waiting for her underneath an umbrella. He made her come over to him for inspection. "Why must you wear those skimpy little bikinis? You're practically naked. All the boys will be staring at you and trying to climb all over you-though you'd probably enjoy that," he muttered while looking at her outfit to make sure it covered enough of her. When he was assured that the bikini was clothing her as well as possible, he let her go with a warning, "I don't want you to do anything inappropriate today. If I even hear about you doing something improper with one of the boys, I'll ground you so fast it'll make your head spin."

"Yes Draco," Teecie replied with a scowl before leaving to join the rest of the students at the edge of the lake.

Charlie was in charge of the contest. There were several rounds as the boys and girls took turns swimming to a buoy that had been secured at a certain part of the lake and back to shore again. The winners from each round went on to the next round. Teecie won the first round she swam in, but lost in the second. She stood at the shore in her wet bikini, shivering in the cold rain and cheering the rest of the students on.

As Teecie was watching James swim, Peter Lupin approached her. "Hi Teecie!" he exclaimed as he came to stand right next to her. He was so close their arms were touching.

"Hello Peter," Teecie replied, "having fun?"

"Yes, but it's so cold!" he replied, smiling at her. As he looked at Teecie, he was reminded of why he found her so attractive. She was tall and he was right at eye level with her bikini top, and it was definitely chilly outside. Peter took a deep breath and reminded himself that she was older than him and way out of his league.

Teecie was shivering a lot and had wrapped her arms around herself to stay warm during the races. Peter was keeping her warm on one side, but it wasn't enough. Out of the blue, a towel was draped over her shoulders. "Can't have you catching cold now, can we?" Draco said as he took Teecie by the arms and gently led her several feet from where Peter had been standing. "What did I tell you about attracting all the boys? He was practically on top of you!" he hissed in her ear.

"Oh Draco, you're exaggerating! He wasn't doing anything wrong at all," Teecie hissed back to her brother. At that point in time, the current round of the swimming contest ended and James had come in first. "Oh, James won, I have to go congratulate him," she said while taking the towel off and handing it back to Draco.

Teecie hadn't even realized she'd said that out loud, and was making a beeline towards James when Draco grabbed her by the arm from behind to stop her. "No! You will not be parading yourself around that boy in this skimpy little outfit. I will not allow it! You are returning to the school with me and changing back into regular clothes," he informed her while tugging gently on her arm.

"But Draco I want to see him!" Teecie cried while trying to pull out of his grip.

"You can see him when everybody meets in the Great Hall for lunch," he informed her while tugging harder on her arm.

Teecie saw there was no winning this battle and allowed her brother to walk her back to the school. "You don't want me to have any fun do you? You probably want me to stay in my room all day long and never see anybody or do anything remotely interesting ever! I should quit school and join a convent, that's what would probably make you happiest, wouldn't it?" she cried while they walked away from the other students.

Draco looked at her blandly. "Yes, yes it would make me happiest to see you living a life of seclusion and self-control. I think a convent would be a perfect place for you. Would you like me to make some inquiries about sending you to one?" he asked calmly.

"You're so mean! Why are you being so mean to me? All I wanted to do was go see James and you jumped all over me!" Teecie cried while they walked into the school.

"This conversation is over. Go up to your room and change your clothes. You can come back for the rest of the party or you can stay in your room. It's your choice," Draco said as he walked away from Teecie while she stood on the steps leading up to Gryffindor tower.

"You'd like it if I stayed in my room forever wouldn't you? Just for that I'm going to the party! And I'll talk to James. I don't know why you hate him so much, he's a very nice boy," Teecie exclaimed before leaving in a huff to return to her dorm room.

Draco rolled his eyes and sighed as he walked to the Great Hall to wait for the students' arrival.

Teecie dried off from her swim and changed into warmer clothes for the rest of the party. When the rest of the students had returned and changed, she walked to the Great Hall with them.

Tables heavily laden with delicious foods beckoned to the now starving children. They quickly made their way to the tables and dished themselves up. Teecie plated herself up a few egg rolls and some chicken skewers with spicy peanut sauce, and poured herself a glass of lemonade before finding a spot to sit across from James at the Gryffindor table. "I hear you did really well in the swimming races," she said to him with a grin.

"Yep, I almost won, but Frederick Creevey beat me. He sure is fast!" James replied while taking a huge bite of his baklava.

"Oh well, but you had fun, and that's the really important thing, right?"

"Yep"

Candace had been sitting next to James and wrapped her arm through his while glaring at Teecie. "So, Teecie, we've never really gotten to know each other very well. Tell me about yourself. I've heard you're always getting into trouble for something or other," she said while looking down her nose at her.

"But you have heard of me," Teecie replied slyly, trying to hide her anger. "I mean, if you weren't going out with James, I'd have never even known who you were. At least I'm making a name for myself at the school," she said loftily.

"Too bad it's only for being a trouble student and for being related to the headmaster and Potions master," Candace replied.

"Why Candace, dear, are you jealous of me?" Teecie asked, smirking.

"No, what have I got to be jealous about?" Candace asked while leaning in to kiss James.

Teecie narrowed her eyes dangerously. In order to not do something rash, she focused on the food on her plate. She gingerly picked up one of the egg rolls and bit into it. It was quite delicious, but stuck in her throat as she tried to swallow it. After she'd finally managed to finish her meal, she stood up from the table and walked away without another word. The games would be starting soon and hopefully there wouldn't be too many chances for Candace and James to snog anymore.

After a few minutes, Hermione and Charlie announced that the games would be starting soon. As the kids gathered at the front of the Great hall, the professors swept the tables and benches to the sides of the room to allow for more room on the floor.

The first contest was the three-legged race. The two students for each team would have two of their legs magically bound together while they tried to run across the hall without falling. The first team to cross the finish line won the prize.

Candace and James, Patty and Daniel, Carl and Rey, and Teecie and Peter were among the pairs of students who entered the contest. Peter kept grinning stupidly at Teecie while they put their arms around each other's shoulders.

After Charlie whistled to announce the start of the race, the students tried to run as fast as they could. Candace and James got about two thirds of the way there before falling. Carl and Rey only made it half way. Teecie and Peter had only made it a few steps before they'd fallen. She didn't realize it, but Peter had stumbled on purpose. They fell to the ground, with him on top of her, and were stuck there until one of the professors lifted the spell on their legs. Peter enjoyed the precious few seconds he'd had being so close to her. She looked up at him and laughed while they waited to be freed from one another.

Patty and Daniel ended up winning the contest. Daniel was so happy that he actually kissed Patty on the cheek in front of the entire school. All the girls cooed while the boys hooted and whistled. Patty turned beet red and punched Daniel's arm while he smiled at her. Hermione scolded her for hitting him while Charlie handed out prizes. He gave Daniel a packet of dung bombs, and Patty a box of tonne tongue toffees, much to Hermione's chagrin.

Teecie participated in the next contest as well. It was an egg levitating contest where the students used the Floating Charm to lift an egg into the air for as long as they could. While she knew she could have easily won the contest, seeing as she'd lifted James into the air successfully the year before, she willingly lost when the opportunity to drop the egg on Candace's head arose. She giggled, but quickly composed herself when Candace whipped around to look at her. "You, you did that on purpose!" she cried while marching up to Teecie.

"Honestly, Candace, it was an accident," Teecie replied while trying to keep a straight face.

Candace scowled before using her wand to clean up the egg that dripped from her hair. "You just did that because you're in love with James still and he's not in love with you anymore. Everybody knows you're still in love with him. You're pathetic, an embarrassment, just so you know!" she hissed at Teecie.

Teecie was enraged at this point and didn't know what to say. She was about to lunge at Candace in order to tear her eyes out, when Professor Lupin intervened. He'd been watching the egg floating contest from across the room and had heard the exchange. He knew it was about to come to blows, and the time to break it up had arrived.

"Girls, what a fun day it's been so far! Let's try to keep it that way, shall we?" he asked while gently pushing the girls apart. He pushed Candace carefully over towards James while before walking Teecie over to where Draco was standing and watching the other students.

Draco wouldn't help but notice how angry Teecie was, but didn't want to know why. She'd probably cause a scene if he talked to her right now, so it was better to let her cool off first.

There were more contests, and the students enjoyed themselves while the prizes were handed out. Some of the girls chose bottles of perfume or boxes of chocolates, while most of the boys opted for the variety of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes products available to them.

By the end of the day, the students were exhausted but very happy. It had been another successful Lake party. That evening Teecie talked to Patty about Daniel's kiss. "So, what was it like? Did you like it?" she asked excitedly.

Patty blushed and looked at the box of toffees on her bed. "It was nice…" she finally replied in a small voice, "But don't you dare tell him!"

"Of course not! Oh, it's so romantic!" Teecie squealed. "I love love," she sighed while throwing herself down on her bed, "It's so…lovely."

Paige had been listening to the other girls talk, but hadn't joined in. She was still upset over how Teecie had acted at the wedding rehearsal. She hadn't known just how snobby Teecie was capable of being. But while she was angry with Teecie, she still hated fighting. Perhaps there had been more behind the way she'd acted. It had seemed quite defensive looking back upon it.

Teecie glanced over at Paige while she cuddled in bed with Rose. She didn't like fighting with Paige, but she'd felt so threatened that her family was shrinking. Maybe it was time to apologize to her. She had been really rude to Paige.

Teecie fell asleep that night determined to make up with Paige for the fight they'd had. It would be good to have her best friend to talk to once again.


	52. The Hogwarts Weekly Howler

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm finally in my new apartment, and my computer is up and running, so I'm able to post a chapter again! It feels like it's been forever since I posted last! Anyway, yes, Narcissa and Snape, what an odd couple, but ElfFlame and I are determined to make it happen, especially since the entire last story of the True Revenge world depend upon it! Ah yes, teenage angst at its finest! This year will be filled with angst I'm afraid. It'll still be a much lighter year than the previous year, which I think Teecie deserves. So, enjoy the next chapter!

The Hogwarts Weekly Howler

The day after the Lake party, Teecie and Paige made up. Patty had left for breakfast, leaving the two girls alone. Both of them had stood around in silence for several minutes trying to decide how to broach the subject. Teecie knew she'd been wrong to taunt Paige with the fact that she'd been involved in the wedding and Paige had not, and it was her responsibility to apologize to her. After taking a deep breath, she walked over to Paige, who was fixing her hair in the mirror, and spoke, "Look, Paige, I'm sorry I was so mean to you at the wedding rehearsal. I shouldn't have been so obnoxious about being in the wedding…when you were not."

Paige turned to look at Teecie with a curious look on her face. "You were also mean about Hunter," she reminded her before turning back to the mirror.

Teecie bit her lip and kicked at the chair leg. "Your family is so big…and mine is so much smaller. Reni married your brother which means she's not a part of my family anymore, really. Hunter either. I was upset about losing them," she replied honestly.

Paige turned to look at Teecie again. Her face had softened considerably, and her eyebrows were furrowed in a look that showed her concern for her friend. "She's still a part of your family, and so is Hunter," she replied.

"No they're not, they're moving out. They're going to move into a house with Peter and be their own family. They'll probably hang out with your family from now on. Maybe they'll stop by for a while on Christmas to get our gifts…but, otherwise…" Teecie trailed off while sniffling as the thought overwhelmed her.

"Teecie, that isn't true! Reni and Hunter will always be a part of your family! Peter's a part of your family now too. In fact, it's kind of like all us Weasleys are your family now. You said so yourself at the end of the school year last year, we're sisters now!" Paige exclaimed while standing up and hugging Teecie warmly, trying to comfort her.

"I guess it's true," Teecie conceded, "So, will you forgive me for being so mean to you?"

"Of course! All friends get into fights once in a while, I think it's a rule or something," Paige replied while petting Teecie's curls in a motherly fashion, "Now let's go down to breakfast."

Teecie and Paige strolled down to breakfast arm-in-arm and chattered happily to each other for the entire meal. Patty was quite happy to see they'd made up.

Towards the end of the meal, Professor Creevey stood up to make an announcement. "As the clubs begin meeting this week, it is my pleasure to announce the formation of a brand new club this year: a Journalism club. It's high time this school had its own newspaper. I and Professor Charlie Weasley will be heading it, and you are all welcome to join us Wednesdays after dinner for the club meetings," she said in an airy voice.

There were squeals and cheers heard from all over the different tables from students who were excited about the new club. Teecie was intrigued at the idea. She'd written in her journal all last year, and over the summer holiday. She'd also written short stories for fun before too, and liked the thought of writing for a large body of people who would read it.

Across the table, Paige and Carl were talking about the newspaper too. They planned to join the club as well. Kern joined in the discussion too. He thought it would be a lot of fun to be in the club. They all made plans on going Wednesday night to Professor Creevey's classroom for the meeting.

Teecie rejoined most of her old clubs. She'd dropped several of them last year due to being too stressed out, so she was only in four this year, instead of her usual six. She still intended to volunteer her time up at the orphanage, one Saturday a month.

The week went by quickly. Teecie was surprised at how much homework was being assigned to them so early on in the year. Hopefully it would all help towards the OWLS next year. Master Wilkes had been telling her which OWLS she'd have to do well in next year in order to study further to become a healer one day. Transfiguration had always been her hardest subject in school, with Potions being the easiest, and the rest somewhere in between.

Professor Weasley was so excited when Teecie visited her office after classes on Tuesday for help on her Transfiguration homework. They were supposed to turn hedgehog into a pincushion, and her pincushion never managed to have any pins sticking out of them, like the quills of the hedgehog. "Teecie, you really should come see me more often. I'm always here to help all the students, but so few choose to come and visit me in my office. Would you like some tea?" she asked while conjuring up a teapot and two teacups.

The two worked on the pincushion and drank tea together for over an hour before walking to the Great Hall for dinner. They had finally perfected the pincushion, and Teecie was very happy to have learned how to do it the right way. She was still in a great mood when she sat down at the Gryffindor table with her classmates. She couldn't help but notice how upset James seemed to be. "What's the matter?" she asked him while dishing herself a plate of chicken pot pie.

"Quidditch tryouts were today. I wanted to make seeker for the team," James replied while stabbing at his green beans.

"Oh, and you didn't make the team," Teecie replied sympathetically, "I'm sorry."

"I'll just try again next year I suppose," he said in a depressed tone of voice.

"Do you need a hug?" Teecie ventured to ask. Candace was sitting at the Ravenclaw table where she belonged, so Teecie figured it couldn't hurt to try and comfort James.

James looked thoughtful for a moment. "Yes," he finally replied. Teecie smiled and stood up to lean over the table, but was surprised when he stood up and walked over to the Ravenclaw table to find Candace. Teecie watched with her hands on her hips. How dare he?

Teecie caught Carl's eye as she sat back down. "Tough break," he said sympathetically.

Teecie threw her head back haughtily. "I don't care. If he wants to spend time with…that person…it's fine by me. It's none of my business," she replied proudly.

"Teecie, why don't you just tell him you still like him? It'll make your life so much easier," Carl suggested while pouring himself a goblet of milk and not looking at her. They were sitting apart from the rest of their classmates, and nobody seemed to be paying any attention to their conversation.

Teecie dropped her fork with a noisy clatter on her plate. "He's moved on. He only likes me as a friend," she said quietly. It was very difficult to talk about this, but there was something about Carl that made it easier to talk about her feelings.

"But you love him," Carl whispered.

Teecie froze when he spoke those words. She looked into his eyes with terror showing clearly on her face. Was she really that obvious? Candace had said so at the party. Did everybody know? What if James knew she still liked him and was ignoring her because he truly didn't like her anymore? "How did you know?" she gasped.

Carl rolled his eyes. "Teecie, darling, I'm Carl! I know these things," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "If you love him, you have to let him know!"

Teecie's throat felt dry as she thought about looking into James's eyes and saying those three words. They were so small, yet loaded with such great meaning. She'd never said it to anybody other than her family before. "What if I tell him and he doesn't feel the same way? What if he laughs at me?" she croaked.

Carl sighed. "Teecie, you used to go out with him. You should know him better than that. You know how he feels about you. He's just going out with Candace because he missed going out with you," he reassured Teecie.

Teecie bit her lip nervously while glancing over her shoulder to see what James was doing. He was nuzzling Candace's nose with his own and feeding her strawberries. Teecie turned back to look at Carl and shuddered. "Yeah, right, I can see how he's pining away for me," she replied sarcastically. Without finishing her meal or saying another word, she stood up and ran out of the room, back up to her dormitory where she spent the rest of the evening crying into her pillow and writing about her feelings in her journal:

James is always kissing Candace or hanging all over her. If he really liked me, would he really do that with her? How can I tell him I like him if he might not like me? What if he tells me he's in love with Candace now? I can't say the words to him unless I know for sure if he loves me. I can't even write them. Why am I so afraid? What's wrong with me? Carl could tell that I still like James, so does that mean that everybody can too? Is it written all over my face? And what would I do if James told me he didn't love me? I think I'd just die! I can't even really tell if he likes me or not. He seems to like me as a friend, but does he only like me, or does he like me like me? Maybe I should ask Carl to ask him if he likes me for me. Maybe that would work. And what if he does like me like me, but wants to keep seeing Candace? Where does that leave me? All alone! I don't want to be alone! But I don't think there's any other boy I want other than James! Why is love so horribly cruel when it's supposed to be the most best thing in the whole world?

Teecie fell asleep that night without any answers to her many questions. She went to class on Wednesday feeling very out of sorts. The Journalism club's first meeting was tonight and Teecie, Carl, and Paige were really looking forward to it. They spent their lunch break talking about which columns they wanted to write. "I think you should write a love advice piece!" Paige told Carl.

"Nah, I want to do a fashion column. You should do love," Carl said to Paige. "Teecie, what do you want to write about?" he asked her.

Teecie hadn't really even thought about what she wanted to write. She wanted to be a part of the newspaper, but wasn't sure what she wanted to do. "I don't know; I haven't had much chance to think about it. Lots of newspapers and magazines have etiquette columns or household tips. Maybe I could do that. I could research things to show people how to be polite. Draco made me take etiquette lessons for a couple years. They actually weren't that bad," she said. "Or I could write a medical column. I could talk about a different part of the body or a different disease each week!" Teecie said excitedly, but when she saw the disgusted looks on her friends' faces, added, "Or maybe not."

Teecie spent the rest of the day thinking about what she wanted to do for the newspaper. She stopped by Draco's office to talk to him about it before dinner that night. "What would you write about Draco?" she asked while sitting in the chair across from his desk.

Draco looked thoughtful for a moment. He really enjoyed talking to Teecie when she was acting more mature as she was right now. "I'd probably write about potions. I'd pick one out each week, and write it out for the students to try, and give them all the properties and effects of it. It would be fun to do," he replied.

Teecie thought this over for a minute. "That might be fun," she finally said slowly, as though getting an idea right then, "but what about a cooking column? It's really the same thing. I could choose a recipe each week and try it out and tell them if it's any good or not. Wouldn't that be fun?"

Draco shook his head. He'd never be able to break her of such middle-class ways, would he? Not that he'd ever stop trying to. "Would you at least use cooking spells?" he asked, trying to find a way to compromise.

Teecie looked horrified. "Magic, on food? How horrible! Uncle Sev used magic to cook food for us after dad had his heart attack, and it was good, but it didn't have that _feeling_ of being homemade. Besides, it's fun, and I enjoy cooking," she replied.

Draco decided it was time to change the subject in order to get her mind of such mundane practices as cooking without magic. He'd spent a lot of his summer holiday trying to figure out what to do with his youngest sister now that she'd ruined her chances at making a good marriage. He still held out hope that there was a way for her to have as good a marriage as possible. The boys available to her would never be the cream of the crop, but they would still be able to give Teecie a comfortable life in which she'd never have to work, and their children would have a chance to rise higher in society. It was time to get her interested in boys who could offer her the most in life. "So, Teecie, how do you feel about going on some dates again? You know that the boys from your party that you were going to date are no longer available, but there are a few nice Slytherin boys at the school that you could see if you want," he said kindly.

Teecie looked up at her brother in surprise. They'd just been talking about the newspaper and now he was trying to set her up on dates again? Did she really want to see a boy who wasn't James? "But…but…" she was starting to feel frantic. Before she knew what she was saying, the words were spilling out of her mouth, "But what about James? I don't want to marry another boy. I love _him_!" As soon as the words left her mouth, Teecie felt shocked that she'd said them. She clapped both her hands over her mouth as though to keep any other words from seeping out accidentally.

Draco stared at his sister for a few minutes while she tried to compose herself. He desperately wanted her to fall in love with a boy other than James Lupin, the middle class son of a werewolf. James would never be able to provide Teecie with the life she deserved to have. They'd live a decidedly middle class life, without any idea of how much better their lives could be. Though, there was the inheritance she'd come into after she married. All but two million of Lucius's galleons had been stolen or confiscated over the years, and each of his children had a half million galleons due to them that they would get after they married. Draco had received his from his father after he'd married Tanith. He'd put it away in trust funds for his children's futures. The girls didn't know about the money, and wouldn't until Reni received hers after she returned from her honeymoon. Hopefully she'd use some of it towards a nice house for her new family.

Draco supposed Teecie's inheritance money would go towards a house as well, and to support the several children she and James were sure to have, but there would be no rise above the class in which they would live. Teecie had been the only one of his sisters to be receptive to his attempts to provide them with more than they already had, and he'd felt so close to being successful with her, that it was difficult to see it all slipping away and being replaced with something so…average.

"Teecie, why don't you try going on some dates with the boys I could introduce to you? They're good boys, from good families, and I know you'd probably like some of them," Draco finally replied, trying desperately to hold onto her future.

Teecie's mind was reeling so much from what she'd said that she didn't hear anything Draco had said to her afterwards. Had she just admitted to another soul that she was in love with James? This was too much to deal with right now. Teecie stood up and started to walk out of the room. "I can't talk about this now, Draco. I need to go to dinner or something," she muttered while leaving.

Once in the Great Hall, Teecie picked at a plate of roast beef and mashed potatoes, barely eating any of it while she thought about what she'd said to Draco. She'd told him she loved James. There was no taking that back. James was sitting just a few seats away from her, wolfing down large amounts of meat and gravy, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the terrified girl a short distance from him was in love with him. What would he do if she told him? Teecie contemplated walking up to him and declaring her love for him right then and there, but was too afraid of being laughed at by either James or the other students, so she did nothing instead.

When the meal had finally ended, Teecie stood up and walked to Professor Creevey's classroom where the students interested in the Journalism club were meeting. Professor Creevey and Charlie explained how the newspaper was going to work, and soon Teecie was so enthralled with the idea, that all her worries about James flew out of her mind entirely. She spent the hour with the rest of the students brainstorming ideas for possible columns. At the end of the session, they'd come up with ideas for articles about Quidditch, fashion, food, love advice, Muggle facts, potions, want adverts, comics, and school news, also known as gossip.

Teecie had fun talking to the kids in the club, among them, Kern, Paige, Carl, and Peter. There were a few fights, but almost everybody ended up getting the job they wanted. Joshua Northrop, one of the Ravenclaw boys Teecie had danced with at her party and went on a date with, was elected editor-in-chief. Ashford Creevey was the photographer. Paige got the love advice column while Carl chose the fashion column. Teecie chose food while Peter did the comics. Other students chose to do horoscopes, runes puzzles, weekly student polls, and professor interviews. Not everybody was doing an article. Some of the students, like Curtis Goyle, were interested in printing the newspaper, while June Lindon was excited to help with the formatting.

After all the jobs had been assigned came the debate over a name for the paper. The Hogwarts Weekly, The Hogwarts Times, The Bugle, and The Weekly Planet were among the list of names suggested. It wasn't until a half hour of discussion that somebody suggested The Weekly Howler. Everybody thought it was a great idea, and it was unanimously voted the official name of the paper. By the end of the meeting, everybody knew what their task was in order to produce the first issue of the Weekly Howler next week.

Teecie spent the rest of the week trying to think of which recipe to test for the upcoming edition. She spent hours pouring through her cookbooks looking for just the right one. It wasn't until Friday night, after her fencing club meeting, that she found one that interested her. Alder plank roasted salmon with a citrus beurre blanc sauce. She'd never tasted something cooked on alder before, as it was a wood not widely available in Britain. The picture looked divine, and it was something that sounded like a challenge, which appealed to Teecie. She decided to try it at the Cooking club meeting the next morning.

Teecie walked into the kitchen on Saturday morning and was horrified to see James standing next to Candace at one of the tables. What was she doing there? She wasn't part of the club. Teecie narrowed her eyes and walked to another part of the room, trying her best to appear nonchalant.

Try as she might, Teecie had no luck finding anything made with alder to transfigure into a plank, so she had to ask Charlie how to do it. Together, they worked on turning a large dinner plate into an alder plank that would work in the oven without burning up.

With the plank ready to go, the next step was preparing the fish. Teecie found a nice side of salmon in the ice box and took it to a cutting board to get it ready for the oven. The recipe was quite simple really, a bit of salt and pepper, then onto the plank, and into the oven. The hard part was the butter sauce, which Teecie worked on with painstaking precision while the fish roasted.

The sauce took a lot of stirring with a whisk on the stove. Teecie had a good view of Candace and James, where were busy making cookies together. She scowled to herself while they laughed and fed each other dough from spoons. James should be feeding _her_ cookie dough, not that Ravenclaw twit! She was just about to march over there to break up the happy couple when Charlie, who Teecie thought must have a radar to detect such thoughts, stopped to talk to her before she'd gotten a chance.

"So…Teecie, how's the salmon coming along?" Charlie asked while glancing at James and Candace.

"Oh, who cares about the stupid, bloody salmon? I sure as heck don't!" Teecie cried irrationally.

Charlie smiled slightly, but made sure that Teecie didn't see him. "Is there something you'd like to talk about?"

Teecie looked up at him while contemplating telling him or not. "I…I…don't like Candace, that's all," she finally replied in a small voice.

"I see. So, it must be hard to see a good friend like James going out with a girl you don't care for," Charlie said, leaning down to look in the oven door to see how the salmon was doing.

"It's the most hardest thing in the world to sit back and watch."

"The most hardest thing, eh? That is tough. Well, you'll have to do something about it then," Charlie suggested before walking off to check on the other students.

Teecie didn't have time to do anything about it right then, for the salmon was done roasting, and it was time to take it out of the oven. The first thing she noticed about it was the aroma. She'd never smelled anything quite like it before. It was very strong, smoky, woodsy, and exotic. Eagerly, Teecie took a forkful and put it in her mouth. The salmon was crispy on the outside, and melted in her mouth. The fish tasted even better after it had been prepared this way. It was so flavourful, and the smokiness was really complementary to it. For the next bite, she tried it with the lemon sauce and found it was even better. The citrus flavours blended with the woodsy flavour of the alder plank, and the fresh taste of the salmon. Teecie didn't think there had ever been a better tasting food she'd ever had in her entire life.

Charlie made his way back over to Teecie and tried the fish. "Wow, Teecie, this is amazing! That wood really tastes great with the salmon! This is what you're writing about for the newspaper, isn't it? I'd say it's definitely a keeper recipe," he raved.

Teecie felt a thrill at having impressed Charlie. She decided that she'd have to send the recipe to her father to try. He'd love it too.

Teecie spent the afternoon writing the article for the paper. She had to talk about it, not just copy out the recipe.

Alder Plank Roasted Salmon with Lemon Beurre Blanc

This recipe was really delicious and easy to make too. I didn't have an alder plank to use, so I transfigured one out of a large dinner plate, and it worked perfectly. Alder is available in Britain, but I'd never had it before. It's a kind of tree, by the way. When the salmon cooks on it, it tastes woodsy and smoky, and really strong. It's so delicious to cook it this way. I know I'll never cook it any other way than this. The lemon sauce takes the most time and attention. You have to stir it for a while on the stove or it could burn. But the tanginess of the lemon mixes well with the smoky flavour. I hope someday you all have a chance to taste something as delicious as this. I give this recipe an O, for outstanding.

After Teecie copied out the recipe, she finished her Charms homework before going to Professor Lupin's office for tea. It was their first teatime of the year, and she was looking forward to it.

Teecie chattered to Professor Lupin about her holiday and Reni's wedding, getting him all caught up on her eventful life. He listened with a smile on his face and kept offering more biscuits to her while she talked. When she'd exhausted herself and stopped for a minute to drink her tea, Teecie thought about what to ask the professor about his holiday. "So, how was your holiday? How's Sirius doing? What's he doing now that he's out of school?" she asked while sipping her chamomile tea.

"My holiday was wonderful. I spent a lot of time with my family. Sirius moved out of the house and is now working in the Himalayas with yetis. He's working with a group of people who are trying to make contact with them. They're very dangerous creatures, and we're all quite worried for his safety, but he seemed so excited about it that I could hardly tell him he couldn't go. Pamela, his girlfriend, wasn't too happy about the move. She's studying to be a children's advocate for the justice system, and wanted to spend time with him, but I'm sure he'll floo home often enough," Remus replied.

"Wow, that sounds scary! I don't think I'd want to see a yeti. I read all about them in an article in the Quibbler. They have horrible tempers and will eat you just as soon as look at you," Teecie replied expertly. "I sure hope Sirius is careful around them."

"I'm sure he'll use every precaution possible," Remus reassured her.

"So…what about your other sons? What did they do over the holiday?" Teecie asked, hoping she didn't sound too desperate.

Remus knew exactly what this was about, but wasn't going to let on. He didn't want to embarrass Teecie. "Well, Peter spent a lot of his time building another level of the tree house in the backyard. He put in a deck and shingled roof. It looks really amazing actually. Let's see…what did James do?" Remus thought for a moment how best to answer this. James had spent most of his holiday locked in his room, lying on his bed and not responding to anybody. Remus assumed this was a bit of a depression because he wasn't seeing Teecie anymore. He'd kept up his correspondence with her, and Candace as well, but Remus knew his son didn't have the same kinds of feelings for Candace as he had for Teecie. "James spent a quiet holiday of reflection and contemplation," he finally replied cryptically, hoping Teecie didn't ask for him to go into further detail.

"He told me he'd gotten grounded," Teecie replied, nodding her head in understanding. "That's cool about the tree house. Maybe I can see it some day."

"Perhaps." Remus could hear footsteps approaching his office door and looked up to see who was about to walk into the room. After a couple seconds, James walked into the room without knocking.

"Hey, pop, you said you'd help me with…" James broke off while he looked over at Teecie. "Hey, Teecie. How are you today?" he asked quietly.

"I'm good. How are you?" Teecie whispered.

"Good too. I heard about your salmon from Charlie. He said it was really good."

"It was. You should try it some time."

"Maybe you could make it for me some time."

Remus looked back and forth between the two kids with a smile on his face. Poor things were obviously miserable without each other. Perhaps he should give them some time alone. Quietly, he slipped out of the room and shut the door behind him.

Teecie's heart fluttered at the thought of cooking for James. "Sure, I'd love to," she replied eagerly.

"You would?"

"Uh huh."

"Cool."

The conversation continued in this manner for a while longer. They talked about clubs and classes, and carefully avoided the topic of Candace. Teecie poured James a cup of tea, and the two chatted for over an hour before they realized Remus had left the room. There was an awkward moment of silence as they realized they were no longer being chaperoned. "Um…well…I suppose I should go and find my father," James finally said while walking to the door to leave.

"Oh, sure, I guess I should go and do some more homework," Teecie replied, standing up to follow him out of the room. As she watched him leave the room, she had to fight against the urge to throw herself at him and profess her undying love for him. She couldn't do anything until she knew for sure how he really felt about Candace. That was the first step. For now, Teecie managed to keep her hands and feelings to herself while walking back to the Gryffindor common room.

The rest of the weekend and the next week flew past until Wednesday's Journalism club meeting. The students had all worked very hard and were working furiously in order to get the first edition of the paper ready for distribution for Thursday morning. All the students would be receiving a free paper, to be delivered by owl, first thing at breakfast.

The largest article was a three page interview with the headmaster. Teecie was able to read through it, and learned a lot about Uncle Sev. The questions were quite broad-ranging. Teecie was fascinated by what she learned from the article. Particularly a question about his most treasured possession. Uncle Sev's response had been: "A set of measuring instruments that my mother gave me for my seventh year. She died shortly after I left for school, and having them reminds me of her." Teecie felt saddened by this. He'd never talked about his parents before, and she had the feeling his home life must have been a lot like her own father's early life had been.

She was also quite amused by his response to a question about which type of Muggle technology he was most intrigued by. His answer had been the computer, which he had mispronounced "Com-pewter." She laughed at this. She had a computer of her own at home and could show him how it worked any time he wanted!

Teecie was surprised at his answer to the next question. The interviewer asked who he felt was his best friend. He had chosen Draco. This surprised her, for she was sure that he was quite close to her mother. She wondered why he hadn't mentioned her at all.

One of the most interesting questions was very personal, and Teecie was quite surprised that he'd actually answered it. The interviewer asked who had influenced Uncle Sev's life the most. The answer moved Teecie. "I would say that there are three people who count as having most influenced me. The first has redeemed himself, and so I will not reveal his name. The second is gone, and good riddance. The third, and the only good influence in my life, was Albus Dumbledore. I hope he is looking down on this school and approving how well things have turned out for all of us." Teecie wondered if the first person had been her father. They'd always had an odd sort of alliance over the years. They'd never been what you might call "friends," but they weren't enemies either. She wasn't too sure of who the second person was though, maybe his father.

The final question of the interview was deep and thought provoking. Uncle Sev was asked if he'd seen what his life would be like now, as he thought about the future while he'd been a student at school, was it as good as he'd thought it would be? His answer was quite touching. "Well, considering the life I imagined, I think it is better. But had you asked me then if I would have liked this life, I would have sneered at it." Uncle Sev had had a very hard life. He was a very unhappy man-that much Teecie could tell. He'd come a long way from his Death Eater days, and deserved happiness. She thought it was quite brave of him to give the interview and to answer so frankly. He must be worried about how the students would react to it all. She could only imagine how nerve wracking it must be for him right now.

The paper was finally ready for publication around midnight, and the weary students trudged off to bed while they were being printed.

The Journalism club members were nervous and excited over their paper being distributed to the rest of the students. What would they think? Would it be a success? Would they have any interest in it at all? The anxious club members had all of their fears alleviated at breakfast when the owls delivered the papers to the awaiting students. Within minutes, the school was abuzz with chattering kids as they read the paper.

Teecie was thrilled to hear what they said about her friends' columns and articles. Most of the students were excited about the love and fashion advice columns by Paige and Carl. Carl planned on writing about a new topic each week, while Paige asked the students to write to her with questions about love for her to answer. Her column was called, "Ask Miss Amore." Teecie was worried that nobody would find the recipe article interesting, when June Lindon ran up to her and told her she thought the salmon sounded delicious. Teecie was so excited she jumped up and down for a few seconds while thinking that people were reading what she'd written.

Later that day, Professor Weasley pulled Teecie aside after class and complemented her using her transfiguration skills to help her make her salmon dish. "I'm so proud of you!" she exclaimed.

It seemed the Hogwarts Weekly Howler was quite the hit. Several copies had to be confiscated during various classes during the day. At lunch that day, most of the kids talked about the interview with the headmaster. A couple of the Muggleborn students shouted up to Uncle Sev that they knew how to use computers, and would he happy to show him how. A few of the girls whispered about why he wasn't married. One Ravenclaw girl suggested that he'd be thwarted in love in an earlier time in his life, and had been so hurt, he'd never been able to love again. Most of them were reacting positively, surprised that he'd talked so much, and shared so much of his life with them. Teecie couldn't help but look up at him as he sat at the professor's table, eating his lunch. Every once in a while, he'd glance out at the students, as if trying to see how they'd reacted to the interview. She couldn't say for sure, but thought he still looked a bit nervous.

The day passed pleasantly. Teecie had a lot of fun talking about the Howler and how much fun it was to read it. Before walking up to her dormitory that night, she made a special stop at Uncle Sev's office, to talk to him about the interview.

The first thing Teecie did after she'd walked into Uncle Sev's office, was walk up to him and throw her arms around his waist. "Mmmlvsv…" she said into his robes while hugging him.

Snape was taken aback momentarily from Teecie's sudden physical attack. He stiffened for a few seconds before growing more accustomed to her touch. After a minute, he peeled her off of him. "What did you say?" he asked while holding her an arm's length away from him.

"I said I love you Uncle Sev. I'm very happy to know those things about you that you talked about in the interview," Teecie replied, beaming up at him. "It was very brave of you."

Snape wasn't sure how to react to this enthusiastic outburst. He'd been more nervous than he'd cared to admit about even giving the interview in the first place. Scuttlebutt from the various paintings around the school said that it had been very well received among the students, and he seemed to be even more respected by them than ever before. Finally, he smiled weakly down at Teecie, barely able to look into her eyes. They shone with a youthful excitement that was so bright it was almost painful to look at. It only served to remind him how far away his own youth was. He was glad to know she was so happy though.

In a completely impulsive moment, Snape reached his hand out and caressed Teecie's cheek for a couple seconds before letting it drop back to his side. "I'm glad you liked it, Ticia. Though I must admit I did it more for myself than for anybody else," he replied honestly.

Teecie looked up at Uncle Sev, and smiled. She thought that was a very good thing for him. His life was definitely moving in a good direction, and she wanted to play a part in keeping it moving that way. At that moment, the image of Narcissa Malfoy popped into her head. Those two would make a perfect couple! She could imagine the two of them walking hand-in-hand on a beach somewhere, and eventually getting married. The thought warmed her heart.

Before leaving a minute later, Teecie stood on her toes, leaned up, and kissed Uncle Sev on the cheek. She thought he'd flushed afterwards, but couldn't really tell. It could have been the flickering of a nearby candle.

As Teecie left his office, Snape sat back down at his desk, and thought about that small exchange. She really was a sweet kid, when she wasn't giving him a headache, that was. Perhaps there was hope for her after all.


	53. The Inheritance

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm so glad you enjoyed the last chapter. Draco's just never going to give up is he! I actually have a bit more planned before he'll start to calm down, just a bit, over Teecie's love life. It was just time that the students should have a newspaper in my opinion, so I had to do it. Being the foodie that I am, any description of food is going to be as detailed as possible, I think it just adds another element to the story. I'm really glad you liked the interview. ElfFlame and I actually made a list of 50 questions and have been interviewing each other as the different professors and have made files of the entire interviews. I'm trying to decide if we should post them on or at the club or if you wanted them, we could email them to you directly. Please let us know if you're interested and how you'd like to get them. And speaking of the club, ElfFlame and I have been playing with her new Sims 2 game and we have created the Orendes family. We've put pictures of them on the club so go check them out and see if they fit how you've imagined them in your mind all this time, because they were all designed to look exactly how I have seen them in my mind and I'd love to get your opinion on it! Well, enough chatting, here's the next installment for your enjoyment!

The Inheritance

Ubaldo, the Wizard Warrior Lover, held Teecie in his arms. "My dearest Ticia," he murmured in her ear, "You are my life, my love, my sun and moon. Let us make sweet, passionate love until the dawn."

"Oh, Ubaldo!" Teecie cried as he kissed her neck and ran his hands up and down her bodice. Ubaldo tried to undo the buttons of her bodice, but couldn't get them open, so in his frenzy to get Teecie undressed, he ripped her bodice off of her, freeing her from the confines of the tight material. Ubaldo kissed Teecie while caressing her rosy peaks. Teecie moaned loudly while he moved down to kiss her heaving bosom.

Suddenly, Ubaldo stood up, and Teecie watched as he tore his own clothes off his body. Teecie gazed at his muscular body. Ubaldo had dark wavy hair and brown eyes that she got lost in. He had dark bronzed skin and rippling muscles. He was a very powerful man, and Teecie knew it was no use trying to resist him. Not that she wanted to resist him.

Ubaldo lay back on the bed, wrapping his strong arms around Paige as she sighed. "Oh, Ubaldo. I want you to take me! Take me now Ubaldo!" she cried.

"Your wish is my command," Ubaldo replied. He pressed his hot lips to Paige's and moved on top of her. Paige's heart pounded as Ubaldo entered her for the first time. Paige moaned while Ubaldo made passionate love to her. After several minutes, Paige and Ubaldo reached a crescendo, and cried out together in ecstasy before growing silent and falling asleep in one another's arms.

Remus Lupin walked up and down the aisles of his classroom while his students read from their books. He noticed that Teecie and Paige seemed very absorbed in the book they were reading, their heads bent down close to the book, and while pogrebins were fascinating, he seriously doubted they were that obsessed with them.

When Remus got within a few feet of the girls, he started to sense that there might be more behind their reading than a simple book. As he drew nearer, he felt as though he'd stepped through an invisible veil and as he crossed to the other side, he began to feel slightly aroused. He tried to keep his breathing under control, for the air was now thick with the scent of the girls' pheromones. As he inhaled, he couldn't help but notice the familiar smell of Teecie's essence, like peaches, that he was used to smelling when she came to tea after spending time with his son. Paige emitted a similar scent, though hers was tinged with the scent of roses instead. Remus had to make sure not to look at any of the female students too closely, as he always did in a situation such as this, while he walked over to the girls. Looking down, he could see a novel hidden inside the Defense Against the Dark Arts book they should have been reading. He quietly leaned down and snatched the book up away from them. "Girls, will you please see me after class?" he asked quietly before walking back to his desk, his hormones settling down as he walked away from them.

Remus looked at the title of the book Teecie and Paige had been reading: "_The Adventures of Ubaldo, the Wizard Warrior Lover._" He rolled his eyes as he reached his desk. He'd been a professor at Hogwarts for over ten years now, and it never ceased to amaze him the smut girls read in class. Though, to be fair, he'd caught many boys over the years looking at magazines with nude witches in them. Teenagers, Remus thought to himself. It didn't seem like so long ago when he and his best mate Sirius Black had been fourth year students reading a copy of _This Witch_ magazine while they should have been studying. Professor McGonagall had caught them reading it in her class, and the result hadn't been pretty. Ah, memories, Remus thought to himself.

There had been several wonderful smutty novels that Remus had confiscated over the years. His very favourite though, had been, _The Amorous Conquests of the Werewolf_. The things it had suggested about the libido of the average male werewolf were preposterously overblown, yet had been quite amusing to read nonetheless. There was at least one poor girl each year that had an innocent werewolf sexual fantasy. Most of the time it came in the form of a crush, a desire to spend with him, though sometimes it got out of hand. One year, five or so years before, Remus had returned to his office one night after supper to find a sixth year girl waiting for him inside. She had removed all of her clothing and was positioned in a provocative manner on top of his desk. It had been quite an ordeal to get through to say the very least. The very idea that he would participate in any such activity with a minor student of his was insulting to him as a person and as a professional educator. Remus liked to think of himself as having better control over his instinctive needs than what trashy books like that said about people like him.

Teecie had been startled when Professor Lupin had taken her book away. She was also a little embarrassed by what she'd been reading. What if he read it too and wanted to talk to her about it or something? Looking over at Paige, Teecie could see the look of sheer terror on her face. It had been Teecie's book, not Paige's; it didn't really seem fair to punish Paige when she was still so scared of Professor Remus.

After class ended, Teecie turned to look at the very pale Paige. "It was my book, why don't you go and I'll try to smooth things over with the professor, OK?" she volunteered kindly.

"Thanks Teecie, I owe you one," Paige stammered as she picked up her book bag and scurried out of the room.

Teecie took a deep breath, picked up her book bag, and walked slowly up to Professor Lupin's desk, where he was sitting on the edge, arms folded, waiting for her. "Um…Look, I know we shouldn't have been reading something else in class, but…" Teecie started, her voice trailing off as she realized she had no good excuse for wasting class time.

Remus looked down at Teecie and frowned. "Teecie, where did Paige go?" he asked, unfolding his arms and standing up to his full height.

"Oh, I said she could go," Teecie replied, smiling weakly up at her professor.

"You said? Ticia, I am the professor, and I asked for both of you to stay after class," Remus replied, frowning.

"But it was my book, and she's so scared of you still. I didn't want her to cry or anything. So, can I please have my book back?" Teecie asked, holding her hand out for the book.

Remus was displeased over the fact that she'd overruled his request. "Ticia, I was going to give the book back to you, but now I'm thinking I shouldn't. You seem to be having some trouble remembering who the authority figure here is, and who is not," he replied, still frowning. He couldn't help but wonder if all the years of Saturday teas together were having a negative affect in how Teecie viewed him. Perhaps they'd grown too familiar for her to see him as the adult. It pained him to think of having to put a stop to their fun time together each week, but it seemed that it might be having a detrimental effect on her, and in the long run, would only do more harm than good.

"No I'm not! I know you're the professor. Can I please have my book back?" Teecie cried unhappily, clasping her hands and looking imploringly up at him.

"Ticia, don't you see how you're acting? You're acting quite childish right now," Remus said calmly.

Teecie narrowed her eyes. Why was he being so difficult? So she'd been reading another book in class. So what? It wasn't the end of the world! "Can I please have my book back and go? I'm going to be late for my next class," she said as calmly and maturely as possible.

"No, you may not have your book back. But what you can do is come to this classroom after dinner tonight for detention. And make sure to bring Paige with you," Remus replied before sitting back down at his desk and starting to go through a stack of papers, ending the conversation.

Teecie was in a bad mood for the rest of the day. Here it was, the beginning of October, Reni and Peter would be returning from their honeymoon in just a few days, and her professor was being horribly cruel by giving her detention! She made sure to break the news to Paige gently that evening at dinner. She knew how scared Paige still was of Professor Lupin, and had wanted to spare her the experience, but it seemed as though it was not to be.

The two girls trudged off to detention that night. Professor Lupin was waiting for them, and assigned an essay about the proper usage of class time, and the importance of not wasting their education. Paige trembled in the corner of the room as she sat at a desk, writing her essay. Teecie sat up front by Professor Lupin as she wrote her essay. Every few minutes she'd look up and glare at him.

After the two girls had turned in their essays and Paige had left, Remus talked to Teecie. "Ticia, I'm afraid that all our fun Saturday afternoon teas together have given you the wrong impression. You seem to be having some trouble remembering that I am the professor and you are the student. That needs to be a line we don't cross. Do you think we could work on that? I take the blame for some of this, because I've allowed it to go on for too long and now it's gotten out of control. So, why don't we take a couple weeks off from tea on Saturday, and when we meet up again, we'll both work hard to keep the student-teacher boundary intact, all right?" he asked calmly, looking at Teecie to see how she'd react.

"But…but…" she sputtered, while tears filled her eyes, "But I don't want to stop meeting for tea! It's my most favourite time of the week!" she cried.

"I've enjoyed it a lot too, Ticia, but I just think it's given you the wrong impression. I'm the professor, you're the student. I think we've just gotten too familiar, and friendly to remember that barrier. It's only for a couple weeks, to give both of us a chance to remember that," Remus replied, with a sad look on his face.

"But I'm sorry Professor! Really I am! I know I shouldn't have been reading that book in class," Teecie cried, tears streaming down her face. Within a minute, she was sobbing uncontrollably.

Remus stood up and folded his arms. Now was not the time to cave in to her. "Ticia, perhaps you should go to see Master Wilkes and get a Calming Draught from him," he replied kindly.

"I-can-make-one-myself," she gasped in between sobs.

"I don't think that's a good idea. Why don't you go talk to Master Wilkes, it'll make you feel better," Remus replied while walking Teecie to his door.

Teecie took Remus's advice and went to the Hospital wing to talk to Master Wilkes. She cried for several minutes while explaining what had happened. Master Wilkes poured her a small Calming Draught which she drank while he talked in a soothing tone to her. "Teecie, Professor Lupin does make a good point. I think you tend to see your teachers, and myself, as friends, and you must remember that it isn't like that. You are a student, we are the adults, and that is simply the way things are while you are here," he said while Teecie sighed and began to look much calmer.

"I suppose you're right, Master Wilkes," Teecie said, her eyes looking glazed.

"How do you feel now?" Wilkes asked.

"I feel fine…so peaceful…it's kind of funny," she replied while smiling lazily.

"You'll not be making this potion for yourself though, understand?" Wilkes asked sternly.

"I guess not…I can just get some from you if I need it," Teecie replied slowly.

"I can assure you, that will _not_ be very often," Wilkes said.

"No…not so often…" Teecie's voice trailed off as her eyes closed. She slithered down in her chair, asleep. She kept sliding out of her chair, and Wilkes whipped his wand out of his robes and floated her to the nearest bed right before she hit the floor.

Teecie woke up the next morning in the Hospital wing in a much better mood. She'd slept well, and had a peaceful feeling inside as she ran to her dormitory to get ready for breakfast.

The day passed quickly, and she was quite surprised to receive a letter from her mother that evening at supper, asking her to come home for the weekend. Teecie ran to Kali to see if she'd gotten a letter, and found that she had. Both girls were nervous, for the letter didn't say why they'd been asked to come home. Why did they need to leave the school? Was something wrong? The only thing they could think of was the fact that Reni and Peter were due to return that weekend, maybe they wanted to visit with them before finding a house and moving away. Maybe something was wrong with their father that they needed to come home for.

Teecie went to Draco's office without finishing her dinner, in order to find out what was wrong. She figured he must know what was happening back home. "There's nothing wrong with anybody, Teecie, I promise," Draco assured his sister, "Father and your mother just want to tell all three of you girls about something important. I'll be taking you and Kali to the property after school tomorrow, and you'll stay for the weekend." Teecie left the office and conveyed this information to Kali, who was worriedly waiting with Paul in the Great Hall. She seemed quite relieved that it was nothing too serious.

After classes on Friday, Teecie packed a bag with some clothes, school books, and a few other items that she couldn't live without for two days, and walked to Uncle Sev's office where her brother and sister would be meeting her to floo home to the property.

When the group arrived in the living room, they were met by Lucius and Adriana. Lucius and Adriana took turns hugging their children. After Lucius had hugged Draco, Adriana smiled warmly and welcomed him to the house. Reni and Peter walked into the room with Hunter shortly after, and another round of hugs and hellos ensued.

Hunter was holding his pet puffskein in his hands and grinned up at Kali. "Kawi, say hi to Fwossy," he demanded, holding the animal up to Kali.

Kali wrinkled her nose, but smiled before saying, "Hello, Flossy."

Next, Hunter turned to Teecie and held the pet up to her, "Teethie, say hi to Fwossy," he said, waiting patiently for her to obey his command.

Teecie bent down and petted the animal for a few seconds. "Hello, Flossy, my how you've grown. Your owner must be taking very good care of you," she said, smiling at Hunter. Hunter beamed up at her before hugging the animal to him and running over to entwine himself in Peter's legs. Peter bent down and picked up his son, holding him tightly in his arms.

Teecie turned to Adriana and asked, "So, what's wrong, mum? Why did you ask us to come home?"

"Well, your father and I have some good news to share with all three of you girls. Now that Reni and Peter have returned from their honeymoon, it's time we told you. So, why don't we do into the dining room and enjoy dinner, and your father and I will tell you everything afterwards," Adriana replied. She led the family into the dining room and then ran to the kitchen to carry out platters of steaming food.

Lucius sat at the head of the table, passing out plates of roast beef, mashed potatoes, and Yorkshire pudding to his children. Once everybody had a plate of food, they tucked in with gusto and were soon chattering happily. Teecie was dying to know what the important good news was, but spent her meal talking to Hunter and helping him eat.

When the family had finished their dishes of plum pudding, Adriana brought out cups of coffee for the adults, and asked everybody to come into the living room. When everybody was comfortable on chairs or the sofa, Lucius stood up, carefully leaning on his cane, and looked at his daughters. "Girls, I have some good news to share with all of you. Now, your brother already knows, and was kind enough to help us keep it a secret until now," he started before taking a small item out of his pocket and handing it to Reni. "That," he said, pointing to the object in Reni's hand, "is a key to a vault in Gringotts bank. In it is 500,000 galleons for you, Peter, and Hunter to begin your new life together," he explained slowly.

All three girls' jaws dropped open. "500,000 galleons?" Reni repeated; her eyes huge as she held up the key and gazed at it.

"Yes, your mother and I wanted to give this to you to help after your marriage," Lucius said, beginning to explain in more detail, "Most of my family's money was lost during the war, or soon afterwards, except for one vault. My mother, Rowena, had a vault with two million galleons saved in it, and it managed to stay out of Death Eater or Ministry control. I decided to divide the money between you four children. I gave Draco his money after he married Tanith. Kali, you and Teecie will each receive an equal share after you get married."

Kali furrowed her brow and looked up at Lucius. "But father, what if we don't get married?" she asked curiously.

Adriana began to talk at this point in time. "Girls, we don't want you to think that your inheritance is dependent on your marriage to somebody. It's to help you get started out in your life, and we don't want you to feel pressured to find a husband, just so you can get your inheritance. So, if you don't get married, you'll receive it on your 21st birthday," she informed them. Teecie knew her mother had always resented being forced into her first marriage several hundred years ago to a boy she barely knew, and wanted to give her daughters more options than she'd had.

Teecie hadn't really heard any of this though. The only thing going through her head at the moment was: 500,000 galleons, 500,000 galleons! Think of what she could buy with that. "Dad, how many pounds is 500,000 galleons?" she asked.

Lucius cleared his throat before responding. "Well…according to the bank, it's valued at about…two and a half million pounds," he said slowly.

Teecie had been sipping a glass of water, and spat it out in a fine spray across the coffee table. "Two and a half million? Two and a half million?" she repeated, standing up and running up to Lucius. "I'm rich! I'm rich! I'm the richest girl in the world!" she shrieked, jumping up and down excitedly. "How much do you think a unicorn costs? I could buy a unicorn farm! Think of how many glitter pens I could buy with that kind of money!"

Lucius held his hand out and patted Teecie on the head. "Honey, calm down please. I understand this is very exciting, but you can't think about wasting your money on such frivolous things as pens and unicorns. This money is to help you buy a house, and pay for any help you might need while you train to become a healer, or whatever you choose to be," he explained calmly.

Teecie still wasn't hearing any of this though. "I have to tell Patty and Paige! Wait till the rest of the school hears!" she cried excitedly while running off to find a piece of paper to owl her friends.

Draco was up and able to catch her before she found anything to write on. "Teecie, no! This isn't the kind of thing to parade to your friends, in fact, the fewer amounts of people who know about this, the better," he said, taking Teecie by the arm and gently guiding her back to the sofa.

Draco sat with his arm around Teecie's shoulders, holding her close to him, as though afraid she was going to run off to write to her friends if he let go of her. Everybody was excited by this time, so he had the chance to talk to Teecie about it some more. "So, you now have some money to buy a house. Where do you think you'd like to live?"

"I don't know. I suppose it depends on where my job is, though I could floo pretty much anywhere. It also depends on where my husband works," Teecie replied. "I do like where you live, in Bath, maybe we could move in next door!" she cried, looking up at Draco with a huge smile on her face.

"Well, like you said, it depends on where you and your husband will end up working," Draco replied, while praying that neither of them ever got a job in Bath. "You can start dreaming of what you want your house to look like. You can have all the furnishings and designs that you want. You could buy a house, or have one built, if you want," he said, trying to get her mind off of trivial things and onto the more important things money could buy.

After another hour, Draco left to visit with his wife and children, leaving the girls alone with their parents. Teecie knew she was much too excited to sleep that night. "Mum, do you think we could talk tonight?" she asked once everybody else had left the room. She didn't know how much longer she could stand not letting James know she loved him, and knew her mother was an expert on love. This would be a perfect chance to get some good advice.

Adriana looked at Teecie with a surprised look on her face. "You want to talk with me? What about?" she asked.

"Well…there's this boy…and I want him to know how I feel about him…" Teecie said quietly, blushing and kicking the table leg with her foot.

"You want to talk about boys with me? Like girl talk?" Adriana said excitedly, "Oh, Teecie, of course! We can have a slumber party in your room! Just let me change into my pyjamas." With that, Adriana ran off to her room to change, and emerged several minutes later in a pair of red silk shorts and a matching tank top, and with several pillows and blankets in her arms. "All right, let's go talk!" she cried while walking into Teecie's room.

After Teecie had changed into her pyjamas, she wrapped herself up in a blanket and laid herself widthwise across her bed, with her head hanging over the edge, and her legs propped up against the wall. Adriana made a nest out of pillows and blankets on the floor and lay on her stomach, her head propped up on her hands and looking up at her daughter. "So…who's the boy?" she asked, though she thought she already knew who it was.

"James," Teecie replied after a minute of debating with herself over to tell or not. "When we went out in second year, I knew I liked him, and we had loads of fun together, but it didn't seem like anything more than that. But now…it feels like more. All I ever do is think about him, and dream about him. It's terrible," she confessed.

"But that's what love is, darling," Adriana replied. "Your mind and body become completely focused on that one person, and if he isn't there, or doesn't feel the same way for you, it makes it even worse. Is he still going out with Candace?"

"Yes, and I hate her! She's a total cow!" Teecie exclaimed bitterly.

"Well, she's going out with the boy you like, but you should still be nice to her. What do you intend to do about it?"

"I don't know, all I want to do is scratch her eyes out!"

"Well, I can't condone scratching anybody's eyes out, but have you tried talking to James?" Adriana asked kindly.

"I want to tell him, mum, but how? I can't just walk up to him and say, 'Hi James, I just thought I'd tell you that I'm in love with you,' now can I?" Teecie asked exasperatedly.

"I suppose not, but there's got to be a way to tell him how you feel. Do you have any idea if he's still in love with you?"

"I don't think he does. He's always going on about _her_, and what a good friend I am to him," Teecie replied glumly.

"But that's a good thing, honey. I think he's trying to make you jealous, so hopefully, you'll go after him," Adriana explained.

"You think so? Maybe I should tell him I love him then," Teecie said.

"You would probably want to be less vocal about it than he was with you," Adriana chuckled, remembering the story of James professing his love for her daughter in front of the entire school.

"Oh, believe me, I won't be doing anything like he did!" Teecie replied. "I just don't know when or how to do it, mum. How did you tell dad you loved him for the first time?"

"Well…we'd had a row, and as I was yelling at him, it just sort of…popped out," Adriana replied. "He was as surprised as I was."

"That's so romantic," Teecie sighed. "I just want James to hug me and hold my hand. That's romantic too, don't you think?"

"Sometimes it's the most romantic thing there is. You can get very close to a person with only holding hands," Adriana replied dreamily.

"And when you want to do more?" Teecie ventured to ask.

"Well, when the time is right for kissing, and…more…you'll know. But Teecie, sex is something that really takes a lot of maturity to handle. It would be best to wait until you're much older. Fourteen is a frightfully young age to be having sex," Adriana advised.

Teecie flushed and said nothing as she remembered her birthday and running away to France to sleep with Owen. Her mother would kill her if she ever found out Teecie had already lost her virginity.

The time had clearly come to change the subject, to deflect the attention away from her. "So, mum, I've been wondering lately, why isn't Uncle Sev married?" she asked curiously.

"I've often wondered that myself," Adriana replied, "He's a very private man. Maybe he doesn't want to share himself with another person. Maybe he doesn't feel like putting in the effort it takes to keep a relationship going. He doesn't have much patience when it comes to other people. I suppose he just likes being alone better, or he'd have somebody he loved in his life."

"But he must get lonely sometimes, don't you think? He's such a great man, and I wish he could be happier, but he never seems too happy to me," Teecie replied.

"I know, but he's living the life he's chosen. If he wanted something different, he'd make the changes," Adriana said firmly.

"I don't know…maybe he's too scared to try. Maybe somebody needs to set him up on a date," Teecie replied devilishly.

"Yes, but with whom?"

"Somebody else who's scared and lonely I suppose. Do you know anybody like that? Any woman near Uncle Sev's age who's all alone in the world and needs a wonderful man like him?" Teecie wasn't going to name Narcissa, she wanted to see if her mother would or not.

"I'd have to think about it for a while," Adriana replied, beginning to look uncomfortable over the subject. "Teecie, darling, will you let me brush your hair? It's been so long since I've done that," she said, sitting up and looking hopefully at her daughter.

"All right," Teecie replied, sitting up and turning so her mother could brush her hair. Soon, the two were chattering about clothes and make up and talking about boys again while they painted each other's toe nails. It was two in the morning before they finally fell asleep; Adriana nestled in the blankets on Teecie's floor. Teecie couldn't remember having so much fun with her mother in quite a while, and would treasure that memory for the rest of her life.

The next morning, Teecie enjoyed a wonderful French toast and bacon breakfast with her family. She listened as her parents talked to Reni and Peter about their plans on getting their own home. "Well, Reni and I have talked about it a lot, and we think it makes sense that that we should live in London. She wants to focus on her music career, and I'm still working in the Ministry," Peter explained to his in-laws.

"We'll try to find a nice suburb where we can buy a huge house, or buy land to have a house built. All the houses in London proper are horrifyingly small," Reni added.

"Hunter's lived his entire life in Reni's bedroom, it's high time he got a room of his own," Peter said while wiping his son's face off with his napkin. "Isn't that right?" he asked Hunter.

"Dat is wight!" Hunter cried emphatically, though not knowing what they were talking about.

"We thought we'd move into the Burrow, with Peter's grandparents, until we find a place. Their house is almost empty and they have plenty of rooms to spare. We can't stay here, it's just too small," Reni said bluntly.

"But we appreciate everything you've done for us," Peter added hastily.

Kali and Teecie looked at each other warily for a few seconds. Reni was leaving…that meant her room would be free. "Mum, can I have Reni's room? You could knock out the wall and expand it so it would be twice as big!" Teecie blurted out quickly, trying to beat Kali to the same question.

"Mum! I'm older, I should have the room!" Kali cried.

Adriana exchanged a knowing glance with Lucius before speaking. "Actually, your father and I have discussed this already, and we have decided to remove the wall between Reni and Teecie's room and move her room further down, and do the same with Kali's wall. So, the space that was divided between three rooms will now be shared between two," she said with an air of finality about the subject.

Kali and Teecie looked at each other. "That sounds fair," Kali finally replied. Teecie nodded her head in agreement.

The rest of the weekend passed pleasantly, and on Sunday evening, Draco returned to escort his sisters back to school. After a round of hugs, the girls flooed back to Hogwarts.

Patty and Paige were very curious to hear about Teecie's weekend. After a long debate with herself, she finally decided to tell them, but swore the girls to secrecy first. The three girls screamed and jumped up and down excitedly as they thought about all the money.

Two days passed before strange things started to happen. One morning at breakfast, when Teecie was eating and talking with a group of her friends at the Gryffindor table, three older Slytherin boys walked over to her. "Good morning, Miss Orendes," one boy with black hair and steely brown eyes said while holding his hand out to shake hers.

"Uh…good morning to you too," Teecie replied, holding her hand out to shake his.

Another boy held out a single red rose to Teecie and smiled suavely at her. "Hello, Miss Orendes, I'm Winston Krantz, sixth year," the boy said, kissing Teecie's hand. Before the third boy could say anything, the first boy began to insult the second. "Why are you even here? You're not her type. Why did you try to meet her? She'd never go out with you," Winston sneered sarcastically to the black haired boy.

"How do you know? I'd be a much better match for her. Besides, you don't even know what to do with a girl!" the black haired boy cried.

"Oh, I don't, do I? Just ask your girlfriend, she'll tell you all about what a good lover I am," Winston bragged.

"Hey, break it up! You don't want to behave like this in front of the school," the third boy interjected, walking in between the two and trying to stop the argument. Winston shoved him lightly, to which the other boy grabbed his arm, and the black-haired boy's arm, and dragged them back to the Slytherin table, depositing them on opposite sides, and keeping a close eye on them. There was no more trouble from them afterwards.

When Teecie had a chance to look over at the Ravenclaw table, she noticed a few more boys trying to speak to Kali. One boy with auburn hair tried to give her a pink rose, but had to face Paul, who wouldn't allow him to speak to her at all. When a large boy with thick muscles approached Kali from the other side, Paul whipped out his wand and bellowed something at him which made him back away slowly with his arms raised in the air. After a few more minutes, Paul finally took Kali by the arm and escorted her out of the Great Hall. "How did they find out?" Teecie heard her mutter as they walked out of the room. She noticed Kali looked quite upset, and seemed to not be able to get out of the room quickly enough.

"What was that about?" Teecie asked, looking at her friends who had watched the scene unfold in silence. Paige blushed and looked down at her porridge while Patty began to whistle and looked up at the clouds showing through the ceiling. "What? What did you two do?"

"Well…" Paige began quietly, with a guilty look on her face, "I sort of told Carl about your money."

Teecie turned to Carl, her eyes wide with surprise. "Carl?"

"I swear I only told Rey," Carl quickly replied, shaking his head to deny his part in it.

"And I only told Zeren," Rey chimed in.

Teecie turned to glare at Zeren. "Ticia, I didn't tell anybody. It wasn't any of my business, so why would I tell anyone?" he said calmly, looking her in the eye to assure her of his innocence.

"So how did they find out?" Teecie asked quizzically.

Patty cleared her throat. "I only told Daniel," she assured her friend, holding her head high.

Teecie turned to look at Daniel. "I didn't know it was a secret," he replied, "I might have told a few people."

"How many is a few? One or two people?" Teecie asked.

"More like…ten or twenty," Daniel confessed, looking at his hands.

"Daniel! How could you blab that to all those people?" Teecie cried angrily, her face flushed the same shade as her hair, while Patty punched his arm.

"Yes, Wood, that was rather unintelligent of you, wouldn't you say?" Zeren added.

"Are you saying I'm stupid, Travers? Because if you are, I might have to pound your face in!" Daniel growled, standing up to show off his full height to Zeren.

"Sit down Daniel," Patty said, grabbing his hand and pulling him back down next to her. Teecie noticed that Patty kept her hold on his hand.

By this time, Draco had made his way to the Gryffindor table. "Miss Orendes, I'd like to see you in my office, now," he said sternly while walking out of the hall. Teecie glared at Daniel for a moment before getting up and following her brother to his office.

"I thought they'd know to keep it a secret," Teecie cried as soon as she had closed the door to her brother's office.

"You told the twins about the money, didn't you?" Draco asked, his eyes burning holes into Teecie's face as he stood before her with his hands on his hips.

"Yes," Teecie sighed. "I couldn't keep it from them. It was just too exciting. It was the first _good_ secret I've had in quite a while," she said quietly.

Draco's face softened as he listened to his sister's words. He had expected as much from her. She'd never been good at keeping secrets, so why would she start with this one? "Oh, Teecie, I'm not angry with you. It's just now I'll have to keep an even closer eye on you. Those boys are going to try and get you to like them, now that they know you have money coming to you when you get married. Don't be surprised if one or two of them even propose," he replied quietly.

"People will look at Kali and me differently now, won't they?" Teecie asked.

"Some will, yes, but your true friends won't," Draco replied.

"I hope not. It would be really weird otherwise," Teecie replied. "Look, I need to go to class, can I go now?" she asked while standing up and walking to the door. "Yes, but I still need to talk to you. Can you visit me after class today?" "Sure," Teecie called out while running out to get to her class. The day passed quickly, and soon Teecie found herself back in her brother's office. "Teecie, I've been wondering if you wanted to go on another date," Draco began, "I know of a couple boys that I think you'd get along with quite well." Teecie bit her lip. She wanted to go out with James, but she didn't want to hurt her brother's feelings. Besides, if she went out with other boys, it might make James jealous and want to go out with her again. "I guess I can try going out with one boy," she finally replied. Draco smiled, "Good, I'll arrange a meeting for you. The Hogsmeade weekend is coming up, and we can all plan on going out to dinner that night." "He's not one of the boys who talked to me this morning, is he?" "No, none of those boys would be allowed to see you," Draco replied. "Because they only want me for my money?" "Yes, and the fact that they don't come from good families," Draco said. "Oh, I see," Teecie replied. "And I don't have to marry him?" "Not if you don't sleep with him, which I'm sure you won't, right?" Draco asked sternly. "No, of course not," Teecie replied. "Good, so plan on meeting here on Friday night to meet Mr. Payne," Draco said. "Payne? You want me to date a boy named Payne? What's his first name?" Teecie asked. She couldn't help but notice Draco hesitated for a moment. "His name is Fenton, Fenton Payne," he finally replied, "and he comes from a good family," he added quickly. "Fenton? Fenton Payne? What kind of a name is that?" Teecie cried. Draco looked exasperated by now. "Teecie, his name doesn't matter. What does matter is that he's a nice boy who comes from a good family. He'll treat you like a proper lady," he explained. "Why don't you go and eat your dinner. Everything will sound better by the morning." "Somehow I don't think 'Fenton Payne' will sound better ever, but I'll give it a try. One date, that's all I'm promising," Teecie said while standing to leave. "That's all I ask. Then it's settled. You're really going to like him, Teecie; I have a good feeling about this boy." "Well, that's…good I suppose," Teecie replied as she left the room. That night at dinner, Teecie tried to imagine what a boy named "Fenton" must look like. By night's end, she was dreading her date with him. At least she had the Hogsmeade weekend to look forward to. 


	54. Growing Paynes

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! Yes, I debated over when to tell Teecie and Kali about the money. I made the final choice to tell them because they'd notice if Reni came into a ton of money out of nowhere. Reni's also the type to brag about something like this and the secret would be out anyway, so I figured that they'd tell all three girls together so nobody got jealous of the other.

I'm also glad you liked the romance novel part. It was a lot of fun to write and actually something I wrote a long time ago and finally had the chance to work into a chapter.

Well, your wait is over, you get to meet Fenton in this chapter, along with Teecie. Enjoy!

Growing Paynes

A week passed with classes and club meetings before Teecie had much time to think about her upcoming date with Fenton Payne. She'd spent most of her time looking forward to going to Hogsmeade with her friends. She and Paige wanted to do some clothes shopping before having lunch at Madam Puddifoot's Tea Room. Patty had made Teecie promise to spend some time with her in the Quidditch supply shop. She had the feeling that Patty wanted to talk about Daniel, and needed to have some time alone with her. "I know Paige is Miss Amore for the school paper, but she's so overwhelmed with letters to answer that I don't want to trouble her. I really need to talk to somebody, and you know about boys, so, can we talk?" Patty had asked Teecie earnestly a few days before the trip.

Teecie had noticed that Patty and Daniel had been spending a lot of time together, holding hands and whispering to each other. They seemed to laugh a lot, when they weren't fighting with one another, that is. The day before the Hogsmeade trip, for example, Daniel and Patty got into a huge fight. They'd been sitting next to each other at breakfast, talking quietly to one another before Daniel turned to talk to Kern and Robert about Quidditch. Teecie watched as Patty tried to get his attention for several minutes with no luck. Finally, after tugging on Daniel's sleeve and getting no response, Patty grew angry with him. "Daniel! When I ask you to pay attention to me, you will! Got it?" she cried loudly while grabbing him and turning him to face her.

"What are you doing? Quit nagging me," Daniel growled before turning back to his friends.

Teecie watched in wide-eyed silence at Patty stood up, picked up a pitcher of ice water, and dumped it on Daniel's lap. "I can't believe you said that! I hate you, you jerk!" Patty cried angrily before turning around and rushing out of the room.

After the excitement had died down, Teecie turned to see James, who was sitting alone for once. "Hey James," she said coyly. After he'd made eye contact with her, she made sure to smile at him and bat her eyes. "So…how are you doing lately?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm fine, even though this Summoning Charm we've been doing is giving me grief. Each time I try it I can't stop the object before it hits me in the head," James replied while chuckling.

"Well, if you need any help, I'd be happy to practice with you. It took me a while to get it too, but I think I've got it down pretty well, Teecie replied kindly while taking her wand out and tapping it thoughtfully against her chin. "Let's see…what should I try to summon?" she asked as she looked around to find something worthwhile. Over at the Hufflepuff table, a couple of students were picking through a box of Chocoballs. Just as one young girl was about to pop one into her mouth, Teecie raised her wand and said, "Accio Chocoball," then sat back with a smile on her face as it flew out of the Hufflepuff girl's hand and over to her. After Teecie caught it, she turned to James, put it in his hand, and smiled. "There you go, sweets to the sweet," she crooned while batting her eyes again.

James grinned stupidly while popping the Chocoball in his mouth. "You are good," he replied while scooting down closer to her. "So…how are you holding her wand?"

The two kids were embroiled in Summoning Charm lessons when Candace interrupted them. "What are you doing James? Giving _her_ lessons? You're already perfect with the charm; you showed me yesterday," she cried while standing next to James, hands on her hips and tapping her foot angrily.

James flushed, "I…uh…I…" he stammered nervously.

Teecie watched the two carefully. Why would James have said he was bad with the charm if he really wasn't? Was this his way of trying to get close to her again? Did he really like her still? Maybe James wanted to break up with Candace and go out with her instead. Candace seemed to know he'd been lying. Perhaps she thought this as well and was jealous because of it.

After a few more seconds of stammering though, Teecie finally jumped in to save James from Candace's wrath. "Oh, actually, Candace dear, James was showing me how to do the spell. I can't seem to get the hang of it," she said before giggling.

Candace turned to smirk at Teecie. "Oh, well, I can see that. You've never been at the top of any class before, have you?" She brushed the hair off her shoulders and picked a piece of lint off her robes and carefully dropped it on Teecie's lap.

Teecie brushed the lint off her lap before looking up at Candace. Before she could even open her mouth to respond though, James finally found his voice again. "Hey, you can't talk about Teecie like that. She's really smart! She's even going to be a healer some day!" he cried, defending Teecie.

Candace whirled around to glare at James. "Are you taking her side in this? I thought I was your girlfriend James, but maybe I was wrong!" she cried before whirling around and sweeping out of the room.

James moaned before quickly gathering his wand and books and running after Candace. "Candace, wait, let's talk about this!" he cried while running out of the hall.

Teecie sighed. She really hated that girl, and she really hated being called stupid by her. But before she had a chance to feel too sorry for herself, the bell rang signifying the end of breakfast.

That day in Transfiguration class, a class shared with Ravenclaw, Professor Weasley handed back their essays on transfiguration of animated objects into inanimate objects from the week before. When she came over to Teecie, the professor stopped at the desk, handed back her essay and exclaimed, "Miss Orendes, I must say that this is the best essay you've written for my class. You've been doing so well this year; keep up the great work!"

Teecie beamed with pride as Professor Weasley walked away. As she turned to put the essay in her book bag, Teecie made eye contact with Candace, who was sitting right behind her. Candace glared at her while she waved the essay with perfect marks around for a few seconds before slipping it into the bag and turning back around. She made sure to sweep her curls over her shoulder, pick a few pieces of lint off her robes, and toss them over her shoulder as well.

The rest of the day improved from there. After dinner that evening, Teecie went to Draco's office after her Fencing Club meeting, in order to meet Fenton Payne. She was more nervous than she thought she'd be to meet him.

As Teecie walked into the office, she saw Draco smiling at her while he stood to greet her. "Ticia, I'd like to introduce you to Fenton Payne," he said while turning to look at Fenton. "Mr. Payne, I'd like you to meet my sister, Ticia Orendes."

Fenton stood up and held his hand out to shake Teecie's. "It's a real pleasure to meet you, Miss Orendes," he said politely.

Teecie took stock of him for a moment before replying. Fenton was a tall and muscular young man of sixteen years. He had jet black wavy shoulder-length hair, grey-blue eyes, and milky white skin. He was quite attractive in her opinion, and she felt a familiar flutter in her stomach as he smiled warmly at her. He had very kissable lips; they reminded her of Owen…

"Hello, Mr. Payne, it's good to meet you as well," Teecie finally replied while shaking his hand and letting him hold onto it for a few seconds before taking her hand back. They sat down in the chairs while Draco opened a couple bottles of Butterbeer for them to share.

"Ticia, Mr. Payne is also a very good potions student," Draco said, trying to get a conversation started.

"You are? It's a fun topic, isn't it?" Teecie exclaimed while smiling at Fenton. Within a minute, the two were happily talking about potions and ingredients while Draco watched happily. He was very pleased with how well the two kids were getting along. Teecie seemed sufficiently interested and attracted to him, but not too attracted, and Fenton seemed to like Teecie, but didn't seem like he'd try to seduce her into bed after their first date. This definitely had potential.

When Draco could see that his sister was stifling yawns, he knew it was late and time for her to go to bed. She had a big day tomorrow with the trip to Hogsmeade and the date afterwards. "All right kids, this was a great chance to meet one another, but you have more time tomorrow night. You'd both do well to get a good night's sleep," he said while standing up to escort the kids out of his office.

Fenton and Teecie stood up to leave. He shook her hand politely and wished her goodnight as they left the room. As soon as Draco had shut his office door, Fenton leaned in to whisper in Teecie's ear, "I'll be seeing you in my dreams," before winking and tapping her nose with his fingertip and turning to walk away.

Teecie smiled after him. He'd be dreaming about her! He must really like her if he was going to dream about her. That evening, she fell asleep with a smile on her face, wondering what her date with Fenton would be like.

At the same time, Fenton was down in his dormitory dreaming about himself and Teecie. They were married and he was making love to her on a pile of all her galleons which were neatly tucked away in his vault at Gringotts. He woke up the next morning very excited about his date that evening.

The next day, Teecie woke up early and dressed for the trip to Hogsmeade. She chose a red and gold striped miniskirt, a red turtle-neck top, gold nylons, and a pair of black Mary Janes. She pulled her hair back in a simple ponytail and put on her make up in record time.

By this time, the twins were awake. Paige dressed in a plain black skirt that ended at her knees and a purple blouse. She wore black knee socks and purple shoes.

Patty was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a shockingly orange hand-me-down Chudley Cannons tee-shirt. She considered this dressing up for the special day, and was nonplussed that the other girls didn't share this opinion.

The three girls chatted through a French toast and sausage breakfast. Everybody at the table was excited about the trip to Hogsmeade that day. The first and second years sat at another part of the table, looking rather sullen at not being able to join their older schoolmates. None of the older students were paying any attention to them though.

Teecie was in the middle of a conversation with Paige when she noticed that James had sat down next to her. He was looking sullen as he plowed through his plate of sausages. Teecie took the time to turn around and look for Fenton over at the Slytherin table. When she spotted him, she smiled and waved over at him. James looked over his shoulder and saw Fenton. "Who's that?" he asked curiously.

"He's my date for tonight," Teecie replied, "He's a sixth year Slytherin."

"Is he one of the boys you met at your party a couple years ago?" James asked, trying to hide the jealousy in his voice.

"No, Draco introduced him to me last night," Teecie replied. "He's really nice, I-" The two were cut off from their conversation by a loud argument a few seats away.

"You're being so rude, Daniel!" Patty cried angrily.

"What is your problem _Patricia_? You're acting like such a…" Daniel yelled back.

"Like a what?" Patty screeched.

"Like a girl!" Daniel cried, standing up and marching up to Patty.

Patty gasped. "How dare you say that about me? I hate you Daniel! I'll hate you till the day I die!" Before she could say anything else, Professor Weasley had rushed over to Patty and escorted her out of the room. "He called me a girl, Aunt Hermione," Teecie heard her mumble as they walked away.

Paige and Teecie looked at each other with huge eyes. After a few seconds, they looked over at Daniel. "What should we do about them?" Teecie asked. "You're Miss Amore, can't you do anything?"

Paige bit her lip. "I'm not sure," she replied, "Patty's so stubborn, but I know she really likes him. And the same for Daniel. It's like we should just lock them in a room until they realized they like each other and start snogging."

"I agree totally. It's a shame that people who were meant to be together would fight like that. You should just lock them in a room where all they can do is talk to each other. I'm sure that would do the trick," Teecie replied. She didn't notice James looking at her intensely while she was speaking.

Paige glanced back and forth between Teecie and James. "Yes, I'm sure locking them in a room would be just the thing," she replied slowly.

When breakfast ended, Paige and Teecie walked arm-in-arm down to Hogsmeade, singing and skipping all the way. When Teecie mentioned going to work up at the orphanage the next day, Paige asked to come too. "You'd have to ask Uncle Sev, but I don't see why not," Teecie smiled.

Once they'd arrived, the girls immediately joined up with Carl and Rey, and went to Gladrags, where they spent hours trying on outfits. Paige bought a nice set of royal blue dress robes while Teecie bought a new red evening dress with matching high heels for her date with Fenton that evening. She wanted to look good for him.

When the shopping was over, the foursome headed over to Madam Pudifoot's tea room. They lunched over sandwiches and tea in the crowded café. Teecie noticed that Rey sat between herself and Paige, and across from Carl. Carl would look at Rey with a pained expression on his face every once in a while. Rey made sure to look at one of the girls every time Carl did this. After lunch when the group was leaving the café, Teecie heard Carl whisper to Rey, "Why can't we be together in public? It's no big deal. Why can't we be like any of the other couples out there?" Rey shot him a dirty look before glancing around to see if anybody had heard them. Teecie looked away before he'd had a chance to look at her, but she looked back in time to see Rey storming off away from Carl.

As Teecie was leaving to go meet Patty at the Quidditch equipment store, Carl left her with a warning. "Be careful with your date tonight, Teecie. You can never really trust any of those Slytherins," he said bitterly before walking off with Paige.

Patty was looking through a large pile of shin-guards when Teecie entered the store. "Oh good, you're here," Patty said in a relieved tone of voice while dropping the shin-guard and rushing over to her. "Let's sit over here to talk," she said, taking Teecie's arm and directing her to the stairs in the corner of the store.

When they were seated, Teecie looked at Patty. She looked miserable. "Patty, what's the matter?" she asked kindly.

Patty sighed while glancing around to see if anybody was looking at them. "It's about Daniel," she began, "I don't like it that we fight all the time, but I don't know how else to talk to him."

Teecie looked kindly at Patty. "Well, what usually starts the fights?" she asked.

"I don't know…Whenever Daniel doesn't pay attention to me when I want to say something to him, I yell at him and it starts a fight. Or if I tease him, a lot of times he yells at me for that," Patty replied.

"Well, lots of boys don't like to be teased. They're very sensitive, you know," Teecie replied. "And most boys are very stupid when it comes to knowing how girls think about things. Maybe it would be good for you and Daniel to sit down and talk about stuff. You could let him know how you feel about him and how it makes you feel when he ignores you."

Patty looked nervous at the thought. "I can't tell him how I feel about him. I'm not even sure how I feel," she responded.

"Well, think about it. Does he make your heart pound and your palms sweat? Do you find yourself thinking about him all the time? Do you just want to be around him more than anything? If so, then you're in love, Patty," Teecie informed her friend.

"I…I…most of those things are how I feel about Daniel," Patty confessed, "But, I just don't know if I'm ready to tell him I love him."

"I know how you feel. I feel the same way about James, but I haven't had the courage to tell him yet," Teecie confessed in a whisper.

"You do? I know you liked him, but I didn't know you loved him. Why haven't you told him?" Patty asked.

Teecie blushed. "He has a girlfriend now. Besides, I'm not even sure if he likes me anymore."

"That's my problem too. How do I tell if Daniel likes me?"

"Well, does he always hang out near you? Does he find dumb reasons to talk to you?"

"He likes to sit by me during all our classes. And sometimes he finds me after club meetings to talk about Quidditch or other things. One time when we were sitting in the library working on our Charms essays, he tried to hold my hand. We do hold hands sometimes. Does that mean he likes me?"

"I think so. I know what you should do," Teecie cried, sounding excited, "You should ask Carl to ask Daniel if he likes you! I'm sure Carl would be willing to. He's so good with feelings and stuff like that."

"That's a brilliant idea! I'm going to go find Carl right now and ask him, OK?" Patty cried, standing up and running towards the door.

"Yes, go!" Teecie laughed as the door shut. She stood up and looked around. There were still several hours left before she had to return to the school to prepare for her date. As she wandered up and down the aisles of the Quidditch supply store, she was surprised to run into Zeren. "Hello Zeren, how are you today?" Zeren turned around and grunted at Teecie before turning back to the broomsticks he was looking at. "What kind of a greeting is that?"

Zeren turned around again. "Hello, Ticia, is that better?" he asked. His voice broke on the last word and he scowled before turning back to the brooms.

What was his problem today? Usually he was more polite than that. Teecie stepped up to Zeren. "What's the matter with you? Did you forget your daily dose of fibre or something?" she sneered

Zeren glared at her. "Shut up Ticia," he hissed, his voice breaking again. His face flushed and he quickly turned back to the broomsticks he'd been looking at.

Perhaps he's upset over his voice, Teecie thought to himself. "So…why won't you talk to me?"

"Maybe because I don't feel like it," Zeren growled.

"You used to talk to me with no problems."

"That's because I used to be able to talk like a normal human being."

"You are a normal human being, well, as normal as you can be. Besides, if you're so worried about your voice, be grateful you don't have to deal with what I have to go through every month! Just a few weeks ago I found the perfect description of cramps. It's like taking a fork and stabbing yourself in the stomach and twisting your guts around like strands of spaghetti. Trust me, you have nothing to complain about," Teecie said, not quite believing that she'd actually just said that out loud.

"Ticia, that is so disgusting. Do me a favour and never say anything like that again. Though now that I think about it, I guess a changing voice isn't nearly as bad as…that."

"See, and also, when you're done, you'll have a nice deep manly voice that girls will go crazy for," she crooned.

Zeren couldn't help but smile at the thought. "What are you talking about? The girls are already crazy for me!"

Teecie laughed and put her arm through his, following him through the store. Zeren explained to her all the equipment and its uses. Teecie told him all about her mishaps with the bludger and the snitch while playing. "I can't believe you broke your backside! That's hilarious!" he said, laughing for several minutes with Teecie before calming down again. By this time, the two had come upon a section of training brooms. "Here," he said, holding out a small broom to Teecie, "you need one of these!"

Teecie giggled as she looked at the other brooms. One of them caught her eye and she ran over to it. "Zeren, look!" she cried while pulling up a soft pink broom. "A Chaser Wendy broom!" Wendy was the most popular brand of dolls among girls in the Wizarding World. Teecie hadn't played with any of her dolls since first year, but she still had them, and thought it was a cute broom. It even had Wendy's signature curlicue "W" on the side.

"Please tell me that's a joke," Zeren groaned. "That's a training broom for little girls."

"But I like it. It says it doesn't go any higher than four feet off the ground. I like that even better," Teecie replied before mounting the broom and pushing off the ground. She hovered for a few minutes in front of Zeren.

"I can't believe you're actually on that thing! But, if it gets you into the air, I suppose that's good," he replied.

Teecie flew her pink Chaser Wendy broom all the way to the front of the store, where she paid for it before dismounting and walking out of the store with her arm through Zeren's.

"So, I heard you're going out with Payne tonight," he said, looking down at Teecie.

"Yes, I am. What do you know about him?" Teecie asked curiously. Zeren was a Slytherin so he might know more about Fenton than she did.

"Well, he's very smart. He's good in potions and charms, and he studies a lot. He's Muggleborn, and his family owns a bookstore in Chelsea. He's got one younger brother, who doesn't go here, and I believe he's interested in a Ministry job after school," Zeren answered, thinking of all he knew about Fenton.

"That sounds nice," Teecie grinned. "He was quite pleasant to talk to last night."

"Yes, well, I'm sure you'll have fun tonight," Zeren said as they walked into the Three Broomsticks. He bought two bottles of Butterbeer and found a table for them. They sat down and enjoyed a fun hour talking and drinking.

Teecie was always amazed at how much at ease she was with Zeren. She felt as though she could tell him anything in the world. Zeren was always a little more animated around her than when he was with his fellow Slytherin classmates, though only marginally so. He did have a tendency to be a stick-in-the-mud most of the time. But that was why Teecie liked him so much. He reminded her of Uncle Sev-a younger, somewhat more playful, laidback version of him. If she wasn't in love with James so much, she was sure she'd be madly in love with Zeren, but it just didn't seem as though it was meant to be. But they could be good friends still.

"So, do you think your brother will let Fenton go very far with you tonight?" Zeren asked with a wicked grin on his face.

"Zeren! Of course he won't let anything happen! Why, are you jealous? Are you secretly in love with me and you can't stand the idea of me going out with another boy who isn't you?" Teecie giggled as they made their way back to the school. She was hovering over the ground with her new broom while Zeren walked next to her.

Zeren reached out and grabbed Teecie by the waist, pulling her close to him. "Yes, you've found me out! I won't be happy until we're married," he said while tickling her.

Teecie laughed as she squirmed off her broom. She walked next to Zeren the rest of the way to school. When they arrived in the Main Entrance hallway, she didn't notice Draco coming out from the Great Hall as she leaned in to kiss Zeren's cheek.

Draco watched as Teecie and Zeren shared a special moment. He couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart for the match that would never be. If only he'd had the chance to start working with Teecie when she was younger, maybe then she'd have been prepared for meeting Zeren's parents. If only…but no, it wouldn't do to dwell on the ifs in life. With a sigh, he slowly walked back to his office, leaving the kids to themselves.

Teecie and Zeren continued to talk for several more minutes before she had to leave to prepare for the date that night with Fenton. When she'd returned to her room, she took her time dressing. Her new red evening dress looked really good against her skin, and it showed off just enough to let her get away with, but not so much that her brother would insist that she change her clothes.

When it was time to meet Fenton and Draco in the Main Entranceway, Teecie picked up her red purse that had come with the dress, and ran down to meet them. Fenton was dressed in dark green robes and held his arm out to take Teecie's. "I must say, Miss Orendes, that you look stunning this evening," had been his greeting. She smiled and made small talk while he led them down to the carriage that would be taking them to the French restaurant she'd gone to on her date with Zeren a year ago.

Fenton held out the chair for Teecie before sitting down across from her. Draco had asked the hostess for a table across the restaurant, giving the two of them their privacy so they could get to know each other better.

The two kids were talking about what they wanted to do after Hogwarts when the server appeared to take their order. Teecie had intended to order the smoked duck breast with roasted potatoes, but Fenton ordered Steak Diane, a meal for two, before she had the chance. "I love steak," he informed her with a smile on his face. Teecie smiled weakly before popping the last of her breadstick in her mouth.

Fenton was talking about his plans on working his way up in the Ministry of Magic until he became Minister for Magic while Teecie continued to munch on breadsticks. She was nibbling on her third one when he stopped talking about the Ministry, furrowed his brow, and said, "Do you really think you need all that? I mean, dinner is on the way. Don't get me wrong, you're not fat now or anything, but you do need to think about the future. Once you have a couple children, those breadsticks won't burn off so easily."

"Thanks, but I think I can say when I'm full or not," Teecie replied, taking a bite of her breadstick and enjoying the frown on Fenton's face.

They had settled into a conversation about their favourite professors when their food arrived. Teecie thought the Steak Diane was very good, as was the roasted garlic mashed potatoes that accompanied them, but she did wonder if it was as good as the smoked duck had sounded. Perhaps on her next date she could try it.

Fenton enjoyed talking about himself. He told her all about his family and friends. He had a younger brother named Anton, who hadn't received a letter from Hogwarts. His father was a small business owner in Chelsea while his mum was a housewife. Teecie learned what his goals and aspirations in life were, besides becoming Minister for Magic. He wanted to marry right after school and have two children, a son, to carry on the family name and a daughter, to keep his wife company at home. His children would receive private tutoring before attending Hogwarts.

"But what happens if your wife wants a job?" Teecie ventured to ask during a lull in the conversation.

"Oh, no, no wife of mine will ever have to work, I can assure you," scoffed Fenton.

Teecie sighed. Maybe Fenton wasn't the right kind of boy for her. He'd seemed nice enough to her before, but now, he seemed kind of controlling. But her opinion changed when dinner was over and Fenton insisted she pick out their dessert. He smiled at her while she ordered chocolate éclairs. "Good choice," he praised as the server walked away.

Fenton asked Teecie all about herself and her family while they waited for dessert. He seemed quite interested in her father's life, and she had to think of discreet ways to answer his questions. "So, how did your father earn all his money?" he asked right as their éclairs arrived.

"Oh, well, from what I understand, it's mostly old family money," Teecie explained while biting into her dessert.

"I see," Fenton said slowly while watching Teecie eat. She'd gotten a tiny amount of chocolate on her cheek, and he had to resist the urge to reach out and wipe it off for her. After a few seconds though, she wiped it off herself.

When the meal had ended, Draco had no objections when Fenton held his arm out for Teecie, which she took. They walked out to the carriage, where Fenton made a nest out of blankets for Teecie to sit in before getting in to sit next to her. "Don't want you getting cold now, do we?" he grinned while wrapping the blankets around her. Teecie smiled. There might be some ways in which Fenton was controlling, but he was such a gentleman!

After they'd returned to the school, Fenton walked Teecie back to Draco's office before kissing her hand and leaving to return to the Slytherin common room. Draco sat down in his chair while Teecie sat across from him. "So? How did things go?" he asked.

"He was pretty nice, though I don't know if I can marry him. He doesn't want his wife to work! I could never be a healer," Teecie replied.

"Well, at least you had fun. You don't have to marry him, just remember that. Were you interested in another date with him?"

"Sure, he's nice enough to be around," Teecie said.

Draco arranged for another date at the Three Broomsticks that Friday night. The rest of the week passed slowly as Teecie kept thinking about Fenton and if she liked him or not. She was quite unsure about him.

After the week passed, Fenton walked with Teecie to Hogsmeade. When they reached the Three Broomsticks, he found a nice cozy booth for the two of them to share. He ordered fish and chips for them while they sipped on mugs of warm Butterbeer. Teecie told him about her week and the recipe she'd chosen to try for next week's issue of the Weekly Howler. "I'm thinking of making homemade doughnuts; chocolate glazed or sugar glazed, something like that," she explained

"I can't understand why you enjoy preparing food," Fenton said, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "I plan to have a cook in my home," he informed Teecie.

"Then you'll be missing out, because cooking is loads of fun," Teecie replied. "My father and I cooked and baked together every day when my older sisters were at school and I was still at home. He turned it into math and history lessons too," she said.

Fenton seemed a bit more interested to hear about Lucius. "So, your father gave you all your school lessons himself, eh? You must have spent a lot of time with him. He's a pretty nice man then?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Oh, he's simply the best father in the entire world!" Teecie gushed, "And my mum's the best mother in the world too."

When the food arrived, the conversation turned back to school topics. As the meal went on though, Teecie noticed that Fenton scooted closer to her in the bench on which they sat. She had just put vinegar on her fish when he glanced over his shoulder to see where Draco was. When Fenton was certain they wouldn't be seen, he leaned in and kissed Teecie on the mouth. He'd caught her off guard, but she didn't put up much of a struggle. He liked the idea of being married to this girl. She'd be easy to control, and came with a very handsome dowry.

Fenton looked at Teecie as he pulled away from the kiss and made a mental to-do list for when he left school. One: marry this girl. Two: get her money and use it to build a large mansion and begin working his way up in the Ministry. Three: have son to pass the fortune on to. Four: bring Teecie to social gatherings in order to continue working his way up in the Ministry. Five: have daughter to pacify his wife's complaints for wanting a job. Six: become Minister for Magic and add on a mistress or two. It was a simple enough plan really; the hard part was getting this girl to go for it.

Teecie hadn't been expecting Fenton to kiss her, so she'd just sat through it until he'd finished before going back to her meal. She was having doubts about this boy. He kept asking about her father and hinted at the money she'd be inheriting upon her marriage. He wasn't using her for her money like those other boys had tried to do, was he? She spent the rest of the evening trying to figure out what he really wanted from her.

Her heart sank as he talked over dessert. "So, Ticia, how many children to you want to have? I can tell you're the type who wants a few little ones running around underfoot," he smiled.

Teecie could see his eyes looking up and down her body, spending a fair amount of time on her chest. She carefully folded her arms in front of her chest before responding. "I've always wanted a large family. Four or five children would be nice."

Fenton frowned slightly. "That's an excessive amount of children," he finally replied before taking a sip of his Butterbeer.

"My mum says if the Wizarding world wants to thrive, they need to start having more children, not less," Teecie replied loftily.

"I see," he replied before changing the subject, "and what sort of house would you like to live in? A large manor or a small flat?"

"Well, I grew up living in a farmhouse, but it wasn't very big. The farm was quite large though, and the barn too. It's fun to sleep in the hayloft, so it would be fun to have one wherever I end up," Teecie said, smiling at the thought.

Fenton was truly horrified at the idea. "A farm? You want to live on a farm?" he cried.

"There's nothing wrong with that," Teecie replied, feeling defensive. This wasn't going well at all. "Besides, it's not like we're going to be married, so you won't be there," she said hastily.

Fenton turned bright red and narrowed his eyes. So, this had all been a waste of his time! She'd had no intentions of going very far with him. He'd have to keep looking for a way to get money for his plans of becoming Minister for Magic.

At the end of the night, when Fenton tried to kiss her cheek, Teecie stepped back. "Fenton, I don't think this is going to work out. I think we should just be friends," she said firmly while shaking his hand and walking into Draco's office and shutting the door in his face.

Draco looked eagerly at Teecie as she sat down. "So, how did it go?" he asked, his eyebrows raised in curiosity.

Teecie took a deep breath. The time had finally come to do something that would be very painful for her. "I broke it off with Fenton. It just wasn't working," she replied.

Draco frowned and shook his head slowly. "Oh, that's too bad, Teecie. But there are plenty of boys out there that I can introduce you to. I know there's one boy you'll like, his name-"

"Draco, we need to talk," Teecie interrupted. She stood up and walked over to Draco, giving him a big hug before continuing. "I think the time has come for me to start looking for boys myself. It's not that I don't appreciate what you're trying to do; it's just that, this is something I should do. And besides, there's really only one boy I want to be with. If I can't be with him, I don't want to be with anybody," she said calmly and maturely.

Draco sighed. He'd known it was only a matter of time before Teecie stood up for herself. She wanted to be with that damned Lupin boy, and nothing was going to stop her. At least he could insist on chaperoning her dates with him, so hopefully things would go very slowly. "But he'll never be able to provide for you the way you deserve," he said weakly.

"But Draco, I have money coming to me. I can provide for my family," Teecie replied with a smile on her face.

Draco smiled sadly and reached up to brush the curls out of his sister's eyes. "I know you can, but you shouldn't have to," he said quietly. "He'll never be able to treat you like a princess."

Teecie sat down on Draco's lap and kissed his cheek. "Just being near him makes me feel like a princess. Everything is going to be all right. You just have to trust me."

Draco wrapped his arms around Teecie's shoulders and held her tightly in silence for a few minutes. "I know…I know," he said slowly. "It's just a lot to adjust to."

"You'll do just fine, I have faith in you," Teecie grinned. "It is good to know you care about me enough to be this upset."

"I do want the best for you, that's all. I'm your brother, how can I be any other way?"

"I'm glad you're like this. But you will have to be civil to James. He's a good boy, and he deserves to be treated nicely."

"I'll do my best, but it won't be easy," Draco finally said.

"Everything will be all right," Teecie assured him before taking her leave and walking back to the Gryffindor common room.

James was sitting in a chair by himself, reading a book for class. Teecie gazed at him lovingly for a few moments before walking up to her dormitory and preparing for bed. All that had to be taken care of now was getting James back. How hard could that be?


	55. Life Lessons

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: Teecie has her change to work on James in this chapter, have no fears! Yes, wasn't Fenton just so nice in how he wanted Teecie for her money? He was a fun character to create. Also, I wanted you to know, that ElfFlame and I have a whole bunch of new pictures of the Sims story characters we made. You can see baby Teecie interacting with both of her parents and Lucius and Adriana kissing and all of that good stuff, so make sure to check those out at the club! Here's the next chapter, enjoy!

Life Lessons

Two weeks passed quickly before Teecie had a chance to do something about James and Candace. She had arrived in the kitchens early to work on her next recipe for the school paper. The Weekly Howler was a smashing success to say the very least. All those involved were being kept very busy, though none more so than Paige and Carl. So many students had questions on love and fashion. Teecie's column was less popular and therefore it took less of her time. She enjoyed it though, and had received many owls from students who had copied out the recipes and planned to try them over the holidays.

One of the most popular articles of the Howler was the weekly interview with one of the professors. The last week had an interview with Professor Longbottom. He'd been quite open and revealing with his responses. When asked what the best gift he'd ever been given was, Teecie had been moved to tears to read his response: "Every Christmas holiday, my gran and I would visit my parents in St. Mungo's. My mother would save small trinkets that she'd collected over the year to give to me. Most of them were what most people would consider rubbish: rubber bands, or gum wrappers, or an empty ink bottle, but to me, they were priceless treasures, because she'd saved them just for me." Knowing people like her father had been responsible for his parents' mental state filled her with a crippling guilt.

Teecie hadn't done well in her classes the next day. She'd gone to talk to Professor Longbottom afterwards and told him how she felt. He'd assured her that he had no anger towards her and that she should not feel bad, for she hadn't had anything to do with it. Teecie had gone away that night feeling uplifted and happy again.

The next day, she'd decided to try and get James to take her back somehow. When he and Candace walked into the kitchens, hand-in-hand, Teecie knew she had to act fast. How could she get Candace and James to break up?

Charlie assigned tasks to the students, and paired Candace and James together to make oatmeal raisin cookies, while Teecie was assigned to gather ingredients from the storage room and bring them back to the other students. James and Candace spent most of their time cuddling in their workspace when they should have been working, so Charlie ended up sending James off to help Teecie with the gathering since there were a lot of things she had to get. Candace was left alone and didn't seem too happy to be separated from James.

"So, what do we still need to get?" James asked Teecie as he joined her in the storage room, helping to roll the cart between them to place their items on.

Teecie held a sheet of parchment with the list of the ingredients. "We need lots of baking goods," she said, "let's start there." Together, they walked off to find the flour and sugar.

There were bags of white sugar, brown sugar, white flour, whole wheat flour, and oats stacked up on shelves in one corner of the dry storage room. James grabbed a bag of flour and set it on the cart. Teecie took hold of a large bag of brown sugar and tugged on it. The bag was on a high shelf and slipped off quickly. She was caught off guard by how heavy it was and ended up stumbling to the ground underneath it.

James saw this and came running over to her. He carefully lifted the bag off of her and knelt down to look at her. "Teecie, are you all right?" he cried. Teecie groaned and sat up. James ran his hands up and down her arms and legs. "Is anything broken?" he asked.

"No, I think I'm fine," Teecie replied while trying to stand up. James held her hands while she stood up. "Thanks," she said quietly, looking into his eyes.

"You're welcome," James whispered as he stared back into her eyes. They remained that way for several minutes.

Teecie didn't know how it happened, or who started it, but before she knew it, she and James were kissing. She wrapped her arms around him as he pulled her against him. She giggled as his lips kissed her jaw and her neck. "James, what are we doing?" she gasped.

"Yes, what are you doing?" an angry voice called out from behind them. Teecie and James broke apart and turned around to see Candace standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips. She was fuming with anger as she marched up to them. "Were you kissing _her_? Or was _she_ kissing you?" Candace was hissing at James, jabbing him painfully in the chest with her finger as she spoke.

"It was sort of…both…I think," James sputtered, stepping back to get away from Candace.

Candace stared at James in stony silence for a minute before responding. "You know what? I think this isn't going to work out between us, James. You're still in love with _her_," she hissed, whipping around to look at Teecie. "Consider yourself dumped," she growled before turning and storming out of the room.

James looked crestfallen. "Candace, wait!" he cried before running after her, leaving Teecie alone in the storage room.

What had just happened? James must still have feelings for her, or they wouldn't have kissed for so long before getting caught. But did he really want to get together again? Why would he have run after Candace if he had?

When Teecie had emerged with the cartload of items she needed, she saw James pleading with Candace to take him back. "Please, Candace, it was a mistake," he said. A few minutes later she heard him say, "It just sort of happened. She fell on me and her mouth hit against mine, that's all!"

Teecie was shocked by his lies. She'd fallen on him? Hardly! Maybe he didn't want to get back together with her after all. Her heart sank with this realization. At least she had tea with Professor Lupin to look forward to that afternoon. She'd missed her time with him each week and was really excited to be returning to him for the first time in a month.

The rest of the club meeting passed slowly and when it was over, Teecie studied for a few hours before going to Professor Lupin's office for tea. He looked very happy to see her as he poured her cup of tea and passed her a plate of biscuits. "So, Miss Orendes," he began, speaking with more formality than he used to, "are things going well with you?"

"Pretty well," she replied. "Though I do have a problem. You know what it is? Your son!" Teecie couldn't help but vent her frustrations. "He started kissing me and then Candace walked in and broke up with him and then he ran after her and said I was kissing him! Can you believe that?" she cried.

Remus sighed and took a sip of his tea. "Miss Orendes, this is exactly the kind of thing we need to avoid. It is inappropriate as your professor to speak about relationships with you. It is even more inappropriate when said relationship involves my son," he finally replied slowly.

"But don't you want to know about the lies your son is telling about me?" Teecie cried.

"No, quite frankly, I do not. It's none of my business."

"But he's being a jerk!"

"He's being a fourteen year old boy, Miss Orendes. Warranted, a lot of times, there's not much difference."

"Well why doesn't he just grow up then?"

Remus smiled in spite of himself. "He will, he just needs time," he replied.

Teecie sighed and folded her arms. "Not fast enough," she muttered. With that, she changed the subject and told Remus all about her pink training broom that she bought in Hogsmeade. "And it's even got Wendy's signature 'W' on it!" she exclaimed happily.

"Oh, well, that is something to be excited about. I'm glad to see you aren't so afraid of flying anymore," Remus replied, relieved to be talking about anything other than his son.

"Oh, flying isn't so bad, it's flying high I don't like," Teecie explained.

The rest of the afternoon went on in that manner, neither talking about James again. Teecie left feeling better and spent the rest of her day studying for her classes next week.

The next morning, James was in a terrible mood. Apparently Candace had not taken him back and he was sitting at the Gryffindor table stuffing waffle after waffle into his mouth and washing the whole thing down with several glasses of milk. Teecie was sitting by Carl and Paige watching him. She wanted to go to him and comfort him, but Carl kept her back by asking her questions about their Defense Against the Dark Arts homework.

By the time Carl had finished bombarding her with questions, James had left the Great Hall. Teecie frowned as she tried to think about where he might have gone. She walked around the school for over an hour before she found him in the library. He didn't notice when she sat down in front of him. "James? I think we should talk," she whispered.

James looked up to glare at her. "You know, none of this would have happened if you hadn't thrown yourself at me," he hissed.

Teecie's face grew red with anger. She stood up slowly, put her hands on her hips and started speaking loudly. "James William Lupin, how dare you say such a thing? I didn't throw myself at you! You threw yourself at me!" By this time, Madam Pince had rushed over to their table and kicked both students out of the library for disrupting others.

"That was all your fault," James growled as they walked out of the library.

"Oh shut up!"

"No, I won't shut up. You made Candace break up with me!" James shouted in the middle of the hallway.

"I did not! I didn't start that kiss, it just happened! You are just as much to blame!" Teecie screeched.

James glared at her for a few moments before speaking. "All you do is cause trouble! Why are you such a trouble maker?" he yelled, taking a few steps closer to her.

"Trouble maker? I'm a troublemaker? Who's the one who got us all assigned essays for swinging through the rafters like Tarzan?" Teecie screamed, stepping closer to James.

"It's Spiderman, not Tarzan!" James cried, stepping right up to Teecie and poking her in the shoulder with his finger. "Spidey is way cooler than Tarzan, got it?"

"Spiderman is a stupid comic! Grow up James!"

James scowled in silence for a minute. Before he could respond, somebody approached them. Teecie looked up to see Uncle Sev towering above them. He didn't look happy. "Do you realize," he growled, "that you can be heard from two floors away? Do I need to assign more essays on how students are expected to conduct themselves in this school?" He glared at both of them. "I sincerely hope not. You two are trying my patience. If I catch you again, believe me that you will regret it." With that he moved silently but swiftly away.

James glared at Teecie for a minute before turning and stomping away from her. Teecie turned and walked off in the opposite direction. She'd never been angrier with somebody before.

The two continued to ignore one another for the next week. Somehow, James managed to not run into Teecie during any of the club meetings they shared.

Another week passed, and it was the Cooking Club meeting in which the next incident occurred. Candace no longer attended, since she only went to accompany her boyfriend, so James was baking apricot muffins alone in one corner of the room when Teecie moved to the space next to him to work on her chocolate cake.

As Teecie stirred chocolate chips into the flour, her spoon slipped, sending a shower of flour onto James's arm. James whipped around to look at her. "You did that on purpose," he hissed before turning back to his muffin batter.

Teecie looked at James. "I did not!" she exclaimed.

James took a spoonful of muffin batter and flung it at Teecie's face. "Did too," he replied.

Teecie screeched as the gooey batter hit her face and started to slide down her neck and into her shirt collar. "James, what is wrong with you?" she screamed before picking up four eggs and lobbing them at him. Each egg made contact with a satisfying cracking sound, spreading bright yellow yolks all over his arms and legs.

Within seconds, the two were fully embroiled in a food fight. They were rolling around the floor, tracking food all over the place, sending students jumping out of the way and yelling at them to stop. Teecie had just flipped James over and was pinning him to the ground, about to stuff his mouth full of raisins when she was pulled off of him.

"What do you think you two are doing?" Charlie cried angrily. "Look at the mess you've made!"

"Teecie started it," James cried, trying to wriggle his way out from under Charlie's strong grip.

"That's a lie! He threw batter on my face!" Teecie squealed.

"I don't care who started it. You two will clean it up and then go to the Headmaster! He will not be happy to hear of this," Charlie growled before letting go of them and storming away.

The two students glared at each other before silently taking out their wands and casting cleansing spells on themselves and the floor. When they'd finished, they walked out of the room and made their way to the Headmaster's office.

Snape was fuming. He'd obviously found out before they arrived. "By rights I should have both of you expelled. You two have gotten away with far more than is good for any student to get away with. I have reached my limit of patience, so this is what I propose. You two are on official probation. If I hear of any more trouble from either of you, you will be expelled. This is distressing, because the world in which we live is greatly in need of qualified witches and wizards. It is quite selfish of you two to behave in ways that would cause you to squander your potential and leave our world minus two people that could make a big difference one day.

"For the next week, you two will have detention each night with Charlie. You will help him with the hippogriff births. There are seven pregnant females right now. Each one has to have their membrane ruptured manually, and all hippogriff young are breach births, just for your information," Snape explained coolly, quite enjoying the looks of horror on their faces. That ought to do the trick, he thought to himself.

"On top of this, you will both be writing five sheets of parchment for me on what the consequences in your lives as well as the greater Wizarding world would be should you be expelled at some point in time. Miss Orendes, you've shown great affinity for healing, and Mr. Lupin, you have the potential to follow your mother's footsteps as an Auror. Now I want you to go and think about all of this," Snape demanded while standing up and opening his door for the two students to go through.

Teecie sat down on the steps outside Uncle Sev's office, thinking about her life if she was expelled. For the first couple years of school, getting expelled would have been a dream come true, but now…She really wanted to be a healer and that would never happen if she was expelled.

She slowly stood up and walked back down to the kitchens where Charlie was putting away the last of the food. "Charlie, I just wanted to apologize for getting into that food fight this morning. It was immature and horribly bad mannered. I'm sorry and I promise it will never happen again," she said quietly, biting her lip and looking up at him when she'd finished.

"That's very good to hear. I look forward to seeing if that is true or not. I am also looking forward to seeing you and your boyfriend next week while assisting me in the births of the hippogriffs. It should be quite educational," Charlie replied, looking into Teecie's eyes.

"James isn't my boyfriend," she replied.

"Oh? He's not? Isn't that interesting…" Charlie said while turning back to his work, ending the conversation. Teecie was confused as she walked away.

Her tea with Professor Lupin was less than stellar that afternoon. He was quite upset over the trouble she and James were in and how close to expulsion his son was. He gave her a strong talking to before sending her off to her room to think about her actions.

Things didn't end there though, for an hour or so before dinner, Teecie was called into Uncle Sev's office. She was startled to see her father sitting in a chair in front of the fireplace, waiting for her. Lucius slowly stood up, leaning heavily on his cane. He slowly walked over to her, frowned, and spoke. "Ticia Enora, I am very disappointed in you. How could you shame our family this way?" he asked in a quiet voice.

Teecie looked at her father, unable to reply.

"Ticia, I am not angry with you, I'm just very sad to know that you'd behave in such inappropriate ways," Lucius continued.

Tears sprang to Teecie's eyes. She'd never felt so terrible in her life. Her father was still struggling to regain his health and she'd made him sad. That couldn't be good to help with his recovery. What if he had another heart attack over this? Her lower lip began to tremble and soon she was crying. "I didn't mean to, dad! It just happened, and now you'll probably have another heart attack and you'll die and it'll be all my fault!" she sobbed while collapsing into a chair and burying her head in her arms.

Lucius sighed. He hated to cause his children pain, but this seemed to be hurting him more. But, it had to be done. Teecie had to learn that the world didn't revolve around her and that there were rules she had to obey. It could actually have a detrimental effect on her to not learn this lesson.

He stood up and patted Teecie on the back. "Ticia, I am not going to have a heart attack because of this. However, this is a good time for you to start thinking about the consequences of your actions in life. Your misbehaviour could lead to trouble for somebody else sometime. I'm sure you don't want to be responsible for hurting anybody else, now do you?" he asked in a calm voice.

Teecie continued to cry. Lucius had to fight back the urge to scoop her up in his arms and kiss away the hurt like he used to do when she'd scraped her knee or cut her finger as a young child. No, he had to be strong. "I'll go now, Ticia. I do hope you'll learn the importance of proper behaviour." With that, he turned to the fireplace, and flooed back to the property.

Teecie continued to cry for several more minutes before she managed to calm down again. Snape sat and let her cry without saying a word to her. When she'd stopped and had blown her nose, she stood up and walked out of the room, down to the Great Hall for dinner.

Things didn't improve at dinner; Adriana sent her a stinging howler detailing to her what would happen if she was expelled. "Ticia Enora Orendes, do not make me come up there. You will regret it far worse than anything the Headmaster could think of to do to punish you! If you're expelled I'll send you to a Catholic school. I can assure you, you will not enjoy that experience. Do not let this happen again!" When the letter was done screaming, it burst into bright orange angry flames and disappeared in a wisp of smoke as the entire school watched. Teecie's cheeks were burning as she realized everybody was looking at her. Tears sprang to her eyes, again and she ran out of the room without finishing her meal. She spent the rest of the night crying.

The next morning, Teecie couldn't help but smile when James received a howler from his mum. She obviously wasn't much happier with him than Adriana had been with her.

On Monday, Charlie approached James and Teecie during lunch, explaining to them how the week would go. "The corral will be heated up for the mares' comfort. This will be quite messy, so I suggest you wear your bathing suits. We'll try to induce one or two tonight. We've discussed in class already how to approach hippogriffs, so you know you'll have to bow to be accepted before you can approach them. I'll show you how to do everything before you try it yourselves. So, I'll see you tonight at eight o'clock," he instructed them before walking to the professor's table and exchanging words with the headmaster.

Teecie and James glanced at each other for several seconds before turning away and finishing their meal.

That evening, after dinner, Teecie changed into her bikini and put a bathrobe over it before trudging off to the corral where James and Charlie were standing around in their bathing trunks. Teecie noticed James staring at her while she peeled off her bathrobe and walked up to them in her bikini. "All right, we're all here," Charlie exclaimed happily before walking over with them to one of the females, "This is Whitehoof. She began showing signs of labour earlier this afternoon. She's pretty sensitive right now, so let's make sure to approach her properly, shall we? James, why don't you go first?"

Charlie stood back and folded his arms while James slowly walked over to Whitehoof and bowed. Whitehoof pawed the ground for several seconds and sniffed the air before bowing to James. James was then able to stand up, walk over to her, and pet her head lightly. He looked up and grinned. "Come on Teecie, try it!" he called out to her.

Teecie walked up to Whitehoof and bowed to her. Whitehoof walked up and nipped her curls for a few seconds before bowing to her. Teecie stood up and grinned while walking p to her. Both students petted Whitehoof for several minutes before Charlie joined them.

"Good job, kids," he said, putting his arms around their shoulders and leading them over to the hippogriff's backside. "Now, let me show you what we need to do…" Charlie demonstrated to James and Teecie how to rupture the membrane. Next, he explained how breach births worked. "James why don't you hold the blankets, and Teecie, you can use the suction to clean out the baby's nostrils and beak. All right, let's do this," he said before stepping forward to touch Whitehoof's leg. Teecie ran to get the suction while James grabbed a few blankets.

Teecie watched with fascination as Charlie reached into Whitehoof and began to grab at the baby inside her. It took him quite a while to get a hold of it. James was turning green as he watched.

Whitehoof stomped her feet and strained her body as she tried to push the baby out. It took over a half hour before the first signs of the baby started to appear. Charlie reached his second arm inside and after a minute, a leg was sticking out. James and Teecie ran forward, ready for their part of the procedure.

Once the second leg was out, Charlie pulled gently and the baby hippogriff slipped out up to the head. He gently reached in and helped free the head, holding the baby in his arms and gently setting it on the ground. He stood back and watched as James and Teecie moved in.

James used one of the blankets to wipe the baby off and wrapped the next one around it to warm it up. At the same time, Teecie bent down and suctioned the nostrils and beak. The baby hippogriff started crying loudly while Whitehoof turned to inspect her child. She sniffed it tentatively before nuzzling it. The baby stirred in the blankets and slowly stood up on its unstable legs. It slipped several times as it took its first few steps. It continued to cry while Whitehoof quickly chewed up a dead rat Charlie fed her. She walked over to her baby, who opened its mouth as Whitehoof regurgitated the food into its mouth. After a few minutes, the baby's frantic cries died down and it came to rest at its mother's feet.

Teecie stared silently at the new life near her. "Charlie, is it a boy or a girl?" she whispered.

Charlie knelt down and looked under the baby's tail. "It's a boy," he announced. After standing up, he looked at the two children. "You did very well tonight. None of the other females are in labour, so why don't we call it a night. You'll want to take a shower and put a cleansing spell on your clothes," he instructed them before turning his attention to Whitehoof, leaving James and Teecie to their own devices.

Teecie's head was in the clouds as she relived the experience. It was such a good feeling to know she'd helped bring a life into the world. James was still green and pretty shaky when she looked at him. She ran over to him and put her arm around his shoulders. "Come on, let's sit down for a while," she said, forgetting that she was supposed to be angry with him. James seemed to forget his anger too, for he nodded his head and allowed her to lead them to a corner of the corral.

"That was so disgusting," he moaned while resting his head on Teecie's shoulder. Both students were still wet and sticky from the ordeal, but neither felt like doing anything about it just yet.

"Take deep cleansing breaths. That should help," Teecie suggested.

James wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her even closer to him while taking deep breaths. "I can't believe we have four more days of this," he groaned into her ear.

Teecie's heart began to pound because James was so close to her. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. All her anger disappeared as she held the boy she loved in her arms. "James?" she whispered in his ear, "I'm sorry I fought with you. Can you forgive me?"

James looked up at Teecie. "This is all my fault, Teecie. I was angry that Candace broke up with me and it was easier to blame it on you. I was wrong and I'm very sorry. Can we be friends again?" he replied.

Teecie smiled. "Let's just agree that we both forgive each other," she said, reaching down to caress James's face. It felt so good to be this close to him again after such a long time.

James didn't look so green anymore and after a minute, he sat up. "I've really missed being with you since we broke up," he admitted while reaching out and putting his hand on one of hers.

"I've missed you more than you can imagine," Teecie whispered in response.

James stood up and helped Teecie to her feet before reaching his arms out and taking her by the shoulders and pulling her against him. Next, he pressed his lips to hers, moving his hands to run his fingers through her curls.

Teecie's mind went blank during this. It felt so good to be close to James like this again. She'd really missed this and felt like she'd come home after a long time. After kissing for a minute, Teecie gently pulled away from James so she could catch her breath. They smiled before embracing once again. "I'm glad you're not upset that Candace broke up with you anymore," she whispered.

James broke into a huge smile. "Candace who?" he asked before laughing heartily.

Teecie kissed him again before once more pulling away and looking deeply into his eyes. "I have to tell you something that you more than deserve to hear," she began before taking a deep breath, "James…I…love you," she said.

James looked into her eyes for a long time before replying. "I've wanted to hear you tell me that for so long. I love you," he whispered before kissing her again.

"Get to bed, you two! Your own beds!" Charlie bellowed from across the corral. Teecie and James jumped into action, putting on their bathrobes before walking back to the school hand-in-hand and up to their rooms. Teecie took a long shower before going to bed that evening.

The next day, Teecie couldn't wait until her detention. James joined her at every meal and sat with her during classes. She couldn't help but notice Candace glaring at them every once in a while.

She and James walked together to the corral and saw Charlie trying to soothe an agitated female. "This is Firetail, she's the alpha female and she's obviously ready to deliver," Charlie called out to them. "She's far too dangerous to approach now, so let me deliver the baby and bring it to you two. You know what to do," he instructed before turning his attention to Firetail.

It took an hour for Firetail's baby to be delivered. Charlie had to hold her back from the kids while they got the baby ready for its first steps. She was frantic to see her new baby, who was equally as anxious to be fed. Teecie had to chase after it in order to suction out its nostrils, and in the pursuit, ended up taking a ride on its back while she attempted to hold it down. Firetail knocked her off the baby and started nipping at her legs aggressively while she scrambled backwards quickly. Charlie stepped in with food and distracted Firetail long enough for Teecie to get away.

James ran up to her. "Are you OK?" he asked worriedly as he led her further away from the excitement.

Teecie was out of breath and dazed from the experience. She clung to James while trying to calm down again. James kept his arms wrapped protectively around her, wanting to make sure no other hippogriff tried to go after them.

Once everything was settled, Charlie came over to them. "Are you all right Teecie? Do you need to go see Master Wilkes?" he asked while looking at her legs. "You have a couple nicks on your legs. James, why don't you take Teecie back inside and we'll call it a night. I need to get Firetail calmed down a bit more so I can lead her to her own pen. She's way too worked up to stay with the other mares tonight."

James helped Teecie put on her bathrobe before walking with her up to the hospital wing. Teecie explained what happened to Master Wilkes and while he healed her, she told him all about the experience so far. "And I'm the one who suctions their noses and beaks so they can breathe! And I'm not the least bit squeamish! Someday I want to help deliver a human baby! When do you think I'll be able to do that?" she asked excitedly.

"Not for many years, I'm afraid," Master Wilkes replied, smiling at her enthusiasm. "And how do you like this experience, Mr. Lupin?" he asked, turning to James.

"Not at all," he replied honestly.

Master Wilkes grinned. "Well, it's not for everybody, that's for certain. But perhaps it'll give you a whole new respect for your future mate when you have children of your own some day."

Wilkes turned away to grab a vial of salve for Teecie's legs. He didn't see when James turned to gaze at Teecie. "Yes sir, it sure has," he murmured.

That night, James made sure to give Teecie an extra kiss before she went up to her dormitory to go to sleep.

The next night, two mares were in labour. Goldbeak and Heatherdown were both going to deliver. Because it was too dangerous for either James or Teecie to be near the mares, Charlie had called Master Wilkes in to assist in one delivery while he did the other. James and Teecie would be suctioning and cleaning off one of the baby's each themselves. Teecie ran over to Master Wilkes and stood several feet behind him while he prepared to deliver Heatherdown's baby.

Teecie didn't have any time to see what was happening with Charlie, James, and Goldbeak because of the excitement of helping with Master Wilkes. It didn't take as long for Heatherdown's baby to be delivered, and when the healer set it down on the ground, Teecie noticed how small it was.

Wilkes was busy finishing up with Heatherdown and didn't notice how still the baby was. Teecie suctioned its nose and beak and quickly wiped it down, but the baby never stirred. She gently shook it and called to it. "Baby? Baby?" she cried before turning to Master Wilkes. "Something's wrong Master Wilkes!" she screamed. "It won't wake up!"

Wilkes whipped around and ran to the baby. He quickly examined it. It was small and deformed and had obviously died in the womb quite some time before being delivered. Wilkes looked at Teecie, petted her hand, and slowly shook his head. "I'm sorry Ticia, it never had a chance," he explained.

"But can't you use some sort of spell or potion or charm on it to fix it?" she whispered. When Wilkes shook his head again, Teecie started to cry. She was still kneeling in front of the baby and began to stroke its tiny beak.

Wilkes knelt down next to her. "Ticia, it's all right to be upset. It's always tough to lose a patient, but sometimes, in spite of our best efforts to save lives, they still die. This is something you will have to learn to deal with when you become a healer," he said in a quiet voice.

Teecie stood up and walked away from the baby and turned just in time to watch as Heatherdown walked up to the baby and started nudging it with her head. She looked at the baby for several moments before opening her beak and issuing a gut-wrenching cry. Teecie was sobbing as Heatherdown continued trying to wake her baby.

Charlie and James had finished up with Goldbeak's healthy delivery and had come to watch the sobering scene. Silently, Charlie walked over to the baby and picked it up. He carried it out of their sight, into the Forbidden Forest. Heatherdown was frantic to get to her baby and started trotting after Charlie, crying out all the while. Wilkes ran after her and managed to grab hold of her before she could escape from the corral. Her cries filled the night air as Wilkes tried to subdue her.

James wrapped his arms around Teecie and held her while she cried. After several minutes, he started to walk her back into the school. They hadn't been dismissed, but he didn't care. He didn't want Teecie to have to witness anymore of the sadness that night.

Draco had been walking out of the dungeons to speak with the Headmaster when he saw James helping Teecie into the school. He rushed over to them, concern clearly showing in his features, and demanded to know what was wrong. James held onto Teecie while explaining what had happened in the corral.

Draco watched as Teecie maintained her hold on James's arm. She didn't throw herself at him for comfort. Draco had to restrain himself from marching over to James and shoving him aside and taking over in the comforting of his sister, yet he somehow managed to remain standing where he was. "Oh, Teecie, that's really horrible. I'm sorry you're so upset. It's a shame that this happened, but it is good for you to have a chance to experience it really. When you become a healer, it'll happen more often than you'd like, and it takes a great amount of strength to deal with the pain. But, I know you have the strength it'll take," he said kindly to his sister who dried her tears and smiled wanly up at him.

Teecie hadn't known how much pain a loss like this could cause. Part of her felt like it had been her baby that had died. It made her wonder if she wanted to become a healer if she'd have to feel that pain over and over again.

The next day, she went to speak with Master Wilkes during lunch. "What if it just hurts too much to lose a patient and I can't handle it? Maybe I shouldn't become a healer after all," she said sadly.

Wilkes sat down next to her. "You'll never really get used to the feeling of losing a patient. It's a very sad thing. It's natural to feel upset, but the thing you need to remember is that death is a part of life. The only thing we as healers really do is put off the inevitable. Try not to take it personally," he advised her.

Teecie nodded her head and sighed. "It was just such a surprise. I didn't expect for it to go wrong. What made the baby die? And why was it so deformed?" she asked, her thirst for medical knowledge overtaking her sadness.

They spent the rest of the lunch period talking about congenital birth defects in animals and humans and what magic was able to fix or not fix as the case may be. Wilkes loaned Teecie a book on the subject which she was excited to read.

The book had to wait though, for her evening was spent helping Charlie deliver Bluefeather's healthy baby girl. Teecie left that night feeling much more uplifted. James seemed to be getting over his squeamishness with the deliveries. They spent the rest of their night talking about the baby hippogriffs to the rest of their housemates.

Friday night was the most exciting night of them all. The last two mares were in labour, so Master Wilkes was assisting again. Swiftflyer and Sureleg were two of the strongest mares and gave their human assistants quite a run for their money. Charlie and James worked with Sureleg and delivered a healthy baby girl after an hour and a half.

Teecie and Wilkes worked with Swiftflyer, who took the same amount of time to deliver a baby boy. Teecie was busy cleaning up the baby and getting it warm when she realized Swiftflyer hadn't walked over for inspection. She looked up to see Wilkes examining her belly. "Is she all right?" Teecie called out.

Charlie ran over to join Wilkes at this point in time. "She's going to have another! This is amazing; twins are really rare with hippogriffs!" he called out to the children. Teecie was still cleaning up the baby when he started to cry out in hunger for his mother to feed him. She was otherwise occupied though, and did nothing to sate his hunger. James and Teecie looked at each other. Neither of them was about to chew up a dead rat for the baby, but it needed to be fed.

The children were soon distracted when the second baby began to make its first appearance in the world. It took twenty minutes to deliver the second baby, which was much smaller than the first.

As soon as the second baby was out, Swiftflyer walked over to the baby boy who was crying to be fed still. She took a rat and prepared to feed him while Teecie and James ran to clean off the second baby, a girl this time. Within minutes, the girl was stumbling towards her mother, crying out for food as well, but Swiftflyer ignored her.

The four humans watched as the baby hippogriff kept approaching her mother, only to be nipped at or chased away. The baby finally walked up to the people and began crying for food. "Why is she rejecting her?" Charlie muttered to himself.

Teecie was beginning to feel upset again as the mother continually rejected her child. What was going on? Before she could ask though, Heatherdown began to cry out and run around the corral.

Charlie looked back and forth at Heatherdown and the rejected baby. "Can two wrongs make a right?" he said to himself while slowly walking to the corral door. After a few minutes, he came back with Heatherdown and called for James and Teecie to steer the baby over towards her.

The baby cried out for food while she approached Heatherdown, who was straining against Charlie to get to her. Charlie finally let go and called to Teecie and James to step away and let nature take its course. Heatherdown bent down to sniff tentatively at the baby. The baby rubbed up against Heatherdown's legs. She finally grabbed a dead rat and prepared it for the baby, who ate greedily before settling down at Heatherdown's feet for a nice nap. Heatherdown sat down as well, and wrapped her wings around her newly adopted child, protecting her from the cold night air.

Teecie was crying again, though they were tears of happiness this time. Her detention was now over, but she felt like she'd learned far more than just the lesson about behaving in class during the past week. This had been a life changing time, one she would remember for the rest of her life as being one of the most influential experiences she'd ever had.

That night before going to bed, Teecie went to visit Uncle Sev. "I wanted to apologize for my rude behaviour last week and to assure you it won't happen again," she began before hugging him. "I also wanted to say thank you for this experience. It's been more amazing than you can even imagine. I've learned so much," she smiled before kissing his cheek and running back up to her dormitory.

Snape shook his head. It hadn't been the torture he'd have liked for a punishment, but Teecie did seem to be a changed person, which was his goal. He smiled and congratulated himself on a job well done. As he glanced up at the picture of Albus Dumbledore, who was sleeping at the moment, he couldn't help but think he'd have been proud of him right now.


	56. Another “Special” Orendes Family Christm...

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: Yes, James and Teecie are back together again. I just think they're the cutest couple! So, there is an event in this chapter that might feel pretty familiar to you, after your Et In Arcadia Ego story. It's funny really, I had this particular event planned even before I read what happened in your story, but after I read it, I was sure you'd think I'd stolen it from yours. I'm being purposely vague because I don't want to give anything away too soon. Just keep in mind that everything is going to be all right! Also, there are a couple certain things that will be important later on, not only in Teecie's story, but in the True Revenge series as well, that are being dealt with here. Again I'm being vague, but I can't give too much away now, can I? Enjoy the chapter!

Another "Special" Orendes Family Christmas

Author's Note: I owe ElfFlame a great deal of thanks for her assistance in writing the responses to Teecie's letters in this chapter. I never could have written them half as well as she could!

Teecie and James were enjoying the time they were spending together. They were getting a chance to get to know one another again. Teecie wanted to know everything about James that there was to know, so they spent a lot of their time talking. It was the middle of December, and they were sitting on the couch of the Gryffindor common room one afternoon, talking about what they wanted for Christmas. "You don't want the matching Wendy knee pads to go with your broom?" James teased while Teecie rolled her eyes.

"And I suppose you want a Spiderman suit so you can swing around the rafters while looking authentic," she replied. James crossed his eyes at Teecie and stuck his tongue out. Teecie quickly leaned in to kiss him, which took him by pleasant surprise. They remained embraced for a few minutes before pulling away.

Patty had been sitting across from them, reading a book, and started making gagging noises as she looked up to see her friends snogging. "That is so gross! I can't believe you're doing that in public," she said.

Teecie grinned. "Just because you and Daniel only snog in private doesn't mean that it's wrong for James and me to kiss in public," she replied. Patty blushed and frowned before turning back to her book. Patty and Daniel had had a talk, and were now officially dating, though the difference was minimal. They still fought nearly as much as before, though now they kissed when they made up.

Teecie leaned back against James and listened to his heart beating. She grabbed his hand and held it in her own. She was so comfortable with him right now.

James wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her close to him. This was his favourite way to spend time with Teecie; especially since she wouldn't let him do anything more than kiss or hug her, or hold her hand. Professor Black was also not letting him do anything more. He hovered over them in Potions class and insisted on chaperoning all their dates. He glowered at James whenever he spoke to him, and twice he kept him after class to redo his potion when it didn't meet his muster. James wasn't sure how long Professor Black intended to treat him this way, and couldn't wait for it to stop.

After fifteen minutes of cuddling, a group of sixth and seventh year boys entered the common room and kicked the two off the sofa and took over the room. Teecie and James wandered down to the Great Hall for dinner soon afterwards, with Patty at their side.

While the three students were talking and laughing, Teecie was startled to feel something burning hot spilling down her back. She screeched and jumped up to see Candace standing by her with an empty soup bowl. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Ticia dear. Me and my clumsy hands," she replied cheerfully, glaring at her.

Teecie wriggled to get the hot soup away from her skin, but the burning continued. "You're not sorry," she hissed while walking up to Candace and raising her wand.

Candace's eyes grew wide as she looked at Teecie. "You can't do anything to me. You'll be expelled if you do," she croaked in a terrified voice.

Teecie narrowed her eyes before turning the wand on herself. "Scourgify," she said while the soup dissolved from her clothing and skin. When she was clean, she used another spell to stop her back from burning. "You'd like that wouldn't you?" Teecie turned and sat back down in her chair, completely ignoring Candace. She didn't know how long Candace stayed there, but by the time Teecie had finished her meal, she was gone.

The next day, Candace spilled a bottle of ink over Teecie's just finished three parchment essay on hags for her Defense Against the Dark Arts class. She'd been writing it in the library when Candace brushed past and "accidentally" dropped the ink on the essay, destroying it completely. "That took me four days to write and it's due tomorrow!" she cried angrily, earning a scathing glare from Madam Pince.

"Oh, Teecie, dear, I'm so sorry about that. Is there anything I can do to help?" Candace asked innocently.

"Yes, let me take a picture of your ugly face so I can turn it in as the perfect example of a hag to Professor Lupin," Teecie snapped.

Candace narrowed her eyes. "How dare you say that about me? It was an innocent accident and you're treating me abominably."

Teecie moved closer to Candace and put her hands on her hips. "Oh please, I didn't grow up with a Slytherin sister and not learn anything from it. If you're going to lie about things like that, at least make is sound more convincing," she replied before turning away and trying to figure out if a cleansing spell would be able to fix her essay.

The spell took the ink out of the paper; unfortunately, it took all of the ink out. Teecie hung her head as she thought about rewriting the paper by the next day. Needing to escape from Candace, she gathered all her things and walked out of the library, back towards Gryffindor tower, but stopped at Professor Lupin's office to see if he was there. After knocking, Teecie heard him call out for her to enter, so she did.

Teecie sat down in front of him, in her usual seat that she sat in for tea time and held out the three sheets of empty parchment for him to look at. "Professor, I was wondering if I could have an extension on the essay. I wrote it and had it all finished when an entire bottle of ink spilled on it. I used a cleansing spell to try to get the ink out, and it worked a little too well," she explained tearfully. "I just need an extra day or two to remember all that I wrote and to rewrite it. I'm on my way back to my room to start again, but I just don't know if I can get it all done before class tomorrow. It took me four days to write it and I suppose if I skip dinner and stay up all night I might be able to do it, but I worked really hard on it and I want to make sure I can rewrite it well."

Professor Lupin frowned as he looked at the empty parchment sheets and then up at his student's tear-stained face. "Well, Ticia, I must say this was a very mature way of dealing with your predicament. You're doing very well in my class this year, and I believe you're being sincere with me, so I'm going to give you a two day extension on the essay. I hope you'll be able to rewrite it to your satisfaction," he replied, kindly yet professionally.

Teecie sniffled for a few moments. "Thank you professor," she replied while standing up to leave.

Once back in her room, she set to work on rewriting her essay from memory. She was able to write it faster than she'd thought and turned it in a day early to Professor Lupin. "Good job, Ticia. I'm impressed that you finished a day early," Remus said, smiling.

"Thank you professor," Teecie replied, smiling. "It wasn't at hard as I thought it would be. Take that Candace!" she laughed, more to herself than to Remus.

Remus narrowed his eyes. "Ticia, what does Miss Howe have to do with this?" he asked carefully.

Teecie hadn't realized she'd said that out loud and looked blankly at the professor for a moment before responding. "Oh…she's sort of the one who spilled the ink on my essay."

"Was it intentional?"

"It might have been."

"Perhaps I should have a talk with her," Remus replied, folding his arms.

"No!" Teecie shouted. "I've got it under control. Don't worry about it," she said quietly.

"If you're having problems with one of the students, it's better to let the adults deal with it. You're still on probation, remember?"

Teecie sighed. "Yes I remember," She said, "It's not a problem. Just forget about it, all right?"

Remus shook his head. "It's against my better judgment to let this go, but I'm going to trust you to do the right thing and come to an adult when the time comes. I know that you're mature enough to let the people in charge take care of problems when they arise instead of trying to take care of it yourself," he said slowly.

Teecie sighed again. "Yes, I'll come to you or Draco or Uncle Sev, all right?" she asked, standing up to leave.

"Yes it's all right," Remus replied as Teecie left for the night.

The next week passed without incident. Teecie and James spent all of their free time together, snogging in dark corners of the hallways during breaks and holding hands in the Great Hall. They were really enjoying getting close to one another again, and hated when they had to be apart. Teecie was more comfortable telling James she loved him, and it never ceased to make him smile to hear that.

One morning, Teecie and James were snuggling next to each other and feeding one another spoonfuls of oatmeal when she looked up and saw Uncle Sev staring at her with a strange look on his face. It seemed to be a cross between horror and disgust. Teecie gazed into her uncle's face, and realized how sad he must be that he had nobody to snuggle up with. That must have been why he was looking at her like that. He was tired of being alone, and her heart cried out for him.

She knew the time had come to help Uncle Sev. That evening, Teecie took a night off from spending time with James to write a letter to Narcissa Malfoy. It took a couple hours to get it just right, but when she was done, she was quite pleased with the outcome:

Dear Mrs. Malfoy,

Hello, my name is Ticia Orendes, but most people call me Teecie. I saw you in the ice cream parlour last summer, remember? My mum was there and you talked with her. I didn't realize you knew her.

So, I'm writing to you to ask if you know my Uncle Sev. Well he's not really my uncle; we just call him Uncle Sev because he's such a close friend of the family that he's like my uncle. We treat him as our uncle because neither of our parents have any living siblings. Anyway, do you know Severus Snape? He's such a great person and I was thinking if you knew of him, maybe you were already friends and would be interested in becoming better friends with him. So, are you? Would you? Please let me know because I can arrange for a time when you could meet him if you wanted. I really love him so much and I want him to be happy and I think he could be happy with a person like you. He's friends with your son, you know, so it makes sense that he could be your friend too, if you wanted.

Shall I arrange a time for you and my Uncle Sev to meet? It could be at the school or in Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley or anywhere really. Please let me know so I can take care of everything, all right?

Love,

Teecie Orendes

Teecie wrote it on her fanciest pink parchment paper, with her nicest green gel ink glitter pen. She even squirted some perfume on the paper before folding and putting it in an envelope and summoning her owl to deliver it to Mrs. Malfoy. She didn't know where Narcissa lived, but put her name on the envelope and knew the owl would find her.

Teecie was waiting on pins and needles until the response came two days later. A plain white parchment envelope containing a note arrived via owl during breakfast. She opened the letter while trying to control her breathing. The response almost made her heart stop beating.

Miss Orendes,

Are you aware of how improper it is to address your elders so informally and without invitation? Perhaps your father failed to instill these things in you as he did in his son, but as you do not know me, I would request that you desist in contacting me. Whether or not I know Severus Snape is of little consequence, as I am uninterested in any relationship with anyone at this time.

If you contact me again, I will not only inform your parents, but my son, and your "Uncle," as you so charmingly put it. Please cease contact with me at once.

Narcissa Octavia Black Malfoy

Teecie gulped nervously as she read the note through a few times. Would Narcissa really tell on her if she wrote back? How much trouble would she get in if her parents and Draco found out? She was trying to do a nice thing to help two people who desperately needed to be together, why was that such a bad thing?

The next day, after much thought and soul searching, Teecie sent an order to the Hogsmeade flower shop to send Narcissa a large bunch of white narcissi along with a note. She'd stayed up half the night writing it.

Dear Mrs. Malfoy,

I am very sorry I made you so upset by writing to you. I was just trying to help out a man I love very much and I see now that you don't want to be a part of that. Was I mistaken in my assumption that you were the kind of woman who helps others? I just thought you were a nice person who would want to help a poor, lost, starving soul. But I apologize for even troubling you with the letter and beg your forgiveness for such an impropriety.

I remain your humble servant,

Ticia Orendes

Two days later, the day before the school dismissed for the holidays, Teecie received a response from Narcissa:

Miss Orendes,

I understand your desire to help those around you; however, it is simply not proper for a young lady to presume anything about her elders.

I will be forgiving this time, but please be aware that presumption will get you nowhere. If you are truly honest in your attempt to apologize, I might be willing to talk with you for my son's sake, as I know he is particularly concerned about your future at this time.

Narcissa Malfoy

Teecie was excited to read this response. Narcissa was interested in writing to her, though not about Uncle Sev. Oh well, that could come in time perhaps. She had a foot in the door, which was the important thing. What else was there to talk about with an old woman like Narcissa? She'd have to come up with something good, or she'd be cut off.

Teecie spent most of the night thinking and writing a note to Narcissa before she rode the train back home for the holidays the next morning. Later the next day, Narcissa received another letter from Teecie.

Dear Mrs. Malfoy,

Tomorrow morning I will be leaving for my home for the Christmas holidays. I can't think of what to get Draco for Christmas. What do you think he'd like? I was thinking of baking him some biscuits.

Draco is such a good brother. You must be the most proudest mother in the world. He always takes such good care of me and my sisters. He gave me a party to meet boys. He also chaperones all of my dates with my boyfriend, which can sometimes be annoying, but I know it's good for me.

What do you want for Christmas this year? I'm hoping for a complete set of the Chilten Magical Medical Encyclopedias, even though they're pretty expensive. Did you know I am going to be a healer some day? I've already healed a boy who had a bloody nose and helped deliver hippogriff babies with my Care of Magical Creatures professor.

Well, I hope you have a wonderful holiday and I hope to hear from you again soon!

Love,

Ticia Orendes

Teecie spent all her time on the train thinking about James, who was staying at the school for the holidays. She was sad at the thought of leaving him for such a long time, as well as a bit nervous over how her note would be received by Narcissa. She didn't even have Kali to talk to, for Kali had informed her a week ago that she had too many papers to write to come home for Christmas this year. Lucius and Adriana had been upset to hear about this, but understood the need to work on school assignments. They were at the train station to meet Teecie with hugs and kisses when she arrived in London.

"Oh, darling, I've missed you so much!" Adriana cried while kissing Teecie's cheek.

"Yes, the house just isn't the same anymore now that all three of you girls are out of it," Lucius added while kissing Teecie's other cheek.

They spent the next couple days preparing the house for Christmas. Teecie baked biscuits with her father and helped her mother trim the tree. She was working on her Christmas list when an owl arrived from Narcissa.

Teecie ran to her room and shut the door to read the note in private.

Miss Orendes,

It is good of you to think so carefully about the gifts you give others. However, I think Draco might be better served by a new cashmere scarf or some calf-skin gloves. He's had his old ones for more than a year, and insists on continuing to use them, no matter how often I tell him they're out of style.

I am quite fond of my son, actually. And proud of him, particularly for how he has taken you three under his wing. He had no obligation to, and I feel he is very generous for doing so. I did hear about the party, in detail, from my granddaughters. I hope you thanked him properly for all he did and still does for you. A brother like him is difficult to come by.

I no longer ask for gifts for Christmas. It no longer has the meaning it had for me that it did when I was your age. Enjoy it. It does not last.

Draco told me of your interest in the medical field. I hope you are aware of how difficult the field is for a young lady to get into. Perhaps you would be better served to find a husband who can support you.

Enjoy your holidays,

Narcissa Malfoy

The next day, Teecie went into London with Adriana to do some Christmas shopping. She insisted on stopping at a men's clothing shop to look for calf-skin gloves for Draco. "He needs black or green ones, mum, really nice ones," she insisted while walking over to the clerk and asking where they kept the winter accessories.

The clerk showed Teecie and Adriana to the section with gloves, and the two spent a half hour debating over which ones to get. Teecie finally decided on a pair of pearl grey calf-skin gloves imported from Italy. They had a silver silk lining inside them, and while they were rather expensive, about 42 pounds, she knew they must be worth it. It was worth the money to give her brother a gift worthy of him for what he did for her.

Adriana loaned her the money for the gloves while picking out a pair of black ones for Lucius. "I think your father will like these," she informed Teecie with a smile. Teecie returned the smile. She was glad her parents still seemed to be so much in love even though they been together forever. She didn't see how they could have any kind of a physical relationship anymore, but assumed they just enjoyed spending time together and remembering the days when they were younger and more capable of doing things.

Teecie couldn't help but wonder if that would be James and herself in many years. She and James would probably have several children and grow old together and be happy forever. They would always keep each other satisfied, and if she ever heard of James cheating on her with another woman, she'd punch him on the nose and kick him out of the house. A girl could be idealistic sometimes, but needed to be realistic too after all.

Adriana and Teecie spent the entire day shopping for presents. Adriana bought Kali several books she'd been wanting. "I wish your sister was home, but I suppose school must come first. She didn't get the most OWLS of any other student in the past ten years by not studying," she said.

Teecie had been looking through a medical book when her mother spoke. She closed the book and placed it back on the shelf before responding. "I hope I do pretty well on my OWLS," she said with a look of mild concern on her face.

"You'll do fine, dear," Adriana reassured Teecie while patting her hand lovingly.

They spent an hour in the book store. Adriana wandered off to look at gardening books while Teecie walked around the health section for a while before stumbling across a shelf of books about love-making. She carefully looked over her shoulders to make sure she was alone before picking one up and flipping through to look at the drawings. Teecie's heart beat wildly as she looked at some of the pictures. Humans were able to do those sorts of things with their bodies? How could he bend like that and still be able to hold her up on his shoulders? Her sexual experience with Owen had been nothing like any of this, and she wondered if she'd ever be comfortable with something as scary-looking as some of those drawings.

Teecie was staring at one of the drawings and imagining herself and James in the same positions when the familiar throbbing of her abdomen returned. She was lost in her fantasy when Adriana tapped her on the shoulder. Teecie gasped and slammed the book shut, but her mother had seen the picture before she'd managed to shut the book. Adriana cleared her throat. "Teecie, it's OK to be curious about sex. I don't want you to feel ashamed or uncomfortable about looking at pictures like that. These books are designed to help loving couples experience love on a stronger physical level, and there's nothing wrong with that," she said kindly, "but you need to remember that you're still very young and there are other options to having sex if you feel the need to satisfy certain needs. We've discussed those options before, so I'm sure you remember them and may have even experimented with them. You're at a time in your life when these feelings are very strong and seemingly uncontrollable, but you need to and can learn to keep them under control."

Teecie blushed furiously. Sure she'd experimented with the "options" before, but sometimes she couldn't help but want to be with a boy in that way. There were a lot of times when she looked at James, that she couldn't help but wonder what sleeping with him would be like. Owen had been nice, but she'd been just a child then. She was older now, and would only continue to get older and more mature over the years, and she wanted to try sex again, before she got too old to enjoy it.

"But mum…I'm almost fifteen. Don't you think that's old enough?"

Adriana frowned and thought for a minute before answering. "I was seventeen when I got married and became pregnant with my first child. That was three hundred and fifty years ago, and things have changed a lot since then. People live longer and age more slowly now. There isn't the need for people to procreate as young as they used to. Children can remain children longer these days. I can't answer that for you, Ticia, all I can say is what I would like for you to do. But I can't control you, all I can do is advise you in what I feel would be best for you, and hope you'll take my advice," Adriana replied slowly, wondering if she was making an impression on her daughter.

She wanted to try a softer approach with Teecie. She'd yelled at and had been harsh towards Reni on issues involving sex, and had ended up helping raise Reni's son as a result. She didn't want a repeat of that with her youngest child. Adriana sighed as she thought that at least she had one child who wasn't so much trouble in that department. Kali didn't show any signs of having had sex with Paul. She was quite prudish in such matters actually, and had never been one Adriana had needed to worry about.

Teecie thought about her mother's words. "I'll try my best mum, I really will," she finally replied.

Adriana smiled ruefully, "That's all I can ask for really," she replied while they walked to the cashier and paid for their books.

That night, before Teecie went to bed, she wrote another note to Narcissa:

Dear Mrs. Malfoy,

I took your advice and bought Draco some lovely gloves for his Christmas present. I'll make sure to thank him for being such a great brother when I give them to him.

You told me I should marry a man who can support me, but I wanted you to know that I already have a boyfriend who supports me. James Lupin, he's my boyfriend, loves me very much, and I love him very much too. He thinks it's a good thing for me to become a healer, because he knows it makes me happy. I miss him a lot. He's at the school with his parents over the holidays.

I think I could marry James some day, if he ever asked. He's said many times before how he wants to marry me, so I suppose we will when we're old enough. Probably when we leave school. He's been a real gentleman since we got back together. He's never tried to do anything more than hold my hand or kiss me. It's real nice.

Well, it's very late and I'm very tired, so I'll end this now. Happy Christmas!

Love,

Teecie Orendes

After sending it off with an owl, Teecie walked past her parents, who were cuddling on the sofa and watching The Bells of St. Mary on telly. Lucius was leaning against Adriana, who had her arms and legs wrapped around his waist, as they lounged under a warm blanket. Teecie kissed both of them on the cheek before trotting off to bed.

When she was out of earshot, Lucius laughed quietly while Adriana unwrapped her hands from his waist and went back to what they'd been doing before their daughter had walked in on them. "That was really close," he gasped quietly.

"So are you, from the sounds of it," Adriana teased while biting his ear.

Lucius laughed again before turning around, throwing the blanket over their heads and making love to Adriana while hoping they didn't cause enough noise to bring Teecie back out to inquire what was going on.

Once they'd finished, Lucius settled back down into Adriana's arms while they talked about the shopping trip that day. "You caught her looking at what?" he whispered, "What did you say to her?"

Adriana shrugged her shoulders. "I reminded her that she's still very young and that I'd like her to try to wait until she's older before having sex. I told her she shouldn't feel ashamed or embarrassed over having these feelings and being curious. I don't want her to have a complex after all," she replied quietly.

"Well it's about all we can do, really, short of buying her a chastity belt and locking her in some tower away from any boys," Lucius said while sighing. It seemed like only yesterday that Teecie thought boys were gross and wanted nothing to do with them. Now she wanted everything to do with them. She was growing up too quickly. All his children were, really.

That night, Lucius went to bed feeling exhausted at the thought of his children getting so much older all of a sudden. It made him feel positively ancient.

On Christmas Eve, Teecie received a response from Narcissa. She quickly ran to her room to read it before anybody asked who it was from. She opened the envelope and took out the parchment to read what it said:

Miss Orendes,

I am glad you took my advice. I'm sure your brother will appreciate them.

I hope you will take a bit more. I can appreciate how you would think that a school boyfriend would be the best way to go, but believe me when I say that emotions change as you get older. It is better to wait until you have left school before you make a decision that important. I am pleased you find him supportive, but I hope you will keep my warning in mind anyway.

You say this young man's name is Lupin. Is he related to Remus Lupin, your professor, by any chance?

I hope you have a lovely holiday, and do give my regards to your mother.

Regards,

Narcissa Malfoy

Teecie was ecstatic to see how responsive Narcissa was towards her now. She was actually pretty nice. She decided to wait until after Christmas to write back. Narcissa was sure to want to know about the holiday.

The day passed quickly, with last minute Christmas preparations for the next day. Teecie wrapped her presents for her family. She really hoped everybody liked what she'd picked out for them.

As it turned out, Teecie didn't really have to worry about the presents, because they were quickly forgotten due to the excitement of the day.

Draco, Tanith, and their children, as well as Reni, Peter, and Hunter arrived a few hours before dinner. They exchanged gifts first. Liss and Mel loved the Wendy dolls Lucius and Adriana gave them, and Hunter and Roo loved the matching Captain Hook costumes they gave him. Roo chased the girls around the room with the hook on his hand while Hunter tried to walk around with the gigantic floppy hat on his head. "Avast!" Roo cried while running up to Draco.

Draco ripped the hook off his hand and turned to Adriana. "Honestly, why do you give him such things? He could poke somebody's eye out with that hook," he growled.

Adriana frowned. "I'm sorry Draco. It is only made of plastic. I could return it to the store and by him a Wendy doll if you feel that's safer for Roo to play with," she replied calmly.

Draco scowled, but before he could respond, Teecie jumped in to talk to him. "Draco, open my present!" she commanded while holding out her small green and silver-wrapped package and sitting down next to him.

Draco took the gift out of Teecie's hands and carefully unwrapped it. He took out the pair of gloves and examined them for a minute before trying them on. "Teecie, these are a perfect fit, and they're such a nice colour. However did you know I needed new ones?" he asked before kissing her cheek.

"Oh, I have my ways," she replied cryptically while he showed off the gloves to everybody else.

The adults talked while the children played after all the gifts had been opened. There was still an hour before dinner, and Snape was due to arrive soon.

He arrived a half hour before the meal and handed out gifts to the children. He gave Teecie a few medical books she'd been wanting. She hugged Uncle Sev before giving him a box of black licorice wheels. She confessed that they were a strange gift, but she'd been unable to afford the potions ingredients she'd been planning on getting him, and by the time she'd gotten more money, she'd never had the chance to go to Diagon Alley to get them. He smiled at her before popping one into his mouth. "These are my favourites, but don't let anybody know," he said quietly.

Teecie grinned. "You wear black clothes and like black food! And Draco Black is a good friend of yours! Are there any other Blacks you could be friends with?" she asked curiously, hoping he'd say Narcissa.

Snape didn't know where this was coming from, but felt he was being led into a trap. "Not that I know of," he replied slowly while walking into the kitchen to kiss Adriana's cheek under the mistletoe.

Teecie was wondering how to approach Uncle Sev on the topic of Narcissa as the family sat down to dinner. Lucius was carving the roast lamb and serving his family when people started to talk. "I wish Kali could have been here this year," Adriana sighed.

Snape looked over at her and frowned. "Where is she?" he asked.

Adriana looked confused as she looked at Snape. "What do you mean? She stayed at the school to work on papers."

"Her name wasn't on the list of students staying for the holidays. I haven't seen her since the term ended," he replied.

Peter joined in the conversation with a nervous look on his face. "Paul told our mum and dad that he was staying at the school as well," he added.

"His name wasn't on the list either," Snape added.

"Well, if they're not at the school and they're not here, then where are they?" Adriana asked.

The food seemed to have been forgotten as everybody looked at one another in silence. "Maybe we should see if they're at the Burrow," Lucius suggested.

Peter shook his head. "We were there last night and they weren't there," he replied.

"There's no Quidditch being played this time of year, except in the Southern Hemisphere. I doubt they'd go there," Tanith said with a worried look on her face.

Teecie looked around at everybody. They were all concerned, as was she, over the seeming disappearance of her sister. She looked at Reni, whose face was red and full of anger. "Oh, please, she probably ran off to Gretna Green to marry Paul. She probably wanted to show me up, that's why," Reni snapped before reaching out and taking a slice of meat and plopping it down on her plate.

Teecie watched as her parents' eyes grew wider as they thought about this. "You don't think she'd do that, do you?" Lucius asked hoarsely.

"She's pretty conservative. If she wanted to sleep with Paul, she'd probably insist on being married to him first," Adriana replied slowly. "I wouldn't doubt it."

Draco stood up and cleared his throat. His face was stern and pale. "We'll have to go to Gretna Green to see if they indeed eloped," he declared.

A search party was soon arranged. Draco, Snape, Lucius, and Adriana would floo to Gretna Green while everybody else stayed at the property and waited anxiously.

Several hours passed once the group departed for Scotland. Reni insisted on eating her dinner as if nothing had happened. Teecie and the others had lost their appetites and sat on the sofa or in chairs with nervous or dazed looks on their faces.

It was dark before the group returned home again, with two extra people. Kali and Paul walked hand-in-hand into the house while yelling at people. "But mum, we're in love!" Kali cried while bitter tears rolled down her face.

"If you're in love, then what does it matter if you wait to marry until after you leave school?" Adriana yelled angrily while walking to the kitchen and slamming drawers and doors.

"If you're trying to kill me, why not poison my food? Why this slow torture?" Lucius growled.

"Father, I didn't want to upset you, but we simply couldn't wait any longer!" Kali wailed.

"This was so selfish of you, Kalare," Draco added.

"Don't you even talk to me about selfish, dear brother. In fact, don't even talk to me ever!" Kali hissed angrily.

"I would have thought you, of all your siblings, would at least think things through first," Snape added in his sternest Headmaster voice.

Peter walked up to his younger brother and slapped him upside the head. "What the hell were you thinking? Mum and father are going to kill you, and what do you think gran will do when she finds out? You'll be lucky if she ever speaks to you again!" he cried.

It turned out that Kali and Paul had flooed from the Hog's Head to Gretna Green the same day all the students had left for the holidays. They'd been married that same day and had been spending their honeymoon in one of the hotels there ever since. Draco kept muttering about not being able to annul the marriage now and what was to become of them and the talking people would do about it all.

Teecie couldn't help but think it was all so horribly romantic. Two young lovers in love running off to bind themselves to one another for all eternity, what a lovely thought! She didn't understand why nobody else saw this.

After the fervor had died down, Peter dragged Paul off to the Burrow to face his family while Kali was locked in her room for safe keeping. The rest of the family returned to their homes, leaving Teecie and her parents alone to listen to the screams of Kali from inside her room. Lucius finally cast a silencing spell on the door and walls to her room.

Teecie made tea and reheated leftovers from dinner for her parents to eat. "Dad, mum, you need to eat some supper," she commanded them as they sat in silence at the kitchen table. She sat down across from her parents as they picked at their food. "Personally, I think it's a romantic thing. Kali and Paul were made for each other. It was only a matter of time before they got married anyway," she smiled.

Lucius narrowed his eyes. "Romantic? Does that mean you would run off and elope with a boy if he asked you to?" he asked in a dangerously calm voice.

"Not now! And only if everybody was making a fuss about us getting married and we were really in love and wanted to be together," she answered boldly.

"Oh? That's very good to know," he replied calmly before turning to Adriana. "You'd better go look for that chastity belt while I search out all the towers in Britain for this one," he said, jerking his thumb in Teecie's direction.

"If I ever hear of you trying a stunt like this, Ticia Enora, I'll skip over Catholic school and send you straight to a convent, got it?" Adriana growled.

Teecie gulped, "Yes mum," she whispered while looking at her hands.

Lucius sat at the end of the table while rubbing his temple. "Darling, are you feeling all right?" Adriana asked, looking concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine dear," he replied.

"Are you sure dad? This is awfully stressful, maybe you should go lie down," Teecie added.

"I'm fine," he snapped.

"But honey, maybe you should-" Adriana began before Lucius interrupted her.

"I'm fine!" he roared while standing up quickly. "Look, I'm not on death's doorstep anymore; I'm not going to have another heart attack. Quit treating me like an infant," he snarled angrily. Lucius walked to a drawer, opened it, and pulled out the car keys. "I need to get out of here. I don't know where I'm going and I don't know when I'll be back," he yelled while walking towards the backdoor. Teecie heard him mumbling about, "flouting my authority…no wonder I have no power over the girls if I'm treated like a child in my own home…I'm in perfect health…"

Those were the last words Teecie heard her father say before he slammed the door behind him and stormed off to the car.

"He left! Dad left us!" Teecie cried while tears poured down her face. "Do you think he's ever coming back?"

Adriana ran up to Teecie and hugged her tightly. "Oh baby, don't be scared, he's just upset right now. Your father is overwhelmed right now with Kali eloping, that's all. This isn't the first argument we've had about how I treat him. He doesn't like it when I try to make him calm down and take it easy. I'll talk to him about it when he gets back tomorrow," she reassured her youngest child.

"But what if he doesn't come back? What if he's left us forever?" Teecie sobbed.

"He won't, I promise you! I know your father and I know he'd never do anything like that. He'll be back by morning," Adriana replied.

"How do you know?" Teecie sniffled.

"I know it in my heart. And also because he left his wand on the table here and the car is almost out of petrol. He won't get more than five kilometers before the car dies and he has to walk back home again," Adriana answered confidently. "All that exercise will calm him down."

That night, while Kali cried herself to sleep in her bedroom, Teecie slept in her mother's arms in her parents' bedroom. Adriana rocked her in her arms and sang lullabies until Teecie drifted off to sleep. Adriana didn't sleep at all. She sat up and worried for the man who was most likely wandering down the road, hobbling on his bad foot and shivering in the cold as he tried to walk back home again. Hopefully he'd return by morning. She'd apologize to him and give him a hug and massage his sore foot while he sat on the sofa and rested after his long night.

It had been yet another memorable Christmas in the Orendes household.


	57. Boxing Day Excitement

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: I always planned on making Lucius's daughters quite troublesome. Since this is still part of the True Revenge series, I figured, what better revenge on Lucius than to give him three girls who'd rebel against him and give him gray hair? I've had fun writing it too! Anyway, I'm glad you like the Narcissa-Teecie interaction. There is much more of that to come, I promise! It's going to be very interesting to see your reaction to these next several chapters, including the one I'm currently writing! Well, this chapter deals with the aftermath of the elopement, from Teecie's point of view. Enjoy!

Boxing Day Excitement

Lucius returned home early the next morning. He was silent and tried not to wake anybody, but Adriana was still up, and met him in the kitchen to talk. She was equally as silent as she embraced him and started to cry. Lucius held onto her tightly. "Everything is going to be all right. I'm fine, dear," he assured her.

"What are we going to do? Our daughter has eloped. You know we'll have to talk with Paul's family today. It won't be fun," Adriana cried into his shoulder.

Teecie had stirred awake when her mother left the bed, and had walked to the kitchen door to see what was going on. She stood in the doorway with her head leaning against the frame and looked at her parents as they hugged one another.

"Don't worry Adriana, I'm just fine, thanks for the show of concern," Lucius said sarcastically.

"Oh Lucius, this isn't about you right now! This is about our children. Wake up honey, your middle daughter is now a married woman! And you terrified Teecie last night with your storming out of here. She spent the entire night sobbing and worrying that you'd left us forever. Do you know what that could do to her? She could end up having permanent trust issues and fears of abandonment now!" Adriana cried when she saw that Lucius was more concerned for his own issues.

"I'll go talk to her later and straighten it all out," Lucius replied.

"I need to have a talk with her too. I think something's up with her. I'm afraid she might already be having sex," Adriana continued sharing her worries with Lucius.

Teecie's heart began to race as she thought about having to either lie or tell the truth when her parents confronted her with that question. She quickly turned and ran into her room, throwing herself on the bed and grabbing her stuffed pink unicorn.

Several minutes later, there was a knock on the door. When Teecie didn't respond, the door opened to reveal Lucius as he walked into the room. He frowned when he saw she was curled up into a tight ball on her bed. He walked over to the bed and sat down next to her. "Teecie?" he said quietly, brushing his hand on her shoulder, "I thought maybe we could talk. Is that all right with you?"

Teecie looked into her father's eyes for a few seconds before sitting up, still clutching the unicorn tightly to her chest for comfort. "Are you back for good? You didn't leave us for real last night?" she whispered.

Lucius frowned again before reaching out and hugging Teecie to his chest. "No baby, I didn't leave for real last night. I'm so sorry I made you think that. I just...sometimes...I just needed to get away for a while, that's all. You might understand. You're pretty good at running away too. I think it's a Slytherin trait; one of the only ones you inherited from me," he said while hugging his youngest child.

"Promise me you'll never run away again," Teecie demanded while wrapping her arms around her father's waist.

"I'll promise if you promise the same thing," Lucius replied. "I promise I'll never leave you or your mother. I love you all more than life itself."

"I promise I won't run away again either," Teecie added, hugging her father.

"Good, I'm glad to hear it," Lucius replied. "And while I'm here...your mother seems to think you may have something you would like to tell us. Is there?" He looked deeply into Teecie's eyes with an expectant look on his face.

Teecie's heart pounded again. Did she want to tell them about sleeping with Owen last year? Her mum would kill her or send her off to a convent. If she'd have been younger, it would have been easier to say no, but now, the thought of keeping things from her parents hurt. They'd kept things from her all her life and she knew what it felt like to be deceived. Perhaps it was best to tell the truth and confess to her father of her mistake while assuring him she had no intentions of repeating it for some time.

Teecie's face burned and she looked at her hands while deciding what to do. "I..." her voice trailed off.

"Ticia, if you did something your mother and I should know about, you need to tell us. You know you can tell us anything," Lucius said in a kind voice.

"I...Well...Last year was a really bad year..." she began in a whisper, "I did something bad on my birthday last year."

"What did you do?"

"I...ran away again."

"Where did you run to?"

"France. I flooed to Beauxbatons," Teecie explained.

"That's a very long way from here," Lucius said, trying to retain his composure, "And what did you do there?"

"I met up with Owen, the boy I met at the party Draco gave for me. I went to his room. We ended up..."

"Ended up what?" Lucius asked bravely, for he really didn't want to hear the words that were sure to pour forth from his fourteen year old daughter's mouth.

"Sleeping together. Draco and Uncle Sev found me there and dragged me back to the school. Draco tried to force an engagement on us, but Uncle Sev was able to talk him out of it. We decided it was best that I never see Owen again and we've never spoken about it since," Teecie was crying now, with hot tears pouring down her cheeks.

Lucius was beginning to feel light-headed now. One of his daughters had gotten herself in trouble with a boy and had left school early to have a child out of wedlock, another had run off with a boy and eloped, and now, he'd found out his youngest, his baby, had lost her virginity to a boy several years her senior on her fourteenth birthday. What a record. What was wrong with him as a father? He'd raised the girls himself and had never given them the impression that such actions were acceptable. Perhaps he'd been too indulgent with them. Perhaps being around filthy farm animals all their lives and seeing the facts of life acted out since a very young age had made them feel such things were appropriate for people to do whenever they wished.

Lucius couldn't help but feel like a failure of a father. Four children and he'd seen all four of their lives ruined, sometimes from something he'd done himself. He'd ruined Draco's life and had to live with the shame and pain of having forever spoiled something pure and innocent for the rest of his life. He'd hoped to have a chance to make up for what he'd done to Draco by giving his daughters every kindness he could and make sure every desire of theirs was fulfilled. Perhaps he'd gone too far in that direction and hadn't disciplined them enough. He'd been desperate for their love and devotion and because of that, he'd contributed to ruining their lives.

Adriana of course hadn't had as much to do with her daughter's lives as Lucius had. She'd been up at the school for many years, teaching while he acted as the primary caregiver for them. He'd never tried to force her to spend more time with her family, for he knew how she felt about such things. He could only imagine what it must feel like to see your family grow older while you stay the same, realizing that some day your children would be older than you and would die after having lived long lives and you remain as you ever had. The love and life you'd lived fading away into mere memories, clouding over time before you begin a new life with a new lover and a new family...Lucius knew it would eventually drive Adriana to insanity to live through that over and over again, and had wanted to help delay it for her. Perhaps he'd been wrong in doing so. Maybe he should have forced her to stay at home and be a two parent household in which their children were taught better manners and morals. It was too late though, to change any of this, and it was really impossible to assign blame to anybody for what had happened. All they could do now was try to work through the problems and learn from them, hoping to never repeat such mistakes again.

Lucius was snapped out of his thoughts by Teecie's sobbing. "Are you going to send me to a convent? Is mum going to kill me? I haven't done anything else with any boy ever since, dad, I promise. Do you think I'm a slut?" she cried.

Lucius hugged Teecie and gently rocked her in his arms. "No, baby, you just made a bad choice. But you've learned from it and next time you won't be so eager to do the wrong thing," he replied gently.

"You'll have to tell mum, won't you?" Teecie sniffled.

"Yes, I suppose I will, but I'll wait until you go back to school. We have to deal with Kali right now. We'll need to speak to Paul's parents today," Lucius replied.

"Thanks for not killing me," Teecie said while letting go of her father and allowing him to stand up to leave.

"Baby, you made a mistake. Everybody makes mistakes. It's how we learn. Your mother and I would never do anything to hurt you for what happened. Now you'll know better for the next time the urge to...do that...with another boy and maybe you'll decide not to. And thank you for telling me the truth. It shows how grown up you're truly becoming," Lucius answered quietly as he walked to the doorway.

Teecie leaned back against her pillows and sighed. She felt as though a great weight had been lifted from her. She'd never liked keeping such a big secret from her parents.

Arrangements were made to have Paul and his parents over for tea that afternoon to discuss what had happened with the children. Teecie had to figure out a way to make sure she got to hear what was said. She didn't want to be sent to her room and miss out on all of the fun. She was able to do this by volunteering to her mother to take over the preparations of tea-making for her. "You've been under a lot of stress since yesterday, mum, why don't you rest while I take over with the tea?"

Adriana petted Teecie's cheek. "You're such a good girl, Teecie. Thank you so much," she replied while walking out of the kitchen and into her bedroom for a lie down. Lucius was already napping before the guests arrived; Kali was still locked in her room, so Teecie had the kitchen to herself. She set the tea down, baked muffins and buns, and made an elegant spread of finger sandwiches for the guests.

When everything was ready, Teecie cleaned up and changed into nice clothes. She had just finished setting the table when her parents came into the room, dressed nicely as well.

Kali was finally released from her room right before Paul and his parents arrived. Lucius opened the door for them and Kali ran into Paul's arms as soon as he entered the room. The four parents stood and watched in silence, each looking as though they had no idea what to do about the situation. Finally, Adriana snapped to attention and walked over to the Weasleys. "Welcome to our home. I'm glad you could come today, albeit under such trying circumstances. May I take your coats?" she asked, acting as the gracious hostess. Teecie wasn't used to seeing her mother act this way: polite and proper. Usually she was much more informal.

After she'd dealt with their coats, Adriana returned and ushered the guests into the dining room. Once everybody had been seated, Adriana took her seat at Lucius's right side at the head of the table. Teecie quietly passed out cups of tea and plates of food while Lucius began to speak. "I would like to welcome you to our home as well. We have some important issues today to discuss. Two of our children are already married to one another, so I feel that we are already family," Lucius spoke clearly and carefully. Teecie saw what looked like a mix of anger and disgust flicker across his features briefly before he said the word "family," but when she blinked and looked back at him, it was gone. "Several days ago, two more of our children made the decision to wed, though without consent from any of us, and we must now decide what is to be done."

Kali and Paul were sitting next to each other and held hands while Lucius spoke. They looked wide-eyed at the thought of what could be done to them.

Percy cleared his throat and sat forward in his chair. "Well I for one must say that I highly disapprove of their rash actions. It was selfish of the children to run off and marry without any of their families present, and to what end? If they had intended to marry, why not wait until they had finished school and then do it afterwards?" he said before sipping his tea.

"But since they had intended to marry anyway, it isn't as though it's the end of the world that they'd done so earlier in life than most would," Penny added.

"It is far too late to have the marriage annulled," Adriana said, looking at the other adults in the room. "It seems foolish to force them to divorce only to have them turn around and remarry in a year and a half's time."

Lucius rubbed his temples as he listened and thought. "There is nothing we can really do about this. The children have made their bed, and now they must lie in it," he said.

An uncomfortable silence passed over the room. The four adults looked over at Kali and Paul expectantly. Finally Adriana spoke. "Would you two like to explain your actions to us?" she asked with a face that betrayed no emotion.

Teecie stuffed a biscuit in her mouth and watched with rapt attention as Paul and Kali looked into one another's eyes. "We've been in love ever since second year and we didn't want to wait any longer to..." Kali said, blushing furiously before trailing off.

Paul squeezed her hand lovingly before finishing for her, "We wanted to be together in the way married people are. We both felt more comfortable doing this only after we had said our vows, so we decided we needed to get married."

Teecie thought this was utterly romantic, especially with the memory of running off to Owen so freshly in her mind. What would it have been like to wait until her wedding night to have made love for the first time? She'd never find out now, but perhaps sometime, she'd be able to ask Kali about it.

"I see," Lucius replied, tight-lipped as he stared intensely at his newest son-in-law. Well, I hope you enjoyed your night of passion, for it was your final act of childhood. You two wish to be treated as adults now, and so you will be. You will go through all the normal problems that any other married couple goes through. As your parents, we will always be there to support you, but you two belong to one another now," he said in a hoarse voice.

"Have you thought about what you will do once you leave school?" Penny asked. "Will you both have jobs? Kalare, will you be staying at home and keeping house? Paul will you be able to find a job that will support you, your wife, and whatever children you may have in the future?"

"I intend to get a job with one of the professional Quidditch teams, as does Kali," Paul replied.

"Kalare," Adriana frowned, using her daughter's true name, which caught Teecie off guard, "now, with your health problems, do you really think you'll be allowed to play Quidditch professionally? Don't you think that for your sake, it's best for you to keep house while Paul earns the income? This summer holiday, I'm sure your father and I can teach you all you'll need to know about housekeeping."

Percy jumped in to the conversation again, "And Paul, professional Quidditch is highly competitive and unstable; you'd be far better off following my example by getting a job at the Ministry. Your brother has a job there that pays enough to support his wife and son. That would be much safer for you; you do have a wife you must think about now."

Teecie's eyes moved back and forth across the table as the adults talked at the newly married couple. She'd never known marriage had so much responsibilities attached to it. She'd just assumed that once you got married, you always had somebody to talk to and spend time with, somebody to help raise the children and that you lived happily ever after. Could it be that there was more to it than that?

It really made Teecie stop and think about things. Her parents had always told her that marriage was a partnership. Things were supposed to be shared equally between a husband and a wife. Lucius had cared for the children and the home while Adriana had gone off to teach at Hogwarts. She'd been home on the weekends to take care of Teecie and her sisters in order to give Lucius a chance to relax and prepare for the long week ahead. Teecie had always assumed this was how a marriage worked. It hadn't been until she'd gotten to school and talked to her new friends that she found out that in some families it was the father who had a job and sometimes both parents had jobs, or some kids didn't have parents and were raised by other family members. Some kids at the school even had parents that were divorced, though not many of them. Maybe marriages were as unique as families.

Teecie tried to imagine herself married to James. She saw herself getting up every morning and making breakfast for them. They'd sit at the table and talk before James kissed her cheek and went off to work. Teecie would keep house and do the shopping and mending and cooking so that when James returned from work, there was always a hot meal waiting for him. Their children would play together and get good grades and go to sleep early so that she and James could spend the quiet evening together. It was a lovely picture.

It wasn't until she'd tucked her children into bed in her fantasy that she realized with horror that she'd completely forgotten to factor in her own dream of becoming a healer. How could she take care of a house, the children, her husband, and a career at the same time? Something would have to give.

Teecie went about changing her fantasy to fit her own dream into it. A housekeeper would prepare breakfast for the couple, who would eat before leaving for their jobs. The housekeeper would take care of everything at home while a nanny cared for the children and made sure they got to school safely. In the evening, James and Teecie would spend time playing with their children before sending them to bed and continuing to play with just the two of them. It was a lovely thought. In her heart, she knew James would make love to her every night before going to sleep by her side. And every night, they'd hold hands in their sleep as they had that one night years before on Christmas Eve.

Teecie was brought out of her daydreaming when Lucius reached for the teapot in front of her. She jumped up and poured him a fresh cup while Penny spoke. "I'm sure they won't allow you to share a room, in fact I rather think they'll insist you keep to your old dormitories."

"And don't expect your inheritance either Kalare. Your poor judgment in this case has proven to us the need for you to wait until you're older before receiving it. You'll have to wait for your 21st birthday for it," Lucius added, folding his arms and frowning.

Teecie had thought eloping might be a fun thing to do, until she heard of this stipulation. She made the executive decision right then, to never elope with James. They'd be married with all their families present.

Paul and Kali had held hands this entire time. They'd never spoken unless they'd been asked specific questions. Teecie could see a look of fierce determination in both of their faces. They looked proud and unwilling to believe that they could possibly have made a bad decision in eloping.

Adriana began to tap her forefinger on the table as though thinking. "I think that once you two have left school, there should be another wedding; one with a dress and a veil, a cake, guests, and a photographer. You robbed us of the joy in seeing the two of you pledge your love for one another. It's only fitting that we get a chance to witness it," she said, looking hurt.

"But mother, that's one of the reasons we eloped. I hate large crowds of people and I don't like them looking at me," Kali cried, while bitter tears sprang to her eyes.

"Nonsense Kalare, you enjoy crowds screaming up at you on the Quidditch pitch. This is not so different," Adriana replied.

"Kali doesn't mind crowds during a Quidditch match, Miss Orendes, but she cannot stand to be near them in any other circumstance. This is partly why we did this," Paul jumped in while hugging his wife comfortingly.

"Well then, there doesn't have to be many guests, only families then," Adriana conceded.

"There is still the matter of where the two should spend the rest of the holidays, not to mention the summer holiday later in the year," Percy jumped in, changing the subject.

"If we change the girls' rooms, so Kalare's is a bit larger, I suppose they could stay here," Adriana offered.

Teecie had been silent the entire time the Weasleys had been there, and though she knew it was horribly impolite, she couldn't help but speak up at this point. "But mother, Kali's the one who did the wrong thing. Why should I be punished for it?" she cried angrily.

"Hush Ticia, this doesn't concern you," Adriana glared at Teecie. It was at that moment that Teecie thought she'd ask Draco if she could stay at the Manor this upcoming summer holiday. Things would probably be pretty dramatic at the property with the newlyweds rooming next door to her cramped bedroom.

In the end, it was decided that Paul and Kali would spend half the summer holiday with Percy and Penny, and the other half at the property. Both Adriana and Penny would make sure Kali was trained in the proper way to keep house. "Perhaps Ticia would like to be trained as well," Penny offered, "And it's high time I taught Patricia and Paige to keep house."

"Well, Ticia is busy with her medical studies and I don't think she should lose that time in learning to clean. I'm sure she'll employ a housekeeper to do such things since she'll be involved in such a busy career," Adriana replied.

Teecie's cheeks burned and she could barely contain the smile she felt growing on her face. She'd never had such a vote of confidence from her mother before.

When the afternoon had ended, and the Weasleys had left, Lucius and Adriana collapsed on the sofa, exhausted. Teecie cleaned up the dining room and kitchen for them, opting for once, to let her wand do the work instead of her hands.

Kali had left with the Weasleys. She'd decided to spend the rest of the holiday getting to know her in-laws better.

The last thing Teecie heard her mother say before going to her room was, "I just don't know what she was thinking Lucius. Did she think she wouldn't get caught? Would they have never told us until we asked them of their wedding plans? I just don't know what got into her head; it's so unlike her." Teecie could hear the pain in her mother's voice while she contemplated this, and realized how selfish something like an elopement was.

Before going to sleep, Teecie wrote Narcissa another letter:

Dear Mrs. Malfoy,

I'll keep what you said about school boys in mind, though I love James very much. Yes, his father is Remus Lupin. We have tea together every Saturday and have a lot of fun talking to each other. James's mum's name is Nymphadora Tonks and she's friends with my mum. They go shopping and have tea together a lot. Some people think Nymphadora is a weird name, but my grandmother's name was Callidora, so I don't think it's so weird really. But I never knew my grandmother because she died a really long time before I was even born. She was Greek though so that's why her name was Callidora. She was born in Greece, you know. So was my grandfather, but my mum was born in London, though there were a lot of Greek immigrants there too at the time.

Anyway, did you know Tonks's hair can change colour? She's a metamorphmagus, but none of her kids are I think. They say it's really rare, but maybe if James and I get married and have kids one of them would be a metamorphmagus. I've read in some of my books that sometimes genetic things like that skip generations.

Anyway, I hope your Christmas was better than mine. It started off normally. Tanith, Draco, and the kids came over for dinner. Uncle Sev came over too, but he was alone, like he always is when he comes over. Draco loved my gloves and Uncle Sev loved the box of licorice wheels I gave him. He loves black licorice, but he doesn't tell many people that because he doesn't like them to know he likes sweets, but he does. He dresses all in black and likes black food. When I pointed this out to him, he said, "Well, I like all things black!" He's so funny sometimes.

But right before dinner was served, disaster struck. My sister ran off and eloped with her boyfriend. It ruined Christmas dinner because everybody ran off to find them.

At first I thought the idea of it was romantic, but I can see how hurt everybody is by it. My mum has been crying over it and my father has been very upset. I fear for his health.

Draco was upset too, even though Kali hates him. He still tries to be nice to her though. Sometimes I think he should just give up on her. She hates him and nothing will ever change that.

I wish James was here. He's a great comforter when I'm upset.

I was thinking of seeing if Draco will let me stay at Black Manor this summer holiday. Kali and Paul will be staying here, and my room will be made smaller to accommodate them. I think this is really unfair. If I go to Black Manor, I'll have my own large room all to myself. Maybe Draco will let James come over for a visit sometime. I went to his house once a couple years ago, before we broke up. He showed me his tree house. It was pretty fun, even though we got into a fight. I really miss him right now.

Maybe if I say with Draco over the summer, we could get together and go shopping. That might be cool, don't you think? Or maybe you could come over for dinner sometime.

Well, it's pretty late, and I'm exhausted. Mum and dad already went to bed, and Kali went to Paul's house for the rest of the holiday. So, I'm all alone right now. I wish James was here with me.

Good night,

Teecie

The next morning, Lucius announced that he needed to visit Draco, "to discuss some things," as he put it.

Teecie helped Adriana with the animals and the house while he was gone. "Mum, do you really think Kali will be a housewife? You don't think she'll get to play Quidditch?" she asked at one point in time.

Adriana sighed as she raked out the old hay in the horse stalls. "I'm really not sure, Teecie. Her health issues have made her very weak. I don't think she'll have the stamina it takes for the sport. And she doesn't have the type of personality to stand a Ministry job. She's so particular about her surroundings that it makes sense that she'd be most comfortable with keeping house and raising the children. She takes after her father in that respect. He's very picky about hygiene and cleanliness as well," she replied while pausing in her actions to wipe the hair out of her eyes.

"I suppose you're right," Teecie replied, "Do you really think I'll be a successful healer?"

Adriana smiled. "I know you can do anything if you put your mind to it. You have shown a lot of talent so far. Look at the hippogriffs you helped. I think if you keep working hard, you'll be successful," she said kindly.

"Thanks mum."

"You're welcome, darling."

A couple hours later, Lucius returned home. He didn't look happy. "Did you have a row with Draco?" Adriana asked while serving him his lunch.

"To say the very least," Lucius replied while sitting across from Teecie and looking into her eyes. Her stomach lurched as she realized he must have talked to Draco about more than just Kali and Paul.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear. Is everything all right now?" Adriana asked while sitting down to eat her own lunch.

Lucius sighed, "Yes, I suppose it is. We'd just had a disagreement over parenting issues, that's all."

Once lunch was over, Teecie went with her father out to the barn, where he began to carve a piece of wood into a small dragon for Hunter. "Dad, did you talk to Draco about Owen and me?" she asked frankly.

Lucius looked up at Teecie for a minute, looking as though deciding what to say to her. "Yes," he said finally, "I told him I didn't appreciate that the incident had been kept a secret from me and Adriana. I told him to force an engagement on you without my consent was wrong and he'd had no right to do such a thing."

Lucius shifted his weight off his bad foot before continuing. "He told me that if I hadn't been such a terrible father and hadn't lied to you all your life, you wouldn't have felt compelled to run away."

"You're not a terrible father, dad. You were trying to protect us, that's all. I can see that now," Teecie replied, defending her father.

"I appreciate that honey, but still, it was wrong to keep the truth from you girls for so long. I'm afraid your brother came out the victor in that argument. I did tell him though, that under no circumstances was he to keep important things concerning you from us. As your parents, we have a right to know what's going on in your life," Lucius informed Teecie.

"And what did he say to that?"

"He reminded me that he is the head of the family, and under no such obligations. I reminded him that I am his father and deserve more respect than that. He didn't share that opinion, and said some unpleasant things to me. That's when I left," Lucius sighed sadly.

"I'm sorry he was being such a jerk, dad. I know he thinks he's doing what's best for me, but he doesn't seem to understand that he's not my father, he's my brother, though sometimes I forget that too. I do try to stand up to him sometimes. I finally told him he had to stop setting me up on dates with boys he wants me to see, because they never work out. I told him he had to get over the fact that I would be seeing James again. He can't stand James because he thinks he's not rich enough and since his father is a werewolf, that he couldn't be a good person to have as a father-in-law someday. But I think that Professor Lupin is a wonderful man, and would make a great father-in-law," Teecie informed her father.

"You really do love that boy, don't you," Lucius said quietly, looking into Teecie's eyes.

"I do. I would marry him if he asked me," Teecie replied boldly, "But only after we leave school," she added quickly, seeing the look of panic in her father's eyes.

"Does he treat you like a proper lady? Is he a perfect gentleman towards you?" he asked sternly.

"Oh yes dad, he's every inch the perfect gentleman."

"That's good. Now, why don't you go back inside and help your mother? I think I need to be alone for a while," Lucius said, kissing Teecie's cheek before she trotted off back to the house.

Once back inside, Teecie went to her room and wrote on angry note to Draco:

Dear Draco,

How dare you be rude to father? I know he's made bad mistakes in his life, and many horrible choices, but he is still our father and deserves respect because of that.

I told him about France because I couldn't stand the thought of lying to my parents the way I was lied to my whole life. Relationships are based on trust, so how can I get along well with my folks if all I do is lie to them? I know this is not very Slytherin of me, but guess what, I'm not a Slytherin!

I expect you're probably furious with me for telling father what happened, but Draco, it was the right thing to do, and you know it! I hope you get over this soon, and if it's any consolation, I'll probably be spending the summer holiday at the Manor with you, so you can give me as many musical and etiquette lessons as you wish for punishment.

Please don't be angry for too long.

I love you!

Teecie

Teecie was quite surprised to receive a response from Draco the next day at breakfast. She read it in her room, away from distractions.

Dear Ticia,

I understand your anger at me right now, but what you need to realize is that the conversation father and I had had been coming for a long time. There are still things you don't know, things you might never know, that affect the way father and I deal with each other. And even more, they affect the way both of us see the three of you. Unfortunately, the way each of us see the three of you is very different. He believes one thing, I believe another. And we will both believe our own way is the right, no matter what anyone else might say.

What you tell father is your business. I respect that. What I cannot comprehend is how he can blame any of this on anyone but himself. But he has always been exceptionally good at that, Ticia. And I will not let him do that to me any longer. Nor will I allow him to do it to any of you. If that means we cannot speak to each other again, so be it. But I will speak my mind every time. You are my sisters, and you deserve my protection, whether or not he wants me in that role. And I will protect you the way I see fit, without regard to how it will affect him, because it is about protecting you, not him.

I do not expect you to be a Slytherin, Ticia. As loathe as I might be to admit it, you make a fabulous Gryffindor, and I can no longer imagine you in any other house. I simply hope you will begin to recognize that there is some information that you are allowed to keep from others. Information that does not affect them, but might hurt them if they know it. Things like your personal opinion of someone else's dress, for example. Certainly, they might be hurt if they later find out you hated it, but what hurts them more? The hiding of the fact or telling it to them straight out? People don't need to know everything, Ticia. It's up to you to decide what it is that they do need to know. I trust you to be honest enough with yourself to decide what that is.

I would love to have you at the Manor for the Holidays, Ticia. As would the entire family. Your nieces and nephew always miss you after you leave. Rouvin never stops talking about his "Aunt Teecie." I hope you and I can spend some time together as well, this summer. I miss my little sister more than you might realize.

Love,

Your big brother,

Draco

Teecie wasn't sure of how to feel. Draco had basically called her an adult for the first time in her life. He was conceding a lot by doing so. He'd also said she wasn't obligated to tell people everything about herself. Perhaps issues like truths and lies became clearer as you grew older.

She was excited that he'd said she could spend the holidays with them. He wanted to spend time with her. She wondered what that would be like, since he wouldn't be trying to set her up on dates with boys anymore. Maybe he'd let her assist him in making potions in his lab. That would be fun.

There would most likely be more etiquette lessons, and hopefully dance lessons as well. She'd make sure she requested that. Maybe James could come over for tea occasionally. She could go swimming with him in the pool.

The day before returning to the school, Teecie got Narcissa's response to her letter:

Miss Orendes,

I am glad your holiday at least started out well. I am sorry that it ended up so badly, though. I hope you will remember the hurt your sister caused, take to heart not the romantic nature of what she has done, but the recklessness, and the pain. Romance lasts but a short time, but marriage is a lifetime commitment, and someone of her age, or your age, cannot possibly understand what that truly means. Your brother loves all three of you, often to his detriment, and I hope you will keep that in mind as well.

You should also learn from all this that sometimes the only person you can truly rely on is yourself. Learning to rely too heavily on another's support will leave you weak. I understand that you believe you love this boy, but your love will not necessarily keep him near you. And it may not last, however much you wish it to.

My holiday was quiet. Draco brought his family over Christmas Eve, as he normally does, and it was wonderful to see how well the children are growing. Little Rouvin looks so much like his father that sometimes I must remind myself that he is Draco's son, and not Draco, though he is a great deal more gregarious than Draco ever was. His father didn't hold to that kind of nonsense when Draco was young.

I find it intriguing that you are dating the son of my niece. You see, Nymphadora is the child of my older sister, Andromeda. Does she still use that horrible nickname? Yes, I am aware of her talents, which are not limited to changing hair colour. Metamorphagi run in the Black family tree, though they only show every other generation or so. It is too bad that she was raised in such a middle class home. She could truly have amounted to something. I am pleased that you have at least chosen someone from such a good family to focus on. Professor Lupin, despite his job prospects, and his abnormality, is a good man. I met him once or twice while we attended Hogwarts together, and I always found him a thoughtful boy. I hope your James takes after him, rather than his mother.

I believe that your brother and his family would be thrilled to have you for the summer. All of them speak very highly of the time you have spent there in the past few years. Rouvin in particular seems quite fond of you. If you do spend the holidays with my son, I will see if I can find some time in my schedule to come visit with you, and yes, perhaps we could go shopping together. It has been a while since I have had a companion to shop with.

Sincerely,

Narcissa Malfoy

For the rest of the day, Teecie planned out her summer holiday. She also spent a lot of the day thinking of ways for Narcissa and Uncle Sev to get together.

By the time Lucius and Adriana saw her off on the train back to school, she had everything planned, from start to finish. Now, if she could just make sure it all worked out perfectly, everything would be wonderful.


	58. Candace's Revenge

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: Well, I was going to post this last week, but the site wasn't working! I'm glad you liked the letters, they continue into this chapter as well, and I really must thank ElfFlame for lending her voice to both Draco and Narcissa. I don't seem to be able to write for the Slytherins very well, so I tend to leave that to her! The plot is thickening now as well, we have groups of people working for and against one another for their own desires and needs.

Some bad stuff happens to Teecie in this chapter as well, but I really think she's maturing and deals with it in a grown up way. I'm interested to hear what you think of all this. Enjoy!

Candace's Revenge

The first thing Teecie did when she returned to school was to find James and give him a huge hug and kiss. They walked around the school and talked while holding hands. She told him about Kali and Paul's elopement and how it had disrupted Christmas.

James had seemed a bit troubled during the time they'd been talking. He told her about Sirius not coming home for Christmas. He'd decided to stay in Nepal with his new yeti-researching friends. James was quite upset over it, though he tried to hide it as best he could. "I didn't miss him at all," he said, "who needs a dumb older brother anyway?" Teecie wrapped her arms around him and held him for a few minutes while he cried on her shoulder. "I miss him so much," he finally whispered in her ear.

Teecie kissed him and wiped away his tears. "I know you do James. I never doubted it," she replied comfortingly.

When school started the next day, Teecie couldn't help but notice that things with Candace were just as bad as they were before the term had ended. Every chance to sneer at Teecie or make rude comments about her, Candace took. Teecie tried to ignore it, knowing her education was on the line if she did anything against Candace, but it was a constant struggle to resist the temptation to avenge herself.

The first week into the new term though, there was an incident that forced the issue. During the normal class period when the Gryffindors and Slytherins shared Potions class together, Candace had been working in the back of the class. She'd asked Professor Black for permission to spend her free time in the Potions classroom, in order to get more practice on certain potions she'd been having trouble with.

Teecie had been meticulously preparing her potion for Draco's class when she left her desk to find some more shrivelfigs. James had gone with her, leaving their table alone for a few minutes.

Everything looked fine when they'd returned, and so Teecie had continued with her potion. After she'd finished adding all the ingredients and started to stir it fifty times in a counter clockwise direction, she couldn't help but notice the potion began to turn slightly cloudy. It was supposed to be a perfectly clear yellow liquid, but now it was turning a slightly greenish cloudy colour. Teecie frowned as she continued to stir, thinking over whether she'd done anything wrong in the preparation. There was nothing she could think of that she'd done incorrectly though, but the potion continued to turn a deeper shade of green.

After another minute, the potion began to bubble violently and make sizzling sounds. "Professor Black, I need your help!" Teecie called out frantically to her brother.

Just as Draco began to walk over to her, the potion exploded all over his sister. Teecie screamed and jumped back as the potion blew up, but not before being drenched in it. It was scalding hot and burned as it spread over her skin.

James was at her side within seconds while Draco rushed over. "Teecie, are you all right?" Draco asked while taking his wand out and casting a rudimentary cooling spell to stop the burning. It would dull the pain so she could make it to the Hospital Wing for further healing. Teecie was crying and unable to respond. Draco turned to James. "Will you take her to Wilkes?" he asked. James nodded his head and gently led Teecie out of the room and up to the Hospital Wing.

Draco turned to his students, who all looked utterly stunned over what had just happened. "Miss Orendes does not make mistakes in her potions. Do any of you know what could have happened to her potion to cause it to explode on her?" He glared into each and every student's eyes while speaking. A couple students glanced over in Candace's direction before looking back at their professor. Candace herself was looking down at her hands. Draco noted this and recalled that she'd been James's girlfriend before he and Ticia had reunited. "Very well, since none of you know how this happened, I will be requiring each of you to write a three parchment essay on the dangers of tampering with potions. You'll turn them in by the end of the week," he commanded before telling the students to clean up and leave the dungeons as soon as they'd finished.

Master Wilkes made Teecie change out of her soaking wet clothes and into a gown for examination. He'd made James wait on the other side of the drawn curtain around her bed.

Teecie had minor and medium-sized burns on her face, arms, and breasts. In a few spots, the skin had begun to peel. A few spells healed the burns quickly, though they left a layer of new, pink skin behind. "Don't worry, Ticia, there won't be any scarring from this," Wilkes had reassured her while she'd cried.

The next step was to wash off the potion and clean it out of her skin. It had dyed her skin a deep violet, but came out quickly with a cleansing spell. The most trouble came from her hair. The potion had drenched her hair and left it marked with two colours of polka-dots: puce and blood red. Wilkes tried five spells and charms before manually washing her hair in hot water and shampoo, but all to no avail. "I don't know why it won't come out!" he finally exclaimed in an exasperated voice.

Teecie had been pretty quiet until then, choosing to make the most of the unpleasant situation by trying to learn from it. Wilkes had talked her though every spell, charm, and potion he'd used on her. She'd trusted him completely when he'd assured her there would be no permanent skin damage from the burns that had only hurt for a minute before Draco had put the cooling spell on her.

James had been holding her hand the entire time she'd been in the Hospital Wing, except when she'd been examined, and was holding her hand still when the bad news was delivered to her. "I don't know if I can get your hair back to normal again," Wilkes had told her in a grave voice.

That announcement was too much for Teecie, and she promptly burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably. James embraced her, petting her hair and trying to comfort her. "Hey Teecie, I love you no matter what colour your hair is," he said right as Draco joined them.

"What's wrong?" he asked, a look of panic showing on his face. Wilkes took him aside and carefully explained the situation. Once he'd found out about all the details, he was furious at whoever had done this, but he tried to remain calm for his sister's sake.

Teecie wasn't taking what happened to her hair very well. In a moment that was happening with less frequency than Draco wished, she had showed her need for him. As soon as he'd walked up to her, she had pulled away from James, held her arms out to Draco, and cried out for him. In a very rare moment of showing his emotions publicly, Draco had rushed over and embraced his sister. "My hair!" she'd cried, weeping bitter tears.

Draco held her tightly and let her have a good cry before speaking to her. "Ticia, I know you probably don't want to do this right now, but we need to talk to the Headmaster about this. We need to find whoever did this to you, not only so they can be justly punished, but also to find out how they tampered with your potion, so hopefully, we can reverse the effects."

Teecie sniffled before nodding her head in agreement. "Can we go now? The sooner we find out, the sooner my hair will be fixed," she replied.

Draco, James, and Teecie all walked together to Snape's office. Between the three of them, Snape was thoroughly informed of the situation. "Ticia, do you have any idea who might have done this to you? Anybody who has a problem with you and might have wished to play a joke on you?" Snape asked.

Teecie sighed before glancing at James. "I can't say for sure, but Candace Howe has been doing mean things to me since before the holiday. She spilled hot soup down my back once, and spilled ink all over an essay so I had to completely rewrite it and turn it in late," she confessed.

"Ticia, why didn't you tell anybody about this? That is completely inappropriate behaviour," Draco replied. He frowned and put his hands on his hips before continuing. "You might have helped to avoid this situation."

"She's just jealous that James came back to me so soon after she broke up with him. I figured it would just…go away after a while. I didn't want her to get into trouble; I just wanted her to stop. I figured you'd have punished her for what she'd done," Teecie explained.

"Teecie, why didn't you tell me about any of this? I should go give her a piece of my mind! That must be why she was in class today!" James fumed.

"I…I…" Teecie stammered.

"I believe we are all in agreement that others should have been made aware of the situation sooner, but that is not the issue right now. What we need to do is find out for sure who did this, and deal with them appropriately," Snape said, ending that portion of the conversation.

Draco decided he'd question Candace in private in hopes of getting a confession out of her. It never got that far though, for Candace herself confessed to her head of house later that evening.

"Professor Creevey told me she was quite upset over what had happened," Snape later told Draco. "She was in tears and begged for forgiveness for what she'd done when I met with her. She confessed to putting a small amount of boomslang skin in Ticia's potion. Its vapours were supposed to dye her hair, but she didn't realize that it would react negatively with the other ingredients in the potion and explode. I've calculated the effects and Ticia's hair should return to normal in about two weeks.

"I have taken fifteen points away from Ravenclaw for this, as well as assigned a ten page essay on the dangers of tampering with potions, focusing on the elements of the potions and how it reacts to boomslang skin. I have also assigned her to detention in your class every day for a month," Snape sighed and shook his head. "I'll tell you Draco, you and Potter were nothing compared to the trouble Ticia seems to attract."

Teecie ended up crying for the rest of the night over her hair. Draco had tried charming it, and several potions, and even tried transfiguring it, but all to no avail. Nothing would fade or cover up the polka dots in his sister's hair. "I'm sorry, Ticia, but the combination of ingredients has reacted with the proteins in your hair, causing a chemical reaction that cannot be undone. The good news is that it should fade on it's own in about two weeks time. Maybe you can wear a hat or a scarf on it or something like that," he'd finally suggested when he'd run out of ideas.

Teecie had gone to James and cried in his arms as he'd reassured her that he loved her no matter how she looked. That night after she'd left for her dormitory, James slipped down to the dungeons to talk to Professor Black. "Is it possible to dye my hair to match Teecie's?" he'd asked earnestly after a few minutes of obligatory polite small talk.

"Whatever for Mr. Lupin?" Draco was quite surprised at this request.

"Teecie's so upset about it that I thought if we went through it together, it might be easier for her. She's afraid of being teased. I'm not, so maybe if we both have hair like that I could make sure people tease me instead of her," James explained earnestly.

Draco stared at James for a minute before responding. This boy truly cared for his sister. Perhaps he wouldn't have been such a bad choice of spouses-if he'd come from better stock, that is. "Very well, Mr. Lupin. Remain here while I mix up the potion for you. I'll let you put it in your hair yourself," he said while standing up and moving to the door.

Ten minutes later, Draco returned to his office with a vial of green liquid. "There you go, Mr. Lupin. Now you'd better return to your common room before curfew; you don't want to be caught in the halls after hours," he said while holding the door for James to walk out of.

"Thank you professor," James replied while leaving for his dormitory. It only took a few minutes to put the potion in his hair and wash it back out again. He was shocked to see robin's egg blue and marmalade coloured polka dots in his hair. Apparently the colours depended on your own shade of hair.

Teecie was afraid to go to breakfast the next day, but Patty and Paige helped convince her to go. "Show Candace she doesn't get to have that power over you," Patty urged her.

"And don't cover your hair up either. Carl and I are going to try and turn it into a fashion trend," Paige said while petting Teecie's multi-coloured curls.

Teecie walked down to the Great Hall with the twins on either side, with her head held high. She made sure to look straight in front of her as she walked to the Gryffindor table. There were quite a few people who snickered or laughed when they saw her hair, but most were either silent or hadn't noticed.

She was shocked to sit down next to James that morning and look at him. "James! What did you do to your hair?" she cried.

"I dyed it to match yours. I made sure to come down to breakfast before you so all the kids would laugh at me most," he explained before kissing Teecie's cheek.

"James, I can't believe you did that! That is so sweet of you!" she exclaimed before hugging him. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," James replied before leaning in to kiss his girlfriend. Teecie kept her arms wrapped around his shoulders, and soon the two were heavily involved in a snogging session right at the breakfast table. All their classmates watched with rapt attention as to what would happen next.

Unfortunately, the show was cancelled when Professor Lupin walked up to James and Teecie and tapped their shoulders. "This is an activity best done in private. Please be sure to remember that," he said with a look of both amusement and annoyance, before turning to walk back to the professor's table.

During the rest of the day, students complimented Teecie on her new hairstyle. "Why thank you. You know it was Candace Howe who did this; you should tell her what you think of it. She might be able to make some more of the potion needed to dye your hair too," she'd say to people when they asked about her hair.

At lunch, Teecie went over to Candace, smiled and said, "Thank you Candace, for this new hair style. You've turned me into quite a popular girl! And James loved it so much he dyed his to match. Did you see it?"

Candace fumed at Teecie. "Go away! I'm in enough trouble as it is; I don't need you talking to me too," she snarled.

"Why shouldn't I? You harassed me for weeks and then you burned me and dyed my hair. I want you to stay away from me and James, got it? If you ever do anything to me again, I'll have the Headmaster give you so much detention you'll never have a moment of free time again for the rest of the year!" Teecie hissed. With that, she flipped her hair off her shoulders, turned away and flounced away from Candace, leaving her silently fuming on her own.

Teecie walked over to James, kissed him, and led him out of the Great Hall to continue what they'd started that morning. Just outside their Charms class was a window with a billowy blue velvet curtain gathered at the side. James undid the curtain, and the two of them slipped behind it to continue kissing in private. Teecie couldn't help but wish moments like these would last forever. She ran her fingers through James's polka-dotted hair and sighed when he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly against him. He'd grown several inches over the summer holiday and now towered over her. He'd also grown more muscular and strong. Teecie felt safe with him around, knowing he'd protect her from anything.

James was kissing Teecie intensely and had just moved his hands down to her blouse buttons when the bell rang. His hands kept moving to unbutton her shirt, but Teecie gently slapped his hands away. "We need to go to class," she said quietly, pulling away from him and rearranging her clothes.

"I don't want to go to class…let's skip school for the rest of the day! We could go up to my room…" James suggested while leaning down to kiss Teecie again.

"We'd get into trouble, and neither of us can afford that," Teecie replied practically. "Come on, let's get to class before we're late." She grabbed James by the hand and slowly led him into the classroom.

The next week and a half passed quickly after that. Many of the students began asking how to get the potion to dye their hair. Teecie would always direct them to Candace for advice.

Teecie noticed finally after a couple weeks that her hair was slowly returning to normal, as was James's. Her hair was completely back to normal by his birthday. She'd spent much of the last two weeks trying to think of what to get him, but couldn't think of anything. He'd be fifteen this year. He'd been so nice and supportive of her during this tough time with her hair troubles. She was still shocked and touched that he'd gone so far as to dye his hair to match in support of her. What would he want for his birthday?

She thought about it all day long, but couldn't think of anything. Finally, she thought of something that might work, if fact, it was the perfect present.

Teecie and James spent as much of the day together as they possibly could, eating all their meals together and sitting by one another in all their classes. Later in the evening, she took him by the hand and suggested they walk up to his dormitory to see if anybody else was there. James's eyebrows rose curiously as he let her take him by the hand and led him up to his room. Luckily there was nobody else there.

Teecie quietly led him over to his bed and sat down next to him. Once they were comfortably settled, James drew the curtains and sealed them with a silencing charm so nobody would be able to hear them. Teecie leaned in to kiss him after he'd finished. As soon as her lips touched his, she felt as though her body was on fire. "James I love you so much," she whispered in his ear.

"I love you too," he responded in between nibbling on her neck and collarbone. Teecie was showing no resistance to what James was doing, so he continued kissing and touching her for as long as she was willing to allow it. It felt great; Candace had never let him do anything close to this, so it had been quite a while since he'd had the pleasure of touching a girl in this fashion.

In a very bold move, James began to slip his hands underneath Teecie's blouse. He'd been sure she would object and tell him to stop, but she didn't. This heightened his pleasure even more, causing him to shift his position to hide his obvious state of arousal from her. James knew she wouldn't allow him to sleep with her quite yet, and didn't want to come across as trying to pressure her.

He was surprised to see Teecie's hands reach for the buttons of her blouse. She slowly undid them, letting her shirt to fall open, allowing him easier access to his goal. James had seen Teecie plenty of times in her bikini, and knew that a bra was pretty much the same thing, but for some reason, this felt different. He felt like he was crossing into forbidden territory. His heart pounded loudly in his chest as he leaned in to kiss her, entwining his tongue with hers while running his fingertips over the top of her bra. James almost lost control of himself as Teecie moaned in his mouth. He worked hard to control his breathing in order to stay calm and in command of his body.

He was doing much better for the next several minutes, letting his fingers caress every inch of bare skin he could, until Teecie decided to slip her hands under his shirt and gently touch his skin. Her fingertips were so soft that it felt like a feather was being run up and down his chest. Finally, she let her hands mimic the motions his hands were making over her bra. His skin felt like it was on fire, sending shots of pleasure through his entire body. James began to moan in unison with Teecie, and before he knew it, he'd lost control of himself. He'd never felt more humiliated in his life. At least when this happened in his sleep, nobody else was around to notice when he used a cleansing spell to clean up the evidence. He quickly pulled away from Teecie and wrapped his robes against his waist tightly. "I…I…forgot I have a very important assignment due tomorrow and I haven't even started it yet," he stammered. "This has been loads of fun, but I should probably get started now."

Teecie looked at him quizzically. Had she done something wrong? "All right James," she replied slowly. She began to button her blouse up before walking out into the room. Try as she might, Teecie had no idea what had happened, but suspected that it had been her fault. She must have done something James hadn't liked. But she couldn't ask him now, though, it would be too embarrassing at this point in time.

Carl had come into the room at some point in time and grinned at Teecie while she finished buttoning her blouse and tucking it into her skirt. "Oh, Teecie, you naughty girl! Looks like you you've been doing some kissing! Now it's time for telling. Tell me all about it, every little detail," he said while grabbing her arm and pulling her over to his bed to sit down.

"It's nothing really, Carl. Today's James's birthday, so we were just…celebrating," Teecie replied, blushing furiously.

"Oh, really?" Carl replied before sighing sadly. "It's been a while since I've done any 'celebrating'."

"Are you and Rey having problems?" Teecie asked.

Carl sighed again. "We broke up. He was being a right cow and I couldn't take it anymore," he replied angrily.

"Oh Carl, that's terrible!" Teecie cried while reaching out to hug her friend.

"Oh, I should have seen it coming. Never can quite trust a Slytherin," he replied. Carl seemed to return to normal after that. "So, tell me, is James a good kisser? Sometimes you can just tell with a person. I can tell he's a good kisser. He's probably great in bed too, so I bet you're in for quite a treat when you two finally…you know!" he cackled wickedly.

"Carl! I can't believe you just said that!" Teecie cried. "I mean really, we're too young to be having sex. Trust me, I learned that the hard way," she said quietly.

Carl's eyes grew wide. "What do you mean? Did you and James already-"

"No!" Teecie replied quickly. "It wasn't with James," she admitted in a whisper. "He doesn't know and if you value your life, you will never tell a soul about this," she threatened.

"I promise, nobody will ever find out from me," Carl vowed. "Now spill it!"

Teecie quietly explained to him what happened on her last birthday while he listened with rapt attention. "That's so tragic," he sighed at the end before hugging Teecie tightly to comfort her. "How embarrassing to have Professor Black and the Headmaster walk in on you like that," he sympathized.

"It was," Teecie confirmed. "Oh that reminds me, I need your advice. I'm trying to get Uncle Sev and my father's wife together, but neither of them seems willing to meet. They'll never fall in love and get married if they never see each other," she said, changing the subject abruptly.

Carl looked at her with confusion. "Your uncle and your father's wife?"

"He's not really my uncle, and my father is still married to his wife even though he lives with my mum," she carefully explained.

"You have a very interesting family," he commented.

"You have no idea!" she exclaimed. "So, how should I get them together? I've written to Narcissa and have brought the idea up to Uncle Sev, but they're both unwilling to try it."

Carl thought for a minute before responding. "It seems to me that you have to get them to meet without them realizing that they're going to. Some type of 'accidental' meeting."

"That's a great idea! Thanks so much!" Teecie cried before kissing Carl's cheek and running out of the dormitory to find Paige. They spent the rest of the evening brainstorming ways for the two to meet.

"But don't let anybody know," Teecie had instructed Paige before going to bed that night. "Especially not Draco, I don't know how he'll react to this."

The next morning, Draco was eating a bowl of porridge and speaking with Snape when an owl delivered a letter to him. He couldn't have been more surprised to read the contents:

My Darling Draco,

It has come to my attention that your youngest sister has set her sights on one of the Lupin boys. Now, it may have slipped your notice that this would be a good thing to encourage, as the Lupin boys are related to you through the Black side of the family. Their mother, Nymphadora, was my sister's child, and though Andromeda was disinherited, the blood connection is still there. I think it would be a good thing if you were to encourage her in this endeavour, perhaps even help it along a bit?

I quite enjoyed seeing you and the family Christmas Eve. Rouvin is growing up so fast. He reminds me of you at that age. Please relay my best wishes to Tanith, and thank her for the lovely flowers she brought. They brightened up the place considerably. I do so miss having a garden.

Your Mother,

Narcissa

Draco had never thought of the connection between James Lupin and himself before. There was no actual blood connection between James and Ticia, so there was nothing keeping them from marrying. And even if there was, it would have been too insignificant to matter.

He glanced over at Ticia and wondered how his mother could possibly know such a thing about a girl she'd never met before. He'd never mentioned a thing about it to his mother, so who had told her?

It was a mystery he'd have to solve later, but for now, Draco allowed himself to think about the children James and Ticia would have when they married. There would have to be at least one son to take on as Rouvin's business associate in the future. During this thought, another idea formed in Draco's mind. James was a Black by rights, but Ticia was a Malfoy. This bloodline would not only strengthen the Blacks, but re-forge the Black-Malfoy connection, of which he was a product. Perhaps that line would be raised to higher respect in society's eyes once again, since it had fallen to a shameful level due to Lucius's mistakes. This could be a great opportunity to repair a lot of damage.

That morning, before his first class of the day, Draco dispatched a response to his mother:

Mother,

I also enjoyed the visit Christmas Eve. The children so enjoy seeing you. It always seems too long between visits. They and their mother send their love. Our Christmas celebration was far calmer than our visit with father the next day. If you have not heard, my sister Kalare has gone and eloped. And not with just any boy, either, but yet another Weasley. At least they're purebloods…

I am unsure where it is you may have heard that Ticia is interested in James Lupin, but it is true. And I am fascinated by your take on the matter. I had been despairing over the match, particularly after this latest stunt of Kalare's. And I was worried that none of them would marry Well. What exactly is it that you are suggesting, if I may ask?

Your Loving Son,

Draco

Draco took care to be somewhat nicer to James over the next several days. James didn't know what to make of the change, but assumed he'd improved his standing in his professor's eyes over the support he'd shown Teecie during the hair incident. It was a nice respite from the normal hovering Draco usually subjected him to. "Your brother's been nice to me over the last few days," James informed Teecie at dinner one night.

Teecie glanced up at her brother before narrowing her eyes. "Be careful. He's the most dangerous when he's nice. At least to people he seems to dislike," she said quietly. "I wonder what's up."

Draco was working on grading essays in his office that evening when he received Narcissa's response.

My Darling Draco,

I have my sources. Let's just say I have inside information.

As for what I was suggesting: any children these two have would be Blacks. Perhaps not in name, but in blood. And, as the head of the Black family, you would be able to…gift them with things. It is always good to surround yourself with family, Draco. And Rouvin will thank you for it in the end. Who better to help him run things when he takes over the family? Your sister's boy is, shall we say, of less than perfect lineage? I do not wish to speak ill of your sister, but her son could not possibly be the best companion for Rouvin when he comes of age. He needs to surround himself with boys of pure blood, like himself. And, by helping your sister win this boy's heart, he will have exactly that.

Just think. A new Black dynasty. All of your making.

I would be more than willing to offer any help you required, as far as training the girl is concerned. I know you have had great troubles with her in the past. Perhaps I could visit her at the school. Maybe even have her to stay for part of the summer. It would do her good to see how a well-bred woman behaves.

Your Mother,

Narcissa

Insider information indeed! Why the hell would Ticia be writing to my mother? Draco thought to himself. It was the only possible explanation. And whatever had been said between those two must have been pretty powerful. Narcissa didn't befriend anybody easily, especially one of the daughters of her husband.

Draco promptly responded to his mother's letter:

Mother,

I think I may know your 'sources.' I hope she has not been too forward.

A Black dynasty. I like the sound of that. I'll sound her out. See if it is possible.

And at the very least, I will take you up on the offer to come visit with her one of these weekends. Would next month do for you? Ticia will be going to Hogsmeade for her birthday and I think I can find a few free hours in her schedule where the three of us can go off together and talk.

Draco

When he'd sent this off with an owl, Draco tried to figure out the best way to approach his sister about the subject without her feeling like she was in trouble. He didn't want Ticia to censor herself to Narcissa if she thought she'd be in trouble for this. At least this way she was getting sound advice from a woman of good repute and proper upbringing. If Ticia did end up staying with him over the summer holiday, he'd try to plan a week or so for her to stay with Narcissa for personalized training in issues such as proper behaviour for young ladies.

The next day, Draco called Teecie into his office. "We need to talk, Ticia," he began, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk for her to sit down. After she was seated, he spoke again. "Ticia, it has come to my attention that you have been writing letters to my mother. I must ask you why you have been doing this."

Teecie blinked a few times. She hadn't expected this. Narcissa must have mentioned it to Draco at some point in time. This could ruin everything if he found out why she'd really written to her. "I…I…was curious about your mother," she mumbled, "I wanted to know what she was like."

Draco considered this for a minute before replying. "Well, she has made it known to me that she enjoys writing to you. Just make sure your tone is always respectful, as it should always be towards your elders. My mother does not usually gossip, particularly when that gossip involves herself or her family, so you won't need to worry about her telling other people what you write. I like that you want to know about her. She's a good woman, who hasn't had nearly as much respect paid to her throughout her life as she deserves. Remember that, Ticia," he commanded.

Teecie nodded her head silently. She felt very relieved that he'd bought her story, and stood up to hug Draco before leaving his office. Draco hugged his sister, patted her cheek tenderly, and said, "Such a good girl," before sending her on her way.

Teecie had no idea that anything was going on behind her back. It wouldn't have stopped her from continuing to make plans for Narcissa and Uncle Sev to meet. She'd called in a few of the favours due to her in order to spin a delicate web in which to ensnare the two unsuspecting adults. It was a good thing that Draco didn't suspect anything, or she'd not be allowed to write to Narcissa anymore.

She decided that the Hogsmeade weekend on her birthday was the best time for meeting Narcissa. Even though it was a month away, she sent off a letter to ensure that Narcissa didn't make other plans on the same day.

Dear Mrs. Malfoy,

I haven't written to you in a while, so I thought I'd get you caught up with my life. Kali and Paul are still married, but they have to stay in their own dormitories. Uncle Sev thinks it would set a bad precedent for the other students to allow them to share a room, and I agree with him. He's such a wise man!

Things in my life were pretty bad for a while. There was this girl, Candace that James was going out with before we got back together. She was jealous of me and started doing really mean things to me. Finally, she messed up my potion so it blew up all over me and it dyed my hair polka dots! It was terrible; it stayed for almost two whole weeks before washing out. Anyway, James felt so bad that I was so upset, that he dyed his hair to match mine! He said he wanted to support me. Isn't that the most romantic thing you've ever heard in your life? I love him so much! I should bring him to meet you. Would you like that? Too bad you don't have a date or we could double date! That would be loads of fun. We could go to the cinema and see a movie. Have you ever been to a movie before? I love movies but I haven't been to a cinema in a very long time. James said he's been to a cinema once or twice when he was younger, and thought it was cool.

That reminds me, our next Hogsmeade weekend is next month, on Valentine's Day. It's also my birthday. I'll be turning fifteen this year. Do you think you could come to Hogsmeade that day for lunch and shopping? I'd love to meet you in person. It would be so much fun!

Let me know if this is something you'd like to do, all right? Thanks!

Love,

Ticia

Teecie wasn't sure if Narcissa would be willing to meet with her or not. Somehow, she had to get Narcissa and Uncle Sev in the same vicinity. She knew that once that happened, the sparks were sure to fly between them. Uncle Sev would be so happy to be in love, of that there was no doubt in her mind.

She just hoped he wasn't so much in love with her mum that he couldn't have eyes for another. Teecie had always known that Uncle Sev had been in love with Adriana. She could tell by the way he looked at her mother when he thought nobody else was watching. He had a sad expression that showed on his face only for a few seconds before sighing and returning to his normal stern look.

Sometimes, Teecie couldn't help but wonder what exactly had gone on between her mother and Uncle Sev. She wondered if they'd ever kissed or made love. That thought made her uncomfortable, for she could never imagine Adriana making love to any man except Lucius. Her mother was a faithful woman, and would never have strayed from Lucius. And Uncle Sev was an honourable man who would never ask Adriana to cheat, even though he'd never liked Lucius. It was because of this integrity that Teecie thought he deserved to have love in his life. He wasn't an easy man to get along with, and he always had to have things done a certain way, but he was a good man, and for that reason alone, Teecie did her part in helping him out where he needed it.

Narcissa was a woman who'd lived a hard life at the hands of Teecie's father, and that is why she chose to help her. Lucius and Narcissa never spoke to one another, or saw one another. This was for the best, but it had to leave Narcissa feeling as though she had a lot of unfinished business with her husband. Perhaps learning to love again and focusing that love on a kind man would help her to feel completed. This was a great opportunity for both Narcissa and Uncle Sev to move on with their lives.

A few days later, during dinner, Teecie received Narcissa's response:

Dear Miss Orendes,

Professor Snape and your brother are both quite wise in this matter. Draco has told me about the provisions he and the headmaster discussed in relation to your sister. I was married at far too early an age, and as such I never finished school. I deeply regret it, and hope that the provisions that your professors have put in place will keep your sister from considering something similar.

I am sorry that you have had a difficult time lately. I hope when this girl bothered you, that you at least took your problems to your brother. I know that he wishes to be there for you as much as possible. Even more so now that he has failed your two other sisters.

I take it that the potion's effects were irreversible? I should hope that your brother, at least, would try some counter-charms to diminish the problem. If you wish, I could send you some silk scarves to cover your hair until it grows out.

I will endeavour to meet your sweetheart at another time, perhaps. It has been a great deal of time, after all, since I saw my niece. Perhaps I could invite her to bring her sons to meet me. I would like to see what has become of the family line, after all.

I believe that I might be able to come up to the school on Valentine's Day. After all, it would be nice to see the place where my son spends so much of his time. Perhaps you and I could visit Gladrags, and I might buy you a birthday present. Feel free to make arrangements for this with Draco, as I am certain he would like to accompany us.

Fondly,

Narcissa Malfoy

Teecie was overjoyed at this acceptance and raced off immediately to Draco's office to talk to him about it. "She wants to come and meet me on my birthday! She wants you to come too! Don't you think that'll be loads of fun?" she cried excitedly.

Draco smiled and nodded his head. "It will be quite interesting if nothing else," he replied. "Why don't you write to her and let her know the time and location for us all to meet? I'll make sure I'm available whenever you need me to be."

Teecie kissed her brother's cheek before running out of the room and writing a letter to Narcissa.

Dear Mrs. Malfoy,

I'm so looking forward to meeting you! Can you be at the Three Broomsticks at ten in the morning? We can have nice hot Butterbeer before going off shopping together. You could even come to lunch with me at Madam Puddifoot's Tea Room too. Draco says he'll come with me and stay with us also. I can't wait!

Love,  
Ticia

Now it was time to put all her plans into action. Everybody had been informed of the parts they were to play in this, so now it was just time to activate it. Teecie fell asleep that night feeling satisfied and excited for her birthday next month. Something good was sure to come of that day.


	59. Operation Luv

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. It's fun to write all the plots within the plot. This chapter should be quite fun for you to read, because it's the beginning of a lot of things to come for the True Revenge series as a whole. I had to have James dye his hair to match, he's just so devoted to Teecie that it was the natural thing for him to do. Though, we'll have to see how long that lasts…

Anyway, this is going to be my last post until the end of the month. ElfFlame and I are up to our eyeballs in Christmas cookie baking and we don't have the time to edit my chapters. I'm still writing them, but they'll just sit until we have time to go over them. However, if you want something fun to read in the meantime, ElfFlame and I have co-written a Marauder Era story that is currently being posted here, under her name, so check out her bio. It's called The Maraudeteers, and tells about a trip to Disneyland that the four boys made in the summer before their seventh year at Hogwarts. It was a ton of fun to write, and we'd love to hear what you think of it! So, happy holidays, and enjoy the chapter!

Operation Luv

Teecie had never felt more excited for her birthday in her life. It was going to be the start of many new things, not just for her, but for the people she cared about as well.

Narcissa had written back to say she'd make a plan of meeting Teecie at the specified time and location. Draco had agreed as well. Now the rest was up to Teecie.

She had spent days planning all of this out. She made contingency plans for every possible emergency or unplanned event she could come up with.

This was one of the times she'd been grateful for her bodyguard business that had faded into oblivion after Lisette had left last year. There were plenty of favours she was still owed though, and Teecie had now qualms with cashing some of them in.

Zeren and Rey had been recruited to help in the most delicate and important part of the plan. The Fencing club would be meeting the night before Valentine's Day, and Zeren would be challenging Rey to a duel for the next morning, at the same time that Draco was to be escorting Teecie into Hogsmeade. Zeren would insist that Draco officiate; as head of Slytherin house, it was his solemn and sacred duty to do so. Draco's sense of honour and tradition would compel him to agree to this, to which Teecie would be visibly disappointed. Draco, upon seeing his sister's tears and obvious distress, would turn to the co-leader of the club, one Severus Snape, and kindly ask him to escort Teecie to Hogsmeade in his stead. Teecie would wax poetic about Narcissa as she and Uncle Sev walked to the Three Broomsticks. She would stay with the two through the day, though making sure to keep her distance and run off every once in a while to give them some privacy.

The big moment would come with tea at Madam Puddifoot's. Teecie had something very special planned that she'd written to Madam Puddifoot to help with. It was sure to please both Uncle Sev and Narcissa.

Teecie had never been so proud of her planning abilities before. As she fell asleep one night, she couldn't help but wonder if Narcissa would allow her to be a bridesmaid at her wedding.

The next few weeks dragged by slowly. It seemed as though Valentine's Day would never arrive. Finally though, the week before Valentine's Day came. Teecie made sure to run through the plans with everybody involved with them. Zeren and Rey knew their parts very well, and convinced her to stop worrying about it.

The afternoon before the Fencing Club meeting, Draco called Teecie into his office. "I took the liberty of ordering some clothes for you to wear to meet my mother tomorrow. None of the clothes you own is quite…proper enough to meet a woman of such high class. Why don't you try them on and see what you think?" he said to her while holding out a bag for Teecie to take back to her dormitory.

Teecie carried the bag of clothes to her room where Paige helped her try them on. It took about ten minutes to put on all the clothes Draco had purchased for her. Paige stood to the side as Teecie looked at herself in the mirror. She wore a long dark green dress that went from her neck all the way down to her ankles. Small silver buttons adorned the bodice from the top of the neck all the way down to her waist. Teecie wore black stockings and black slippers on her feet and on her hands were light silver coloured lace gloves.

Neither girl seemed capable of speech at this point in time, so it was up to the mirror to offer its opinion. "You look just lovely, dear, though it seems a bit more Slytherin then you tend to dress normally," it said enthusiastically.

"I'm hideous! I can't go out like this," Teecie cried.

"It just needs some work. We can fix this, I promise," Paige said.

"But Draco wants to see this now!"

"Then go show him and we'll fix it after. He's not going to show up tomorrow anyway, right?"

Teecie thought about this for a moment. "You're right. You're a genius Paige!" With that, she ran down to show her brother the outfit he'd purchased for her.

"Oh, Ticia, my mother is going to just love you!" Draco raved as he looked her up and down. "That colour just suits you perfectly. You look like a proper lady now."

Teecie forced a smile onto her face. "I'm glad you like it," she replied stiffly.

The two spent a while talking about how Teecie was to behave tomorrow before Draco sent her back off to her dormitory before dinner.

Paige and Teecie worked frantically through dinner. The first thing that went was the long hem. Paige shortened it to just above Teecie's knees. "But it's still so long!" she'd complained.

"Mrs. Malfoy wants to see that you're a proper lady. This is as short as it should go," Paige replied while moving her wand to Teecie's neck and lowering the material there to give it a nice vee-neck but without showing too much skin. Next came shortening the sleeves to just under her shoulders. The gloves were discarded as well. "It's already form-fitting, so we don't have to fix that. And I think the stockings and shoes fit well enough that we don't need to change them," she'd said while giving Teecie a once over to see if she'd missed anything.

"This looks so much better! Thank you Paige!" Teecie cried before hugging her. It took much less time to take this outfit off than it had to put on the original. When she'd changed into her regular clothes, it was time to go to the Fencing Club meeting.

Paige gave Teecie a hug when she'd expressed her anxiety over what was to come over the next couple days. "You'll do just fine and everything will turn out all right. The Headmaster deserves to have somebody to love him. I can tell how lonely he is too, so this is the right thing to do. You have my total support," she said to help give Teecie the confidence she needed to through with the plans.

"Thanks," Teecie replied before leaving for the club meeting.

The meeting went well. Teecie paired off with Patty and they each won a round during the evening. She was starting to feel nervous again by the end of the meeting. Almost like clockwork though, about ten minutes before the meeting was to be dismissed, Zeren and Rey went up against each other. Teecie watched in silence as they thrust and parried their way across the floor. They both fought well, but finally, Rey won the match.

Zeren refused to shake Rey's hand, and the two were soon bickering. "You only won because you cheated!" Zeren finally said in a loud voice.

Rey looked indignant, marched up to Zeren and said in an equally loud voice, "Travers, I take offense at that. You have offended my honour and I must be avenged. I challenge you to a duel, tomorrow morning ten o'clock sharp! Professor Black," he said, turning to look at Draco, "As head of our house it is your duty to officiate over this duel. Can I count on you sir?"

Draco hadn't been expecting this at all. It was his duty to oversee events such as duels and challenges between the students of his house. "Yes Mr. Travers, I will oversee the duel tomorrow," he finally replied.

Now it was Teecie's turn. She quietly stepped forward to Draco, with a look of concern on her face. "But Draco…er, Professor Black, you were going to escort me to Hogsmeade tomorrow. Please don't say I can't go now! It'll ruin my birthday if you do!" She whipped up a few tears just to make it look authentic.

Draco looked down at his sister. He'd forgotten about taking her to meet his mother the next day. They were supposed to meet in Hogsmeade at the same time as the duel would be taking place. Teecie couldn't go to meet Narcissa without an adult to escort her, it wouldn't be proper. "Ticia…I…have to do this," he replied.

Teecie's lower lip began to tremble as James walked up from behind her and put his arm around her. "But I wanted to spend my birthday with your mother," she cried.

Draco sighed and tried to think of a way out of this predicament. He looked around the room and saw Snape standing on the other end of the crowd of students, watching the events unfold. "Headmaster," he began slowly, "I know this is asking a lot of you, but would you mind doing me a favour by escorting Miss Orendes to Hogsmeade tomorrow?"

Uncle Sev looked at Draco and Teecie for a moment before responding. Teecie bit her lip as she waited for his answer. Her heart pounded nervously. This was it, the moment she'd been waiting for. "Miss Orendes doesn't deserve to have her birthday spoiled because of your faulty memory, Professor Black. Consider it my gift to her," he said smoothly.

Teecie breathed a sigh of relief. Step one had been successfully completed. Once she'd regained her composure, she walked up to Uncle Sev and gave him a small hug, even though she knew he'd hate it. "Thank you Headmaster," she whispered while smiling up at his face.

Snape cleared his throat loudly before gently pushing her away from him. "There now, off you go. All of you, to your dormitories, quickly now," he called out dismissing the students.

Teecie ran out of the room, hand-in-hand with James and spent an hour snogging with him behind the curtain outside the fourth year boy's dormitory before parting for the night.

The next morning, Teecie woke up early, excited for the big day ahead. It wasn't until she'd sat down to breakfast and was forced to stand on the Gryffindor table while her house sang to her that she remembered it was her birthday. Fifteen years old, Teecie couldn't believe how old she was getting. She'd be an adult in another two years.

As she sat down to eat, Teecie took stock of what had happened in the last year. One year ago to the day, she'd lost her virginity, and had recently been brave enough to tell her parents about it. She'd dealt with the fear of an engagement to a boy she wasn't in love with as a result of sleeping with him. She'd made peace with her family after a hellish year full of pain and anguish over the truth of her father's past. James had reunited with her, and she'd finally admitted of her love for him. Teecie realized she'd grown up a lot in the last year. She couldn't help but wonder how much more she'd grow up in the next year.

Once she'd finished eating and contemplating her life, it was time to dress for the long day ahead. It didn't take too long for her to get ready to her satisfaction, and within fifteen minutes, she was outside Uncle Sev's office, waiting for him to join her.

Uncle Sev met Teecie at half past nine. He stared at her outfit for a full minute before speaking. "You cannot meet Draco's mother in that outfit. It is highly inappropriate," he said firmly while taking his wand out and beginning to alter the clothes.

"But Uncle Sev, this looks good!" Teecie cried indignantly as Snape changed the dress back to its original state. She sighed sadly while looking down at the long dress that reached from her neck all the way down to her toes.

"There, you look much more like a proper young lady now," Snape said in a satisfied voice before putting his wand back in his robes and holding his arm out for Teecie to take.

Teecie sighed again before taking his arm and walking down the stairs and out of the school with him. They walked in silence until they'd left the school grounds and were on the road to Hogsmeade. "So, do you know Mrs. Malfoy well at all? Is there any advice you can give me before we meet her?" she asked politely, keeping her head looking straight forward.

Snape cleared his throat while thinking of what to say to her. "Always be polite and respectful. Only speak when spoken to, otherwise you are to sit and remain silent. She will most likely ask after your family. I suggest you keep the discussion to yourself and your sisters. Mention of either of your parents won't go over well with her, I can assure you," he replied, looking forward as well.

"Have you ever met her before?"

"Yes."

"Did you like her?"

Snape was silent for a minute before answering. "Yes."

"That's good to know. If you liked her, she must be a good person," Teecie replied while daring to glance up at Uncle Sev. He was still looking forward and she couldn't see the look on his face.

Teecie remained silent after that. When they were a few minutes away from Hogsmeade, she looked up at Snape again. "Uncle Sev?"

Snape looked down at her. "Yes?"

"Thank you for taking me today," Teecie said quietly.

Snape patted the hand that was resting on his arm. "You're welcome. Happy birthday," he replied just as quietly.

Within minutes, the two were stepping into the Three Broomsticks and looking for Narcissa. It took a few seconds to look through the crowd of students to find an older woman sitting in a booth. Her likeness to Draco made Teecie feel certain that she was the right person, and started walking towards her.

Teecie smiled as she approached Narcissa, who'd noticed her and smiled politely at her. "Mrs. Malfoy, how wonderful to finally meet you," Teecie said before curtseying and sitting down across from her.

Narcissa raised her eyebrows as Teecie scooted down to allow Snape to sit down next to her. "It is good to meet you as well, Miss Orendes," she replied drolly, "And Headmaster, what brings you here today? Where is my son?" she asked.

"Professor Black was called away on school business and asked me to come in his stead," Snape explained politely. "I hope this will not be too much of an inconvenience for you."

Narcissa's lips drew taut as she appeared to think about it. "No, of course not, Headmaster. I just was not expecting it," she replied while holding her hand out for him to kiss.

Snape took her hand in his, raised it to his lips, and gently kissed it. "Mrs. Malfoy, it has been a long time," he said in greeting to her.

Teecie looked over her shoulder to try and find something else to look at. She wanted to give the two of them as much privacy as possible. There were already three mugs of hot Butterbeer at the table, so she picked one up and began to sip it quietly.

After a minute, Narcissa turned her attention back to Teecie. "Miss Orendes, I hope your birthday has gone well thus far," she said curtly.

"Yes ma'am, when I went down to breakfast this morning, everybody sang to me! I haven't gotten any birthday presents yet, but they're all supposed to come tonight," Teecie replied politely.

"That's good, dear," she replied, "though it's a shame that your family didn't send your presents already."

The two made polite small talk, discussing the weather and other trivial matters while drinking their Butterbeer. Narcissa managed to criticize almost everything Teecie or Uncle Sev did. "Miss Orendes, a proper lady does not fidget at the table, but sits perfectly still," she said when Teecie had glanced over her shoulder to see if any of her friends had come into the pub. "Miss Orendes, I would expect that you'd have been raised to have better manners than to keep your elbows on the table," she'd harped on Teecie for accidentally forgetting that very important rule. "Miss Orendes, a properly raised young woman knows when she is to stay silent," she'd admonished when Teecie had sneezed quietly into her napkin.

Uncle Sev didn't speak much, unless Narcissa directed a question towards him, but sat drinking his Butterbeer as well and looking very uncomfortable at the same time. He'd listened to Narcissa nit-pick everything Teecie did, and couldn't help but feel sympathetic for her. Teecie would never be able to live up to Narcissa's standards, and it was quite unfair to expect her to. She'd never been raised with such rigid rules and regulations, and Narcissa knew that. "Come now, Mrs. Malfoy, Ticia is behaving quite properly. Her brother has done a good job helping her in that area of her life," he said before taking a sip of Butterbeer, knowing he was going to pay for speaking up.

"Oh, I suppose she's acting properly by your standards, Severus," Narcissa replied, glaring at Snape. "I wouldn't expect a bachelor who never attends any social events to have high standards. Miss Orendes would benefit greatly from attending a finishing school for young ladies. Perhaps I should mention this to Draco," she said coolly.

Teecie couldn't help but wonder what sorts of things girls learned in a finishing school. Perhaps it was things like how to be a good wife. Maybe girls were taught sexual techniques in which to please their husbands. Maybe they even had practice sessions with boys. They'd be graded on whether the boy enjoyed the experience or not. She wondered why Draco would ever want to send her to a school that would allow her to have sex with lots of boys for grades. But, maybe it would be an interesting experience.

After an hour, everybody was ready for some shopping. Narcissa led the way to Gladrags. Two house elves followed behind the group. Apparently Narcissa didn't go anywhere without at least one house elf to carry her purchases. "Now, Miss Orendes, we must find an outfit for me to buy for you as a gift," she commanded upon arrival. She walked to a rack of clothes and began to rifle through them for something for Teecie to try on.

Within five minutes, Teecie had an entire armful of clothes, all of them some shade of green or silver, to try on. She took her time trying each of them on before parading in front of Narcissa and Uncle Sev, who sat next to one another in armchairs.

Teecie tried on several outfits, but Narcissa didn't approve of any of them. "No, I'm afraid that colour green clashes with your hair," she said when Teecie tried on a light green evening dress.

"No, I'm afraid that collar is far too revealing for a young lady your age," Narcissa said when Teecie tried on a green vee-necked jumper.

After several more failed attempts, Teecie slipped into a pale silver evening gown with green lace accents on the wrists, collar, and waistline. It was the most elegant outfit she'd ever worn before.

"Oh, my, now that is a most becoming ensemble," Narcissa said approvingly when she saw the outfit.

Teecie grinned. "Headmaster, what do you think?" she asked while turning around for him to see the outfit from all sides.

Snape looked at the dress for a few seconds before responding. "I think you look beautiful," he finally said, taken aback at how mature the dress made her look.

Teecie smiled again. "Thank you, Headmaster," she replied before turning to Narcissa. "I think this is the most beautiful dress in the whole world!" she exclaimed while twirling around excitedly.

"Miss Orendes, please try to contain yourself. You are far too excitable. It is quite improper to behave this way in public," Narcissa replied sharply. "I agree though, that the dress does look very good on you. I shall buy this for you, as your birthday gift. I'm sure it's far more extravagant than anything you will receive from your family," she said while standing up and walking to the counter to buy the dress.

Teecie couldn't contain the squeal as she ran to change back into her normal clothes so the clerk could wrap up the new dress for her.

Once they were back on the street and wandering in and out of the other shops, Teecie made sure to thank Narcissa several times. "It could be my wedding dress some day!" she exclaimed as they walked past Honeydukes.

"It is the height of fashion now to not wear white on one's wedding day, so that would be a wonderful choice," Narcissa agreed.

After another hour of shopping, it was time for tea at Madam Puddifoot's. Teecie led the way while feeling nervous again over the next step that was to take place soon.

Teecie was going to open the door for Narcissa and Uncle Sev, but Snape stepped ahead of her and held the door open, like a proper gentleman. Teecie and Narcissa entered the tea room and looked around. There were tacky red hearts floating around the ceiling and violin music playing from somewhere Teecie couldn't determine.

The group was led to a small table where they sat and looked at the menu. Before their orders were taken though, Teecie jumped up. "Oh! I almost forgot something! I have to get something important from Honeydukes before they run out. You two stay here, I'll be back in a while, OK?" she asked hurriedly before running back out the door and meandering down to the sweet shop.

James was waiting for her inside, and kissed her in greeting. "How's everything going so far?" he asked.

"Pretty good I think, though she's really hard to please. I just hope they'll hit it off," she replied while entwining her fingers through his and walking through the store. The two found a quiet corner in the back and spent the next half hour snogging.

Finally, it was time Teecie went back to Madam Puddifoot's to see how the couple was doing. She bought a large bag of licorice wheels and a pound of dark chocolate fudge before leaving and wandering back to the tea room.

Narcissa and Uncle Sev were speaking quietly together when Teecie sat down across from them.

"So nice of you to join us," Uncle Sev said while sipping on his tea. "I was beginning to get worried."

"I'm sorry, but I had to get presents for you two," Teecie replied while setting the packages in front of them.

Narcissa opened the package to see the fudge and smiled briefly. "My favourite, thank you Miss Orendes," she said curtly.

"My favourite as well," Uncle Sev replied while opening his bag of licorice wheels. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Teecie replied while pouring herself a cup of tea. "So, did I miss anything important?" she asked while putting a few finger sandwiches on her plate.

"Miss Orendes, it is quite impolite for you to speak unless spoken to. And it is the height of rudeness to run off as you did. I am your guest, and the Headmaster here took precious time out of his day in which to escort you to see me. You should be more grateful than to treat us so abominably," Narcissa replied with a look on her face that clearly expressed her displeasure.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Malfoy. I thought that since the Headmaster would be here with you, that it would be all right. Can you ever forgive me?" Teecie clasped her hands together and looked imploringly up at Narcissa.

Narcissa sniffed. "I will overlook it this once. I must always remember that you never received a proper upbringing. I really must talk to Draco about that finishing school," she said before taking a bite of a green and silver fondant-covered petit four.

Uncle Sev watched as Teecie looked at the food on the table. He picked up the silver tray of petit fours and held them out to Teecie. "Miss Orendes, care for a sweet? They came with compliments from Madam Puddifoot herself," he said pointedly.

"Oh? Well, wasn't that nice of her," Teecie replied while gingerly picking one up and depositing it on her plate. Did Uncle Sev suspect something? She sure hoped not. "It sure sounds as though you two have had a pleasant tea so far," she said while eating one of the finger sandwiches.

Neither of the adults responded, so Teecie continued to eat the rest of the food on her plate.

When the meal was over, Uncle Sev stood up. "Well, Mrs. Malfoy, it has been a most pleasurable day, but I must get Miss Orendes back up to the school," he said while holding out his hand to help Teecie to her feet. "Would you care to join us? Draco should be available to see you now, if you wish," he said, turning to hold his hand out to Narcissa.

"Thank you, but I must return to my home now. I'll see Draco another time. Perhaps Miss Orendes could accompany him," she replied while taking Snape's hand and standing up.

"Then let us escort you as far as the Three Broomsticks," Snape offered while paying the bill and moving to open the door for the ladies.

Teecie hung back with the house elves while Snape and Narcissa walked ahead. Once they'd reached the pub, the house elves handed Teecie all her packages before following Narcissa inside.

"Miss Orendes, it has been a most fascinating experience, finally meeting you. I hope you enjoy the rest of your birthday," Narcissa said before turning to Uncle Sev, "Severus, it was a pleasure to see you again," she said before turning to the fireplace to floo back to her home.

"The pleasure was all mine Mrs. Malfoy," Snape replied before turning, taking Teecie firmly by the arm, and walking out of the pub.

They were well on their way back to Hogwarts before Snape spoke again. "That was a nice touch: the Slytherin-coloured sweets at tea. Did you have Madam Puddifoot bake them for you?" he asked smoothly.

Teecie took a deep breath while quickly gathering her thoughts. "What do you mean, Uncle Sev? I don't understand," she replied innocently.

Snape stopped to glare down at her. "Don't play innocent with me, Ticia. You know damn well what I mean. You set this up, didn't you?"

"Set what up? And how would it be you I was trying to set up, if I even was? Draco was supposed to be the one taking me today, not you," Teecie replied.

Snape considered this for a minute. She couldn't have been setting them up, for it wasn't until last night that he'd even agreed to come. Something like this would have taken more time than that. "Very well, I suppose it was not a set up," he grudgingly admitted, though keeping his narrowed eyes on her while she walked next to him and looked straight ahead, not noticing him.

Once Teecie returned to the school, she ran off to find her friends. Paige, Carl, James, Zeren, and Rey were all waiting in the library for her report. "I can't tell for sure if they're in love, but I know I didn't get caught. Uncle Sev suspected me at first until I reminded him that it was supposed to be Draco taking me, not him. He seemed to buy it," she said after explaining the day in great detail.

"I hope he invites us all to the wedding," Paige said dreamily.

"We deserve it after all we went through," Zeren replied.

"Yes, tell me how the duel went," Teecie demanded excitedly.

Zeren and Rey exchanged a look before Rey responded. "We met in the Great Hall at the allotted time, and Professor Black was there already with the foils. We took our time, and it kept being a draw for over an hour before I finally beat Zeren," he said before briefly glancing at Carl, who was listening intently. "We wanted to make sure we gave you enough time so that Professor Black wouldn't try to join you. At the end of the match, after shaking hands, I started complaining of leg cramps, so Professor Black had to escort me to the Hospital Wing. He insisted on staying with me until I felt better, which I made sure didn't happen for another hour or so."

Teecie shook her head and smiled. "Thank you guys so much for your help. None of this would have been possible if you all hadn't helped me out," she replied sincerely, smiling at each one of them. "I still have to make it through the end of the night. My family is coming to spend the evening with me. My parents don't know I've been writing to Mrs. Malfoy," she explained.

"Good luck!" Zeren replied while grinning. "I'm sure you'll do fine."

Before she left, Teecie hugged everybody who'd been involved in the planning and execution of the day.

That evening, after dinner, Teecie and James walked up to the Room of Requirement, which was set up to look like Teecie's living room back home. Streamers and balloons were strewn throughout the room. Adriana smiled at the two and hugged both of them. "Ticia, I've missed you so much, and James, how nice of you to join us," she said as they walked to the sofa and sat down next to Lucius.

After Teecie hugged her father, he turned to James. "Well Mr. Lupin, I hope you have been treating my daughter well," he said sternly.

James's eyes grew wide. "Yes sir, I love her very much," he stammered in response.

Within minutes, Paul and Kali, Draco, and Uncle Sev had joined the party. Hunter was sick, so the Peter Weasleys had stayed at home, but sent their love and gifts instead.

Draco sat in an armchair across from Teecie. "So, how was Hogsmeade?" he asked while Adriana served him a cup of tea.

"It was great. I had a wonderful time," Teecie smiled, hoping any mention of Narcissa would not arise. She knew Draco remembered that her parents didn't know about the correspondence.

"Well, that's good to hear," Draco replied, smiling at her.

Teecie stood up after a minute and walked towards the kitchen to get a glass of water. Her mother had gone in there a while ago to prepare the candles for the cake.

Teecie stopped in the shadows of the doorway when she saw Uncle Sev walk in from the dining room entrance. He walked up to Adriana and kissed her cheek. "Happy Valentine's Day," he said smoothly while she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Severus," Adriana replied before reciprocating the kissed cheek.

As she turned back to continue placing the birthday candles around the cake, Uncle Sev reached out and brushed his fingertips over her dark hair. "You know, I went to Hogsmeade myself today. I happened upon Narcissa while I was there," he said slowly in a quiet voice.

"Oh really? That's nice. Did you two have fun together?" Adriana asked while smiling.

"She was her usual 'charming' self, but it was pleasant enough," he replied while moving his hand back down to her waist and coming to stand next to her.

"Well that's good. It would be nice for you to develop a friendship with her," Adriana replied while looking confused over Uncle Sev's closeness. "Um…was there something you wanted?" she asked politely.

Teecie watched as Uncle Sev looked at her mother. The look on his face made it seem like he was imagining kissing Adriana. She was glad that her mother was focusing on the cake at that moment and didn't see him.

Uncle Sev remained silent for a minute before responding. "No, not really," he whispered before bending down and kissing Adriana's cheek again and wrapping his arms around her waist briefly. After a few seconds, he stood up and moved away in silence. Quickly, Uncle Sev walked back out of the kitchen, back through the dining room, so he never noticed Teecie's presence.

Teecie quickly turned and walked back out to the living room. She was unsure of what she had just witnessed, but thought it might have stemmed from this meeting with Narcissa earlier that day. Maybe it had all backfired. Maybe spending time with Narcissa had made him fall even more in love with Adriana. Maybe he was going to try and steal her away from Lucius. Maybe all of this had been a horrible idea to attempt.

That evening, during the singing, eating, present opening, and talking, Teecie kept a close eye on Uncle Sev. He seemed lost in though, and whenever he looked towards Adriana, that wistful look Teecie was so used to seeing on his face was absent. A few times, he glanced over at Draco and Lucius with a calculating look on his face. Teecie couldn't help but wonder what that meant, though she couldn't exactly ask him.

Adriana sat next to James and Paul, chatting happily with them. She smiled while telling funny and embarrassing stories about Teecie's childhood. "One time, when she was about two, Ticia found a bottle of honey left out on the kitchen table. I came into the room to see her covered head to toe in honey. She was busy licking her hands and didn't notice me lifting her up and floating her into the bathtub. She was such a cute baby," Adriana said wistfully before reaching out and caressing her daughter's cheek.

"She was cute, but difficult," Uncle Sev added, "But you've truly matured into a wonderful young woman." It was the greatest compliment Teecie had ever received from him.

As the party ended, and the guests left, Uncle Sev pulled Teecie aside. "I just wanted you to know that I thoroughly enjoyed myself today," he said quietly. "I think you handled yourself very well around Mrs. Malfoy and you should be proud of yourself."

Teecie felt uplifted after that. Her doubts over whether she'd done the right thing or not began to dissipate. Perhaps there was hope for him and Narcissa.

When the guests had all left, Teecie and James lingered in the Room of Requirement alone. They sat back down on the sofa and snogged for a while. James remembered what Teecie had done for him on his birthday a month ago, and wanted to do something similar for her.

James slowly sat up and made sure Teecie was watching as he slowly, teasingly took his shirt off and threw it on the floor. He smiled wickedly at her. "It's only fair that I do the same for you as you did for me on my birthday," he explained while leaning back on the sofa.

Teecie giggled at the sight. He was posed so seductively that she couldn't help but play along. "Oh, James," she sighed before lying down on top of him. "You're so sexy," she growled while running her hands up and down his bare chest.

"I knew that!" he chuckled. Teecie smiled and pressed her lips to his. They kissed for a long time, James running his hands over Teecie's hair and face before moving them down under her blouse to cup her breasts.

The two continued kissing intensely while James moved his hands around her back and attempted to unclasp her bra. After a minute of unsuccessful fumbling, Teecie pulled away from James and sat back up. "What? What's the matter?" he asked, looking slightly hurt.

"I…we…can't go any further tonight," Teecie stammered, blushing furiously.

"Why not? We're in love, aren't we? And we're way older now than the first time we were going out. I understand why we shouldn't have done it then, we were way too young then, but we're older now. Don't you think we're ready?" James asked while frowning.

"Sex is such a big step, James," Teecie replied slowly.

"I know it is. But I know I'm ready, and I want my first time to be with you," he whispered, taking her hand in his. "Don't you want your first time to be with me?"

Teecie sighed and felt her heart drop. She knew she'd have to tell James some time about Owen, but had hoped it could have waited for another day. Any other day but this one. "James, it's late, and I don't want to miss curfew," Teecie replied, removing her hand from his grip and standing up to leave.

"But you didn't answer my question," James replied while standing up to retrieve his shirt.

"We need to go now," she replied before turning and running out of the room.

James walked to his dormitory that night wondering why Teecie had refused to answer his question. He decided he'd have to keep asking until he got an answer.

Teecie had trouble falling asleep that night. It seemed as though fifteen was going to be a rough year, and it had only just begun.


	60. A Job for Miss Amore

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: Yes, Narcissa and Severus got along much better than I'd expected them to. And I'm still surprised Teecie got away with it! Unfortunately, her fun can't last forever. Her past is finally catching up to her, and now she has to deal with it. This chapter is kind of a two-parter, a lot will feel glossed over, because it's all from Paige's point of view, but the next chapter will go into a lot more detail and fill in all the blanks. I had a lovely holiday, and I hope you did as well! It's good to be back!

A Job for Miss Amore

Author's Note: Some of the events in this chapter refer to events that took place in ElfFlame's story, Lost Love. It's a sweet story, so go check it out if you haven't already. All of the Weasleys, and their families, are based on that story.

Paige's life had been very busy ever since the formation of the Hogwarts Weekly Howler at the start of the school year. It seemed as though everybody wanted advice on love and dating. Her column was the most popular of the entire paper. Most of her free time was spent answering questions; she didn't have much time for herself, though she didn't really mind. Paige loved nothing better than being needed by others. Her life felt full and she was quite content.

"No, 'Just Curious,' a girl is not able to get pregnant from just kissing a boy, though sometimes kissing leads to more, so take care to-" Paige was just in the middle of answering a question for the paper, when Teecie walked into the room and threw herself down on her bed. She'd been moping around ever since her birthday a month and a half ago, but hadn't told Paige why.

Paige set her quill down and stood up to walk over to Teecie. She sat down at the edge of her bed and looked down at her. "Teecie, why are you crying?" she asked the sobbing girl.

"Oh Paige, my life is ruined," Teecie cried into her pillow.

"What happened?" Paige asked while rubbing Teecie's back comfortingly.

"I told James something that really upset him and now I think he wants to break up with me," she sobbed.

"Oh, Teecie, darling, that's terrible. Do you want to tell me about it?"

Teecie only continued to cry, unwilling to explain any further. Paige sat there for another minute before returning to her desk and picking her quill back up. Just as soon as she'd put the tip of the quill back to the paper, Teecie called out to her. "I told him I wasn't a virgin."

Paige dropped the quill on the floor and tipped over her chair in the scramble to run back to Teecie's bed. "What?" she asked incredulously while sitting next to Teecie. "When did you have sex?" she asked, whispering the last word.

"Last year, on my birthday," Teecie replied.

"But you were just fourteen then. That's way too young," Paige cried.

"I know that now, but at the time it made sense. I was going through a lot of stuff last year," Teecie replied, hugging her knees to her chest.

"What sorts of stuff?"

"Remember when Kali and I ran away last year?" Teecie asked. She continued when Paige nodded her head. "We had just found out some really bad stuff about our family. My father used to be a Death Eater, like a really important, high up one. We found all these pictures of him in the papers, and saw some of the things he'd done. It was awful," Teecie said in a quiet voice, tears spilling down her cheeks from the memories that seemed very fresh in her mind. "And nobody ever told us. My parents just lied to us our whole lives and made us think they were good people, not monsters. Kali and I were so hurt and scared and that's why we ran away. It took that whole year to get through it all."

"And how did the sex come about?" Paige asked quietly.

"Owen, one of the boys I met at the party Draco gave me, really liked me and I liked him. We started writing letters to each other. James had already broken up with me and was going out with Candace. The letters were really steamy, really descriptive. Anyway, on my birthday, I saw Candace and James snogging in the hallway before they left for Hogsmeade. I wasn't allowed to go that day and I was already upset. I ran off to town anyway and flooed to Beauxbatons where Owen goes to school. We kissed, and one thing led to another, and we ended up sleeping together. Draco and Uncle Sev caught us in the middle of it though. It was humiliating," Teecie explained while blushing furiously at the thought. "I've never slept with another boy since. I'd hoped James would be my next and last, but now it seems as though he'll be my never," she said, beginning to sob once again.

"Oh, Teecie, you poor darling!" Paige cried while wrapping her arms around Teecie's shoulders. "What did James do when you told him?"

"He just kept asking me when I'd be willing to sleep with him and if I wanted him to be my first, so I had to tell him. I tried to explain what had led up to it and why I felt like I'd needed to do it, but he didn't listen to me. He got quiet and his face turned red. Then he stood up and began to pace around the floor. Then he turned to me and said, 'How could you do something so cheap? I missed you while I went out with Candace and never slept with her.' He shook his head and looked disappointed in me. Then he walked out of the room," Teecie said, still sobbing.

Paige felt horrible for Teecie. She'd heard rumours of Mr. Malfoy's past, but had never thought it was any of her business. How terrible to find out such awful things about your own father, especially when he was such a nice person now. It would make you rethink the way you saw the entire world and your whole life up to that point. Teecie must have been in absolute agony last year, if not still.

Paige began to think of James. He was being selfish for saying such things to Teecie and treating her as he had. She decided something had to be done about him, and it was her duty, as Miss Amore, to help. Teecie and James made such a great couple, and couldn't break up over this; they just couldn't!

She studied the two over the next few days. James avoided Teecie as much as he could while Teecie sat alone in all her classes. Every once in a while, they'd make eye contact, looking wistfully at one another before looking away again.

One evening, after dinner, Paige tracked James down in the library while he worked on an essay for their Charms class. She sat down across from him and waited for him to greet her. When he never did, she took the initiative. "James is everything all right?" she asked innocently. She wanted to hear his side of the story and accusing him from the start wasn't the best way to do that.

James set his quill down and looked at Paige. He seemed unsure of what to say to her. "Teecie and I had a row," he said quietly after a minute.

"Oh? Would you like to tell me about it?" Paige asked, patting his hand encouragingly.

James sighed and looked at the table. "She told me something about her past that I don't think I can get over," he said, trying not to give away any details.

Paige patted his hand again. "I must confess, Teecie told me what happened. She told me about her birthday last year too," she said quietly.

James looked up at Paige. "How can I accept what she did?" he asked.

"James, nobody's perfect. People deserve to be forgiven for the mistakes they've made, especially when they learned from them and didn't do them again. And besides, Teecie didn't do this _to_ you at all. There's really nothing to forgive. You just have to learn to accept it about her."

"But it's still weird. I just don't like the idea of her being with other boys."

"You were with another girl for over a year. Is that really so different?"

"Yes, because I didn't sleep with her. I wanted Teecie and me to sleep together for our first time. Now that's ruined."

"It will still be your first time together. Don't forget that." Paige couldn't really believe she was having such a frank conversation about sex with a boy. It was a bit scandalous to think about.

"I think the boy should be the one to have sex first," James blurted out.

Paige's eyes grew wide and she put her hands on her hips. "James Lupin, I am shocked! I thought you were more mature than that. That isn't the way the world works! I can't believe you're being such a guy about this!" she whispered fiercely, frowning.

"I am a guy!" James hissed.

"I didn't mean that was a good thing! You're just being a jerk about this," Paige said, losing her temper, which didn't happen too often. "I normally try to see both sides of the story, but I'm taking a stand on this. Teecie is all right, and you're all wrong! I'm done talking to you," Paige whispered furiously before standing up and walking off in a huff.

Teecie was lying on her bed, staring listlessly up at the ceiling when Paige returned to the dormitory. Teecie had charmed her radio to play depressing music over and over again. She was listening to a song entitled, "The Sound of Silence," for the tenth time when Paige finally asked her politely to turn the music off.

"The music is just so deep and full of meaning," Teecie sighed while turning the music off. "No wonder Reni loves it so much." Teecie started to pet Rose, who sat next to her on the bed.

Paige rolled her eyes. She hoped James would get over his hang-ups and get back together with Teecie soon. She didn't know how much of Teecie's moodiness she could take.

The next couple weeks passed almost normally. Paige went about her life as usual, attending classes and club meetings, and giving advice for the newspaper. Sometimes it was difficult being in such high demand. She was constantly inundated with owls when she should be doing her homework, and she felt compelled to answer them as quickly as possible so the questioner didn't have to wait too long for a response.

Paige sat at her desk, interrupted from her Charms homework by an owl asking her how to get a girl this boy liked to kiss him. He said he had no desire to date her, just wanted to kiss her. She turned to look at Teecie for a minute, wondering how people could ever want such things. Teecie had done her share of snogging merely for the pleasure of it, with no want to have an actual relationship with whomever she was kissing. Maybe she should run this question past her first, since Teecie was the resident expert on such issues. Paige immediately felt guilty over this uncharitable thought towards Teecie. She made herself turn back to her homework in order to get that thought out of her mind.

As time passed, Paige still felt loyal towards Teecie, and for that, she snubbed James for several days. He acted like he was miserable, which, she thought, he deserved.

Teecie was just as miserable, and began acting up in some of her classes as a result. Paige sighed when she started talking back to Aunt Hermione, which landed Teecie with an evening of detention with her. Surprisingly though, Teecie came back that evening in much better spirits. "I apologized to Professor Weasley and explained what happened. We spent the rest of the time talking about it. She remembers what it's like to be tortured by the one you love. I never knew her life was so full of tragedy," she sighed while picking Rose up and hugging her. "It was sort of like Romeo and Juliet, only not really," she continued while lying down across her bed.

Paige knew well the story of her Aunt Hermione and how Uncle Ron had run off when they'd left school. Uncle Ron could be a bit pigheaded at times, and she was instantly reminded of James and how he'd been acting lately.

A few days later, James approached her in the common room, late one evening. "Won't you please go get her for me? I really have to speak to her," he begged.

He sounded desperate, but Paige wasn't sure whether Teecie was ready to, or even wanted talk with him. She'd politely refused to go get Teecie. James was obviously upset, and stormed angrily out of the room.

Later on that same night, she'd been lying in bed, reading a book when Patty walked to the window and told Teecie there was somebody there for her. Paige sat up and watched as Teecie came to the window and grew excited. Within minutes, Teecie had a coat on, and climbed out the window. She flew off with James, telling Paige and Patty not to wait up for her.

Paige, of course, did wait up for her, fretting the entire time. What if they got in trouble for this? What if they were still outside and froze to death? What if they slept together and Teecie got pregnant? There were too many what-ifs running through her mind to sleep. She spent a lot of time that night pacing the floor.

All the while though, she couldn't help but think of how romantic it was that James had apologized and taken the blame for the fight. Paige sighed as she wondered if a boy would ever fly to her window late one night.

Paige had finally managed to fall asleep a few hours before Teecie crept into their dormitory. As she slipped into her bed, Paige's eyes flew open, and she ran across the room in a flash. "Teecie, what happened?" she whispered fiercely while jumping onto her bed and settling down at the foot.

"We flew around for a while before going back to his room. We talked most of the night before falling asleep," Teecie explained quietly.

"Did you two…?" Paige asked cautiously.

"No, we didn't. You don't have to worry about that either, because we decided to wait until my birthday next year to sleep together," she said.

"Oh Teecie, that's so utterly romantic!" Paige squealed.

"I know, that's what I said to James when he suggested it."

"It was his idea? That's even more romantic!"

"I know. He's really quite sweet, when he's not upset about stupid stuff, that is. I love him so much!"

Patty was awake by now, and joined the other two girls on Teecie's bed. When she heard what James had suggested, she scoffed. "I told Daniel, I'll tell him when we're going to have sex, and he'd better not ask me about it, or it'll never happen," she said. "You have to be firm with boys most of the time. But if you train them enough, they'll be fine, usually." Patty seemed as though she enjoyed sounding knowledgeable about love and boys.

The girls were late for breakfast that day, and continued to chatter while they ate their bacon and eggs. Paige kept looking at Carl, who seemed lonely as he ate a waffle in the corner of the table. "You know what? I think Carl's depressed," she whispered during a lull in the chatter.

"He and Rey broke up," Teecie explained, "But don't tell anybody I said that."

Paige already knew this, and sat in silence for the rest of the meal, thinking about what to do about it. It seemed to her, that this was another job for Miss Amore. Rey and Carl were another great couple, though a secret one. Carl had told her before how Rey was afraid to go public because of how his family would react, not to mention his house.

After Patty went off to watch the Quidditch practice, Paige and Teecie walked around the school and talked. "Will you help me get Rey and Carl back together again?" she asked.

"Of course! How?" Teecie asked.

"Well, I can talk to Carl no problem, but I don't know Rey too well. You used to go out with him. Will you talk to him? Try to see what happened and how we could fix it?" Paige asked.

"Sure, when should I talk to him?" Teecie asked excitedly.

"How about after tea today? You'll be with Professor Lupin and then you can go and talk to Rey. I'll try to find Carl and talk to him today too."

"All right. I hope this works!"

"I'm sure it will!" Paige replied confidently.

That afternoon, while the girls worked on homework, Teecie received a letter from Mrs. Malfoy. "She wants me to come and spend a month with her over the summer holiday. She promises that there will be lots of tea parties and shopping and maybe even a garden party or two!" Teecie explained. "Oh, and get this, she says she hoped I'm not giving Draco or Uncle Sev any trouble! She never would have mentioned Uncle Sev before! I think she's in love with him!" Teecie cried excitedly.

"Isn't that so romantic?" Paige sighed. "She's definitely in love, but I wonder how the Headmaster feels about her. You can't just ask him. Maybe if you tell him that Mrs. Malfoy mentioned him in her letter, he'd react in a way that you could tell how he feels," Paige suggested.

"That's a great idea! I'll do that the next time I see him," Teecie replied before returning to her schoolwork.

That afternoon, while Teecie was having tea with Professor Lupin, Paige tried to hunt down Carl, and found him in the Great Hall after a half hour search through the school.

"Hello Carl," she said while sitting down next to him. "How are you today?"

Carl shrugged his shoulders sullenly. "OK, I guess," he sighed.

"Things aren't getting any better with Rey?"

Carl shook his head.

"Do you miss him?"

"Of course I miss him! I love him," Carl replied, sounding indignant.

"Do you think he misses you?"

"I'm not sure. He hangs out with Travers and his cronies now. I'd be more worried, but I know Travers is into girls. Sometimes Rey does catch my eye though, but he never speaks to me."

"Why don't you talk to him?"

"Because he doesn't want to be open about our relationship! Why should we have to tiptoe around the fact that we're in love? Do you know that in the three years we were going out, he never once said the word, 'gay?' He won't even admit it to himself! But everybody else knows, they know because of me. It's not as though I try to hide it. Rey has to know that; he has to see it. He says he's afraid of what his family would do if they found out. Well you know what? He's not the only one who's had a tough time with his family. My mother left my father, and took my sister and me with her after he tried to beat me straight one too many times. It didn't work. Rey will have to deal with that sooner or later! He's just being selfish!" Carl was raging now, rambling on about things he'd never told Paige before. She'd never known that about his family.

"But he's scared of being hurt," Paige replied weakly.

"So what? I've been scared all my life, and have had the crap kicked out of me more times than I can remember! It shouldn't be that way, but that's the way it is anyway!" Carl cried. He'd obviously held his anger in for a very long time and needed to vent.

Carl was quite upset and the meeting didn't go anywhere after that. Paige left soon afterwards and went back to her dormitory to wait for Teecie.

Once Teecie arrived, the girls discussed what had happened with the boys. "All he talked about was his duty to his family. Apparently it's very important because he's the only boy. He has to have a wife and kids I suppose, or his family will die out. At least that's what I think he meant," Teecie said, relaying the information to her friend. It seemed to Paige that Carl was too angry with Rey to talk to him, and Rey was too scared and duty-bound to his family to rebel against them. It was a difficult situation for them to be in, and made her wonder if they still cared about each other.

Neither girl could think of the next step in getting the boys back together, so they decided to sleep on it. Paige thought about the boy's predicament all night long, and still never thought of a way to bring them back together again. By the time she fell asleep that night, she made the decision to leave them alone, for the only way for those two to get back together, was to let Rey have the time he needed to grow comfortable with the idea of upsetting his family. Perhaps the time apart from Carl would make him realize what he was missing out on, and he'd decide to return to him once he missed Carl enough.

When Paige told Teecie what she'd decided as they dressed for classes the next day, both were disappointed and felt like they'd failed their friends. They'd wanted so badly to solve their problems, but it just seemed too big for them to fix.

Paige was quite upset over this, and felt ready to resign as Miss Amore over it. She'd never felt so discouraged in her life before.

One evening, several weeks later, Paige was walking down the hallway to the Great Hall. Everybody else was already inside, eating dinner, so she couldn't help but notice the two boys holding hands and whispering to one another in the corner. Carl and Rey seemed to be working on their problems.

Paige kept walking towards the Great Hall, giving the boys some privacy, when one of them called out to her. She turned to see Carl and Rey walking towards her, still holding hands. When they reached her, Rey stole a quick kiss from Carl. Carl grinned and turned to Paige. "We just wanted to thank you for your help. We've been talking ever since you and Teecie talked to us," Carl explained.

"It's going to take time, but everything is going to be all right," Rey added while looking at Carl and squeezing his hand lovingly. "Let's go to dinner," he said.

Paige stood back and watched with tears in her eyes as Rey and Carl stepped into the Great Hall together, still holding hands. She walked to the doorway and watched as they held their heads high and walked to the Gryffindor table, sitting down next to one another.

Once they'd had their moment, Paige walked to the table as well, and sat down in between Teecie and Patty. It had never felt so good to be Miss Amore before that moment. She knew this was something she could never give up doing. It was way too rewarding.


	61. When James Grew Up

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: Well, you wanted to see what happens, here it is! This is the second half of the story-line. This is James's side of the story. And I know he's a bit pig-headed, but give him time, he's young, he'll get there. I hope you enjoy it!

When James Grew Up

Teecie managed to avoid answering James's questions for about a month before he grew too insistent to ignore. One night after dinner and snogging, they finally talked about it. "Teecie, why do you keep avoiding me? All I want to know is if you want me to be your first or not. I mean, is there something wrong with me? Don't you want to sleep with me? Or is there somebody else you'd rather sleep with?" James asked, his eyes growing wide as he thought about this. He took a few steps away from Teecie and looked into her eyes.

"No, James, I only want to sleep with you," Teecie said in her most reassuring voice.

"Then what's the problem? It's not that difficult of a question, and I'm tired of waiting for an answer," he said. They stood behind the curtains of one of the windows on the fourth floor. James looked down at her suspiciously and waited for his answer.

Teecie looked into his eyes and knew she couldn't avoid it any longer. She took a deep breath, and turned around to look out the window before speaking. "Do you remember when Kali and I ran away last year?" she asked, not waiting for a response before starting again, "We had found out some very upsetting news about our father. It turns out he was one of Voldemort's top Death Eaters during both of the wars. We found evidence of the horrible things he'd done. We found out he'd killed people. Kali decided we should run away because we couldn't live with him anymore. We were upset also that we'd been lied to our entire lives about this. We couldn't live with people who lied to us.

"You had broken up with me and were going out with Candace at the time. It was a really bad year for me. I got messed up in experimenting with potions and alcohol. I just kept getting more and more bad news about the people I loved last year and kept needing to run away because of it.

"On my birthday, I saw you and Candace snogging in the hall and got so jealous and upset that I had to run away again. I'd been writing back and forth to Owen all that year, so I ran to him. I flooed to Beauxbatons, and we ended up sleeping together. It didn't mean anything; I didn't love him. Draco and Uncle Sev came and got me and brought me back home. I never saw Owen or heard from him again.

"This is why I've been avoiding that question, James, because I didn't want to tell you," Teecie replied after her confession.

She turned to look at him to see his reaction, which she assumed would not be pleasant.

James stood before Teecie. His mouth was opened slightly as though unable to say the words that were crowding inside his mind. His eyebrows were furrowed and he shook his head. He just looked into her eyes as though trying to understand what she had just said to him. He remained silent for a few minutes while he absorbed all the new information. Finally, it hit him that Teecie wasn't a virgin. She'd slept with a boy…and it hadn't been him. The thought consumed him. Slowly his face grew red with anger and he narrowed his eyes before responding. "I can't believe you'd do something like that, Teecie," he said quietly before slowly pacing back and forth in front of her. Now Teecie was more experienced than he was. How could he live with that humiliation? "How could you do something so cheap?" he hissed angrily, glaring at her with hurt eyes.

Teecie gasped at these words. They'd hurt far more than a slap on the face would have. "James, didn't you hear what I said about my father? It was my way of dealing with it. It really wasn't about sex at all!" she cried.

"But it still was sex! I can't believe this, Teecie!" James was raging by now, "You put this off for a month and led me to believe you were a virgin when you weren't! You lied to me!"

"I didn't lie! James, I-"

"No! Don't talk anymore. I don't want to hear it. I have to get out of here," James cried before finding his way out of the curtains and leaving Teecie alone in her pain.

Teecie hugged herself tightly and tried to fight back the tears that sprang to her eyes, but was unsuccessful. Within seconds she was sobbing uncontrollably while running blindly up to her dormitory.

Paige was in the room when Teecie arrived and threw herself on her bed. Paige walked over to her and proceeded to comfort Teecie. They ended up speaking long into the night, and Teecie left feeling only a little bit better.

James ignored Teecie over the next week. He was still to upset to talk to her. Teecie fell into a bit of a depression because James was still avoiding her. After a couple weeks, Teecie grew more withdrawn and spent more time in her dormitory than out of it. She listened to music a lot and wrote poetry in her diary, and even painted a little, something she hadn't done since last year.

One evening, Teecie and James bumped into one another in an empty hallway. They stood around and tried to think of things to say, but couldn't seem to come up with anything. "James, I'm sorry I upset you so much," Teecie said quietly.

"I just can't believe you'd do this to me," he responded.

Teecie snapped at that moment and grew angry at him. "James, you're acting like I cheated on you. We weren't going out then," she cried. "Let me ask you something, what if the roles were reversed? What if it had been you and Candace that had slept together and I was still a virgin? What if I was acting the same way you are right now?" she asked while folding her arms and looking pointedly at James.

James faltered, sensing that he'd fallen into a trap. "You don't understand Teecie, it's different for guys," he finally replied defensively.

"How? I imagine I'd feel just as hurt as you, and I'd have trouble accepting it, but I'd try to work through it," Teecie said.

"But the guy is the one who's supposed to be the experienced one…" he said in a quiet voice.

"Who says that?"

"The world! It's always been that way."

"Just because something has always been a certain way, doesn't make it right by default. It also doesn't mean it's supposed to stay that way forever."

James thought about this for a minute, but it was too much for him to absorb at the moment. He had always thought of himself as an enlightened, open-minded person when it came to gender roles within a relationship, but apparently, some very old-fashioned thoughts had rooted themselves very deeply in his brain, and he wasn't quite ready to let go of them yet. "I just…I need time. I need time to be alone, away from you for a while, to think about stuff, all right?" he asked quietly.

Teecie sighed sadly. "Yes, I understand. It's a lot to deal with right now," she replied. "Let me know when you're ready to talk about this." With that, Teecie turned and walked down the hall, leaving James alone with his thoughts.

That night, James went to talk to his father. He sat in his father's living quarters, kicking his heels against the legs of the chair he was slumped in. "What do you do, dad, when somebody hurts you terribly and disappoints you?" he asked.

Remus frowned and sat back on the sofa he was sitting on. "Well, son, I suppose it depends on what the circumstances are," he replied.

James thought about what to tell his father. He'd always been very open and honest with him before. "It's Teecie…she did something bad," he finally replied.

Remus cleared his throat. "Is it something I should know about?" he asked cautiously.

James shrugged his shoulders. He slumped even further down in the chair. His father had always told him he could tell him anything, so he opened his mouth, and began to talk. "She ran away to France last year and slept with a boy she barely even knows," he growled.

Remus closed his eyes and began to rub his temples. He had no right to know such things about his students' personal lives. And he couldn't help but wonder how James had found that out. It seemed as though his relationship with Teecie was progressing rather quickly if they were discussing sex. "Have you slept with her yet?" he asked quietly.

James shook his head. "And how can I now that I know she did that with some other guy?" he cried angrily. "I waited for her, she should have waited for me!"

Remus looked up at his son. He was struck at how grown up he was beginning to look. Sure, he had a lot of emotional growth to do, but he was getting there. "Son, you can't let that ruin your relationship with the one you truly love. Both your mother and I had had other partners before we even met," he replied, matter-of-factly.

James looked at his father with a look of horror on his face. "Oh, dad, gross…please," he sputtered.

Remus chuckled. "I'm sorry, I forgot the idea of your parent's sexuality is a horrible thought. You'd be perfectly happy to think we found you and your brothers out in the cabbage patch, wouldn't you?"

James scowled. "Cut it out, dad. This is serious. This is my life we're talking about and you're joking!"

Remus sighed. "I'm sorry for being so insensitive, son," he replied seriously. "I think what you need to do, is let yourself cool off for a few days, and try to calm down. Then, you and Ticia can have a long talk about what happened, and how you feel about it. But I must say, son, that looking down upon her for what she may or may not have done, will not make you feel any better, and will only hurt your relationship with her in the long run. Just remember to think twice before speaking. Once you say something hurtful, you cannot take it back," he advised James.

James stood up slowly and embraced his father. "Thanks, dad," he whispered.

"Anytime," Remus replied.

Another week passed, and neither James nor Teecie spoke to one another. Teecie grew more despondent and withdrawn. She started acting up in some of her classes, ending up with an evening of detention with Professor Weasley for talking back to her.

When Draco heard what had happened, he called Teecie into his office to talk. "You haven't had a detention in almost a year now. What's the matter?" he asked, the concern showing on his face as he looked at his sister slumped down in her chair.

"James found out about Owen. He's very upset and won't talk to me anymore," Teecie replied hollowly.

"How did he find out?"

"I told him. He kept wanting to talk about us being together for the first time and I had to tell him. I tried to keep him from asking, but I could only put it off for so long," Teecie explained. She bit her lip and looked down at her hands, which were twisting together. She looked as though trying very hard not to cry.

Draco sighed and frowned. He shook his head slowly while thinking about all of this. He'd hoped James would never find out, though he'd known that was wishful thinking. "I'm sorry he's treating you this way. It's not fair, especially after what you went through last year," he said, standing up to hug his sister comfortingly.

That evening, after Teecie had left, Draco kept thinking about her problems with James. Teecie deserved every happiness in this life, and it was his duty to see that she received all the happiness she deserved. It seemed though, that James was the only boy that Teecie liked. Draco decided he needed to have a talk with James. But first, it would take a few days for him to compose himself and prepare what he had to say to the boy.

After a week, Draco called James into his office for a talk. It upset him to think that James would be so stupid as to throw away his future with the one he loved over this.

Draco frowned at James, who sat in a chair across from him. "Mr. Lupin," he began slowly, "I normally do not become involved in the personal affairs of the students here, but as this particular one involves me, I will. Ticia has gone through enough pain and anguish from the misleading and falsehoods of her own family without having to put up with your attitude as well.

"Ticia was dealing with some tough issues last year, and because of that, she made some poor choices. It happened once and only once and Ticia has given me her word that it will not happen again any time soon," he said before standing up and turning away from James. "Did she tell you that I tried to force an engagement between the two? I was angry at Ticia for ruining her good name, and was determined to salvage what I could of the situation. It took a while, Mr. Lupin, but I had a change of heart, and relented."

James hadn't heard about this, and tried to comprehend it all. If Professor Black hadn't changed his mind, Teecie would be spoken for at this very moment, and he'd never have had a second chance with her.

"Do not let your antiquated ideals of manhood keep you from the one you truly love," Draco said, turning to look intensely at James. "They simply no longer belong in the world in which we now live," he said while sitting back down in his chair. He assumed that James was having issues with Teecie being the one to have had sex first. Since he was the "man," it was his duty to be the experienced one, and hers to be the untouched one.

James thought about all this for a minute before speaking. "But sir, I thought you didn't like me going out with Teecie," he said slowly.

Draco looked thoughtful for a minute before responding. "I was hesitant at first," he admitted, "but I see how happy you make my sister. Her eyes light up whenever she sees you or talks about you. You're the first boy she's ever actually loved, and that does count for something." Draco stood up and towered over James. "Let me give you some advice. Get over this, Mr. Lupin. It isn't worth losing a relationship over. It's not a competition in which one must come out the victor over the other. You are both still very young and have much to learn about one another. So focus on that. So you won't be the first boy she's been with. Get over it. Sometimes life isn't fair that way, but that's just the way it is." Draco sat back down and looked at James as he mulled all of this over.

"But…"

"But nothing Mr. Lupin. Just remember, what she did wasn't about you. Frankly, I am shocked and disturbed at your reaction to what she has told you about her family's past. I would have expected you, of all people, to be more supportive of her. I am, however, concerned whether or not you are fit to be her life partner.

I understand that you are a young man, and young men have the tendency to be…shall we say, insensitive? I hope this is something you grow out of, for I cannot allow Ticia to marry anybody who does not respect her or support her in times of need. She is still hurting from the revelations a year ago, and you are trying to punish her at the same time. How dare you be so selfish? If you want to be a man, a real man, then put her needs first. That is the role of being a man. If you two marry one day, it will be your duty to support your wife. I'd start practicing that now, for it's all too easy to forget that, and revert to your childish, selfish ways."

James started to feel as though Draco was attacking him. "But-"

"No buts! This is it, Mr. Lupin. This is the day that you decide what kind of man you will become. It is a huge responsibility, and if you marry Ticia, you will have to deal with a lot from her. But if you love her, and respect her, then that will help you get through the tough times. The way you are acting is completely childish. You could be helping her, but instead, you're causing her more pain. And willingly so. Do you really wish to cause pain to the ones you claim to love? It's time for you to grow up!" Draco growled angrily.

That afternoon, James walked around the Hogwarts grounds, alone, deep in thought. He realized that he didn't want to lose Teecie, no matter what. As he sat by the lake, watching the giant squid breaking holes through the thin layer of ice still covering the lake, he thought about what Professor Black said. The choice was his of what sort of man he would be. He wanted to be a good comforter and provider to Teecie. He wanted her to feel safe around him, knowing that nothing would ever drive him away from her or their future children.

James thought about his recent actions, and saw that he'd not been acting the way he wanted to. He was not being a good comforter, and he was not providing the support Teecie deserved. When he thought about her family's past, and how he'd been treating her lately, he felt ill. How could he have been such a bastard?

Suddenly, things started to fall into place. It didn't matter what he was so upset about, what mattered was Teecie, and why she was upset. James decided at that moment, to always put Teecie's needs and desires before his own. That was the sort of man he wanted to be. He realized he already had a wonderful mentor for this in his father. James knew his father worried constantly over his mother's chosen profession, yet he didn't force her to stop. He accepted Tonks for who she was, just as James must do for Teecie.

As long as Teecie chose to be with James and he knew she wanted to be with him, he realized that was all that mattered. What happened in the past was just that: the past. There was still so much to learn together. Teecie had never made him feel inexperienced or inadequate in any way before, so he must have been doing things right. And she was taking things very slowly. She must want to experience all the steps leading up to making love. Just the thought of that made James feel warm all over, despite the cold air. He'd dreamed about it for years, how it would be, where it would take place. It would be the most wonderful moment of his life.

James stayed outside until well after dark. He tried to think of the best way to approach Teecie, but couldn't think of anything special enough. Flowers and chocolates seemed too trite, and a note seemed too distant.

It was well after ten o'clock when James finally went up to his common room to see if Teecie was there. She wasn't, but Paige was. "I don't know James, I think she wants to be alone right now. All she ever does is lie on her bed with Rose next to her," she replied when James asked her to get Teecie for him. He groaned in frustration before leaving the common room again. He walked around again, trying to think of how to get Teecie's attention. After a few minutes, the answer came to him, and he ran off to put his plan into action.

Teecie was lying on her bed with Rose curled up against her when she heard a strange noise at the window. After a minute, Patty stood up and walked to the window to see what it was. "Teecie, it's for you," she called out before walking back to her desk.

Teecie sat up. What would be in the window so late at night? Surely not an owl, for there were other ways into the school. She slowly walked up to the window and gasped when she saw James, sitting on a broomstick, waving his arms frantically at her. She quickly opened the window. "James, what the hell are you doing?" she asked in a shocked voice.

"I had to talk to you and it couldn't wait! Teecie, I'm a big stupid jerk, and I deserve to have you hate me forever. I was totally wrong to not be more supportive of you. Will you please forgive me?" James cried desperately.

Teecie bit her lip and promptly burst into tears. "Oh James, I thought you didn't love me anymore!" she blubbered.

"I'll never love any other girl but you," James reassured Teecie, grinning like a mad man.

"Oh James, I love you so much!" Teecie cried. She wiped her eyes and smiled at him.

"Wanna come for a ride?" James asked, pointing to the broomstick. He wriggled his eyebrows before winking at his girlfriend. He couldn't help but chuckle over the dirty thought of Teecie "riding his broom."

"OK, but not too high. Let me get my coat," Teecie called out while running to put a coat on over her nightgown. A minute later, she was climbing onto the windowsill where James was waiting to help her onto the broom.

"Don't wait up for me!" Teecie cried to the twins as James flew them away from the castle. She held onto him as though her life depended on it. He smiled while she kissed the back of his neck. "James, this is so romantic!" she purred in his ear.

James flew the broom over the lake and over the Forbidden Forest for a while before heading back to the school. He flew them to his own dormitory, and helped Teecie inside before going in himself.

The other boys were all asleep, so they tiptoed to James's bed. James shut the drapes and placed a silencing charm around them. Within seconds, Teecie and James were embroiled in a passionate kiss, as though they were trying to make up for lost time.

James had taken Teecie's coat off and unbuttoned the top four buttons of her nightgown before slipping his hands inside, feeling her for the first time without a bra on.

Teecie moaned and lay back on his bed while his fingertips brushed over her skin. James was about to lose control of himself again, but didn't care. He felt like he'd died and gone to heaven. Teecie was so soft against his hands; he was finally experiencing something he'd dreamed about for years. He remembered being twelve and thinking he could die a happy man at that tender young age if he ever had the chance to feel Teecie's breasts. It was better than he'd ever imagined it, which he had many times before.

The memories and stimulation he was experiencing presently caused his throbbing to grow unbearable, and with a quiet, involuntary grunt, he came.

James was out of breath and rolled onto his side to cover himself from Teecie's view. Teecie lay silently for a minute, reveling in the experience she'd just had. James's hands were so soft and gentle as he'd touched her. She'd never realized how sensitive her chest could be, and decided to do research on nerve endings when she had the chance to look through Master Wilkes's books again. It was an amazing experience really. Though he'd never touched anywhere below her chest, the all-too familiar throbbing between her legs returned with a vengeance. Owen had never made her feel quite that way, though he'd spent his share of time on that section of her anatomy.

Teecie buttoned her nightgown back up and slid under the bed sheets. "James, won't you join me?" she whispered.

James used a cleansing spell on himself before turning back to see Teecie beckoning him into his bed. He pressed his lips to hers, and kissed her for a very long time.

When James pulled away from Teecie, he smiled and ran his fingers through her curls. "Actually, I think it's better if I say here," he said quietly while spreading Teecie's coat over him. "We don't want to go too far."

Teecie sighed and took James's hand in her own. "I suppose not. Besides, we really do have a lot to talk about right now," she replied.

James and Teecie talked all night long. Teecie explained in greater detail what she'd discovered about her father, and family, as well as what happened in France with Owen. "I didn't love him. I just needed to run away again," she explained.

James listened to everything Teecie said and felt horrible for her. How could her father have been such a cruel man? How terrible of him to never tell his children about what he'd done. It made James feel very angry towards Lucius. It was his fault Teecie had needed to run away.

At the same time, he began to feel guilty. It had also been his own fault as well. He'd broken up with Teecie and had taken up with Candace, just to make her jealous. He'd grown quite fond of Candace, but not in the same way that he felt for Teecie. She'd seen them kissing and that's what had upset her that day. So, I was just as much his own fault that any of that happened.

"Are you OK now?" James asked Teecie when she'd finished her story.

"I'm getting there. My father and I have talked about it. I forgave him, for my own sake. We've grown closer again," she explained.

"That's good to hear, I guess," James replied. "And it's wicked cool about the money you'll be getting when we get married. Have you thought about what you're going to spend it on?"

Teecie hadn't thought about the money since she'd dreamt of buying pens and a unicorn farm with it. She now saw how silly something like that would be. "I suppose I should use it to pay for my schooling," she finally answered. "And buy a house with lots of rooms and really nice furniture. And I want to go on holiday. I've always wanted to go to America, and now I can. And I suppose I should save most of it for the children I'll have one day. And the rest I'll just keep safe for emergencies."

"I like the sound of that," James replied. "Can I go to America with you?"

"Of course!"

"Good, just checking."

The two continued to talk and kiss and hold one another through the wee hours of the morning.

Just as it looked like Teecie was about to drift off to sleep, James said quietly, "Teecie, I've been thinking. I think we should put France behind us, for good. I think we should make our own special memories. How about, next year, on your birthday, we make love for the first time?"

Teecie smiled sleepily. "Oh James, that would be so beautiful," she whispered before falling asleep.

James wrapped his arms around Teecie, and pressed his cheek against hers, before drifting off to sleep as well.

Teecie woke up the next morning and snuggled closer to James, who still had his arms around her. She was warm, comfortable, safe, and happy. She didn't think life could really get any better than that.

Teecie was just drifting back to sleep when she realized where she was. She couldn't let the boys see she'd spent the night with James! She quickly sat up, which roused James from his sleep. "What's the matter?" he slurred groggily.

"I have to go before the others see me," she whispered while grabbing her coat off of James and putting it on. "I love you! I'll talk to you later," she whispered before slipping out of the curtains and quietly running out of the room.

Upon reaching her dormitory, she slipped into her bed. She was almost asleep again when Paige jumped on the bed and demanded to know what happened.

Teecie and Paige spent a half hour talking and squealing over what had happened when Teecie flew off with James.

That afternoon, Teecie went to her regular tea with Professor Lupin. "Oh Professor, James and I made up and he's being so sweet now and I love him so much!" she gushed while he poured the tea.

Lupin sighed. It was going to be a long afternoon. "That's good to hear, Ticia," he replied politely. "So, tell me about your classes this week."

Teecie rambled on for twenty minutes about each of her classes before returning to James. "Did you know what, Professor? If James and I get married, you'll be my father-in-law!" she cried excitedly.

Remus grimaced in pain. As much as he loved Teecie, she was so intense, and a once a week dose of her was about all he could take, especially knowing what he knew about her "experiences" last year. "Yes, Ticia, that is a fact. If you and my son choose to marry, some day, a very, very long time from now, you would become my daughter-in-law. But that would not be for an extremely long time from now. Years and years," he replied feebly.

"Don't you think James and I are the perfect couple? Don't you think we should get married?" Teecie asked dreamily.

Remus sighed. "Ticia, this is what we've talked about before. We shouldn't be discussing such personal issues together. It is very awkward for me to talk about this sort of thing when it involves my own child. Maybe we need to take another break from our teas together," he suggested quietly.

Teecie bit her lip. "I can do better, I promise. It's just that we made up from our fight and I'm really happy about it. I'm sorry!" she cried.

"But you're still having trouble following the ground rules I set for us earlier this year. Why don't we take another few weeks off so we can really remember why we need to keep the rules, OK?" Remus said sternly.

Teecie stood up. "I don't really have a choice, do I?" she pouted. "I'll just go and spend my tea with James from now on," she said while walking to the door.

"That might not be such a bad idea," Remus agreed calmly. "We just need to remember to follow the rules. If we can do that, then we can continue with our tea, if we can't, then we need to stop meeting on Saturdays."

Teecie left Professor Lupin's office that day in a huff. She just didn't understand why she'd made him uncomfortable. She'd thought he would have liked to hear such nice things being said about his son. It's not as though she'd gone into detail of what they'd done together, not like much had happened anyway.

While Teecie was thinking about all of this, she wandered through the school in her search for Rey. She still needed to talk to him. Yesterday, Paige had gotten the idea to talk to Rey and Carl about their break-up earlier this year. Paige would be speaking to Carl, and Teecie had volunteered to talk to Rey.

It took twenty minutes to find Rey, who was studying in the library. Teecie sat down across from him and smiled when he looked up at her. "Hello, Ticia," he greeted her sullenly.

"Why so gloomy Rey?" she asked innocently.

"No reason in particular."

"Well I wanted to talk to you about something. Carl is really depressed right now. He told me how you two broke up. He really misses you, I think," Teecie said quietly, looking into Rey's eyes.

Rey's expression grew pained as the conversation turned to Carl. "He doesn't understand; he won't understand why I cannot go public with this. If I do, my family will disown me. I won't get my inheritance or my position within the family dynasty," he said slowly.

"But that's only money. In the long run, love is all you really need," Teecie insisted.

"Oh, that's rich, Ticia, coming from the girl who'll inherit millions upon your marriage to the boy of your choice," Rey spat angrily.

"But I never knew about that until Christmas. It's not really the same thing."

"You just don't understand. I'm the only male heir. I've been groomed my whole life for this. Coming out wouldn't just ruin my inheritance, it would ruin the entire family. There are no male cousins, and we have never passed things on to a female. The family name and line would be broken. It just isn't done," he explained carefully.

"Have you and Carl talked about it like this?"

"Yes, many times! Carl cannot understand why I care so much about my family. I mean, how would you feel if your family disowned you?"

Teecie thought about that for a minute before responding. "I'd have to do something really bad to be disowned. I mean, one of my sisters got pregnant and dropped out of school, and the other eloped a few months ago. I don't know what 'd have to do to get kicked out."

"Well, your family is far too liberal. I've always thought so," Rey replied, giving Teecie a withering glance while frowning.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Rey gave Teecie a withering stare that silenced her from speaking again.

"You cannot possibly understand what I am going through. Even if being with Carl was acceptable, he'd still be a Mudblood in my family's eyes. And being a Gryffindor would just be the icing on the pudding. It simply cannot work," Rey said with a tone of finality in his voice.

"So you're going to sacrifice your own happiness for your family's sake? How noble of you. It's just so selfless and pure. It's so…Hufflepuff of you," Teecie replied, trying to keep a straight face. She knew he'd hate that thought.

Rey winced. That girl sure knew where to hit a man to make him really hurt. "Look Ticia, I don't want to talk about this anymore, all right? It's done with," he growled.

"Fine," Teecie mumbled while standing up and walking out of the library.

That evening before bed, Teecie and Paige compared notes of their conversations with the boys. It seemed that both Carl and Rey were pretty angry with one another, which was actually, in Paige's opinion, a good thing. It meant that they still cared for each other. Paige needed more time to think about the next step, so Teecie worked on homework for the rest of the night before falling asleep.

The next morning, Teecie decided to try and find out Uncle Sev's opinion of Narcissa by visiting him in his office. "I thought we could eat breakfast together," she explained, grinning eagerly up at him and settling down in the chair across from his.

Snape looked suspiciously at her for a minute before sitting down at his desk. Platters of food appeared for the two of them to serve themselves from. He watched as she scooped scrambled eggs, bacon, fruit salad, and toast onto her plate. "And why are you gracing me with your presence at breakfast today?" he asked finally.

"I have questions I need to ask you," Teecie explained while pouring herself a glass of orange juice.

"What kinds of questions?" Snape asked while putting fruit salad, toast, and sausages onto his plate.

"All sorts of questions!" Teecie proceeded to eat her breakfast in silence, allowing Snape a few precious minutes from her voice.

Once she'd grown full and pushed her plate away, she looked up at Snape with big eyes. "I have a very important question and it's been bothering me all year long. Am I allowed to study for the OWLS now or do I have to wait until just before the tests? I have to do well on all of them if I'm going to be a healer," she explained.

Snape looked at Teecie and tried to hide his excitement. It wouldn't do to show that to her. "Yes, Ticia, you are allowed to start studying now. In fact, I cannot encourage you enough to do so," he replied.

"Do you have any extra books I could read?"

Snape stood up and began to gather books or Teecie to read. "I am quite confident that you'll do well in your Potions OWL, but you still need to work on your Transfiguration, it has always been your weakest subject," he said while stacking the books on his desk. "I'd suggest you speak with Professor Weasley. She may give you private lessons or assign a tutor to you. You've studied with her son before, and it seemed to help a lot."

Teecie blushed at the memories of Stephen's "tutoring". Snape saw this and cringed. "Don't even tell me, I do not want to know," he declared, assuming they'd done more than just study together. Just how many boys had Ticia kissed? Snape couldn't help but wonder.

"You still have plenty of time, and with the summer holiday, you'll have even more time for your studies," Snape said while sitting back down again.

"But I'll probably be staying with Draco again this holiday. I know he's going to make me take lessons again. One year it was music, another it was dance," Teecie said, sighing. "Oh, and I wanted to know your opinion on something," she was finally getting to the heart of her visit. "Mrs. Malfoy wrote to me and wants me to stay with her for a whole month over the holiday. It would be interesting, but I don't know that she really likes me that much. What do you think?"

Snape thought for a moment before responding. "I believe Mrs. Malfoy likes you well enough, Ticia, if she has deemed you worthy of a long visit to her home. What you must understand, Ticia, is that Narcissa was raised in a very different way than you were. She feels that her life is the better one, and wants to instill her own ideals in you. It is actually quite a compliment," he explained carefully.

"You really think so? I suppose I could stay with her," Teecie said in a reluctant voice. "I just don't know if I can be so proper all the time. I don't want her to yell at me."

"I'm sure you'll do fine, Ticia. Narcissa has high standards, and not many people would live up to them. I know I did not. She informed me so in great detail while you were gone on your birthday," Snape said, trying to reassure her.

"She did? That's terrible! Oh Uncle Sev, you must be so upset!" Teecie cried.

"Not really. It's just her way."

"I'll have to grow a thick skin like you, to deal with it all."

"Don't do that, Ticia. Once you grow that skin, there isn't much that can get through it at all. Don't miss out on the good things in life because of a little pain or embarrassment. It isn't worth it," Snape replied seriously.

"All right."

"You'll learn to deal with it in your own way."

"So, you think I should go?"

"It would do you some good to see how life for a woman with a very different background from you, lives. It will open your eyes to different things you never saw before."

"I never thought about it that way before. You're such a wise man, Uncle Sev!"

"Thank you Ticia."

"I'll make sure to write to you when I'm there and let you know what I learn, all right?"

"If you wish to take time out of your day to write to me, you may. I have a feeling though, that you'll stay pretty busy."

"Well, I'll just have to let her know that I must study for my OWLS. I'm sure she'll understand."

Snape looked skeptical. "I'm not so sure about that. In Hogsmeade, she informed me that it would be best for you to finish your schooling and find a decent husband to take care of you. I do not think she will be too understanding that you intend to have a career as well as a marriage."

"Oh, that might be a problem then. What do you think? Do you think I should get married and be a wife only? I used to think that staying at home, taking care of the children and the house was all I wanted. I wanted to be just like my father, but now I think my mum may have had the best of both worlds. She had a career and a family. She was there for us most of the time. I think it could work."

Snape smiled. "I believe you could make it work. I'm surprised to say that of the three girls, you have been the most ambitious in your post-school plans. That is something I never would have thought possible. You have made great strides towards maturity, and I know you can achieve anything you set your mind to. Don't let Narcissa, or Draco, or even myself hold you back. You just keep fighting for what you want, and it will come to you."

Teecie stoop up and hugged Uncle Sev. "I love talking to you like this. I should visit you for tea sometimes," she murmured.

"I would enjoy that. It is good to speak with you like the young adult you really are becoming," Snape replied softly.

"Thanks Uncle Sev. I like your advice: fight for what you want and you'll get it. I think I will definitely write to you during my stay with Mrs. Malfoy. I'll probably need all the encouragement I can get," she said before kissing his cheek and turning to leave the room. She had to fight for what she wanted. Hopefully the fight to unite Uncle Sev and Narcissa wouldn't be too long or painful.

Teecie spent the evening snuggling close to James on the sofa in the common room. James twirled Teecie's curls in his fingers while she told him the latest on Narcissa and Uncle Sev. He was thoroughly disappointed to realize this meant not seeing her over the summer holiday. "I doubt she or your brother would allow me to stop by for tea or take you on a date, though I can write and ask anyway. Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and Professor Black will have a change of heart," he said wistfully.

"I hope he does. I think I'd die if I had to go that long without seeing you," Teecie replied before leaning in to kiss him. She grinned while pulling back to look into his beautiful hazel eyes.

"I know I'd die," he said when she'd snuggled back into his arms.

"Well I can't have that happen. I'll have to see what I can do. Besides, Narcissa wants to meet you sometime. She said so in one of her letters."

"Oh? You didn't tell me that."  
"I didn't? Sorry, things were pretty hectic when I was coordinating all the Valentine's Day stuff. It must have slipped my mind."

"That's OK. I bet it would be really interesting to meet her."

"Trust me, it is very interesting! I'm sure she'd have loads of things to tell you that she didn't like about you."

"Maybe I don't want to meet her then."

"But you should! You are her family after all. She said she wanted to. I bet it would make her very happy. I don't think there's much that does make her happy anymore."

"I suppose I could do it, if it would make her happy."

"It would make me very happy too," Teecie replied, pouting and batting her eyelashes at James.

"Well then, that's all the reason I need! I'd do anything to make you happy," he replied, grinning and slipping his hands under her blouse.

"Oh James, that's so sweet. I love you!" Teecie sighed while unbuttoning her shirt.

"I love you too, Teecie." James kissed her gently while running his hands over her bra.

Teecie sat in silence for a minute before speaking again, reveling in the sensation of him touching her. "James, will you call me Ticia? I want to hear what it sounds like coming from you."

James smiled and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you with all my heart, Ticia."

Teecie's heart fluttered. "Oh James, will you call me Ticia from now on? It sounds so nice coming from you."

"All right, though I may forget sometimes."

"That's all right."

That night, Teecie fell asleep with a light heart and a smile on her face. James did as well.

A/N: The title, When James Grew Up, is taken from the book, Peter Pan, from a chapter entitled, When Wendy Grew Up.


	62. Summer Plans

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. And I'm also happy you're still liking the story even though it's so long! This chapter marks the end of Teecie's fourth year at school, and gets her into the summer holiday, which promises to be interesting…Can't wait to see what you think!

Summer Plans

Time had flown by quickly for the students, and now it was springtime. The end of the school year was just around the corner, and everybody was growing antsy for the holidays.

One afternoon, Teecie sat by Master Wilkes's side, watching as he healed a boy's broken nose. Master Wilkes explained that it was not at all unusual to see an influx of injuries among the male student population this time of the year. "It's spring, mating season in the animal world. Humans do tend to follow that pattern as well. Males will try to establish dominance among themselves and females will try to make themselves as attractive as possible," he said while glancing over at Teecie, who was looking in a nearby mirror and pinching her cheeks to give them more colour, and patting her curls to smooth them out.

"Oh? You really think that's true?" Teecie asked after prying her gaze from the mirror.

Wilkes chuckled. "I'm pretty sure," he replied before turning back to the boy and finishing up with his nose.

Once the boy had left, Teecie was allowed to clean up the bed and the instruments used. Only a few potions had been given, but Wilkes explained what they did while she cleaned the goblets.

"I think it's just amazing how healers and doctors retain so much information," she said when he'd finished.

"It's a lot of memorizing, but all the books are good to refer to. It's not possible to remember everything."

"That's good to know. Too bad wizards don't use the internet. They could have so much information stored there to use whenever they needed it if they wanted."

"Well, I do agree that there are certain aspects of Muggle technology that are superior to the magical equivalent. The internet would definitely be one of them." Wilkes and Teecie chatted for a while. Teecie listened while Wilkes told her about his up coming field trip with a couple sixth and seventh year students to a Muggle hospital in London. "I feel it's good for magical folk to see how Muggle medicine works. That way they can compare it with having actual first-hand knowledge about it, not just hearsay," he explained.

Teecie's ears perked up as he talked about the field trip. "Oh Master Wilkes, can I come too? Please?" she begged.

"Well now, I'm not sure. The other students are sixth and seventh years, and are going to apply to healing school once they leave Hogwarts. It's a very serious trip, and will be educational, not entertaining," Wilkes replied slowly, regretting that he'd brought up the subject.

"Oh please, Master Wilkes. I'm going to apply to healing school too, you know that," Teecie replied, clasping her hands desperately.

"Ticia, I take the students each year to a Muggle hospital so they can see what medicine without magic is like. It is not always comfortable to see. I think you might do better to wait a year or two. We can talk about it more so you'll be better prepared for what you'll see." Wilkes didn't like the thought of taking one so young, and even with all she'd been through, still naïve of the ways of the world, with him. He felt like he'd be helping to kill a part of Teecie that he knew would be destroyed by seeing what she saw there. It sounded melodramatic, but it was very difficult to come to terms with magical healing, and why it was not used on Muggles. Wilkes himself still struggled with the guilt of it, and he didn't want to burden Teecie with it before he absolutely had to.

"But I'll have to see it all sometime. Better sooner than later, right?" Teecie asked, wondering what the big deal was.

Wilkes sighed. "Ticia, I really don't think it is a good idea. I think you're still too young to really understand what an undertaking magical healing is. When we go to the hospital, we will be seeing sick people, who will die without the aid of magic. It is something we must all deal with when we become healers. I do not think you're ready for it yet. The students I'm taking have had two or three years more than you to become more comfortable with this thought. I'm sorry Ticia, maybe in a couple years you can go," Wilkes replied, putting his foot down and ending the conversation.

Teecie had left Wilkes that afternoon feeling very upset over not being included in the field trip.

A few days later, when having her tea with Uncle Sev, she brought up the subject to him. "Don't you think it's unfair of him not to let me go?" she asked indignantly.

Snape shook his head. "No Ticia, I do no. I know why he takes them to the hospital, and I agree with him that it is not for someone as young and sensitive as you," he replied, hoping she wouldn't throw a tantrum.

"But I'm not a baby," she replied.

"I know you're not, but you are still very young. It would be better for you to wait a couple years."

"But why? What's the big deal?"

"Do you remember what you felt like when that baby hippogriff was born dead? Draco told me how upset you were, and you wrote about it at great length in your essay for me. Wilkes told you that there was nothing he could to, even with magic, to bring it to life."

"I felt sad and helpless about it."

"Yes, well, what the students will be seeing at that hospital will be worse than that. They will see people who are ill and dying, and magic could be used to save their lives, but they won't be healed. That is part of the bitter paradox of magical healing, Ticia, and every healer must come to terms with it.

"With magic, you could heal most human ailments, but Muggles must not receive such treatment, because there are not enough healers to save all the sick people in the world. No matter what, people who could be saved, would die. It is just the way the world works, and must be adhered to," Snape explained carefully.

"But…" Teecie trailed off. She'd never thought about this before. Muggles all over the world died every day when magic could be used to save their lives. "How can we not help when we have the means to?" she asked quietly.

"You know why. We cannot be revealed to the Muggles, or they'd try to make us solve all the world's problems. Imagine what a Muggle world leader could be capable of doing with magic when he wished to wage war upon another nation. And there would be an equally large contingent of Muggles intent on ridding the world of us. They see us as evil and would fight to do what they felt was their God's work. We must stay hidden from the Muggles, Ticia, for our own protection, and that is why they cannot receive magical healing."

"It still seems cruel to let people die when we could save them," Teecie said, her brow furrowed.

"Perhaps, but it would only be a temporary solution if we did. If we were revealed, and those intent on our destruction succeeded, there would be no more magic in the world, and the Muggles would be right back where they started."

"But maybe they don't want to kill us."

"Ticia, you know I used to be a Death Eater, and that I used to see the world in a very different light. Believe me when I say I know of what I speak. This desire to drum out of existence those of us who are different, is not a Muggle issue or a magical issue, it is human nature at its basest level. Survival of the fittest, establishment of territory; humans are very animalistic when it boils down to it, Ticia. This is the exact same thing, but on a much larger scale. Does that make any sense to you?" Snape asked.

Teecie thought about this for a while before sighing. "It all makes complete sense, Uncle Sev. Only, it still doesn't make me feel any better," she said.

"I understand. This is why Wilkes and I would feel better about you experiencing this in a couple years, when you've had more time to work it out in your mind."

"But I still want-"

"How about I speak to Draco about taking you to St. Mungo's over the summer holiday? Or perhaps I could take you myself if he is unable to. Would that satisfy you?"

Teecie thought about this for a minute before nodding her head. "Do they have a magical veterinarian clinic anywhere? It would be neat to see animals being healed too. Maybe I want to be a vet!" she cried, grinning at the thought.

Snape shook his head in wonderment. "You do beat all, girl," he replied. "Whatever you decide to become, I know you'll be quite successful."

"Thanks, Uncle Sev," Teecie said, standing up and hugging him.

"You're quite welcome," Snape replied after she'd pecked him on the cheek.

Teecie decided that Uncle Sev was right, and planned on talking to Master Wilkes about all of it more over the next few years. It was a lot to come to terms with.

Teecie and Uncle Sev spent the rest of their tea discussing the books she'd been reading to help study for her OWLS next year. Snape couldn't help but be impressed by all she'd managed to absorb so far. He watched happily while she demonstrated for him all the new spells and charms she'd taught herself.

They discussed potions and ingredients and why certain things reacted the way they did. Snape was relieved to see that Teecie really did put thought into the reasons behind potions, not just making them. She had the makings of an excellent potions-maker if she so wished. When he told her so, she thought about it for a minute. "Well, maybe, if the healing thing doesn't work out." She beamed though, when Snape told her he had every confidence that would not happen.

That evening, Teecie wrote to her parents and talked about staying for the summer holidays with Draco. "With Kali and Paul staying at the house, you won't even miss me," she wrote.

Adriana sent an owl back the next morning to her. "Ticia, darling, you will be greatly missed, but if this is what you want, then you have our blessing. I will be spending most of the holiday teaching your sister how to keep house. Your father seems to have big plans as well, though he won't tell me what they are. I'm sure you'll have a lot more fun at your brother's place with your nieces and nephew to keep you company," the response had said.

Teecie grew more excited for the holidays, though the thought of not seeing James for so long still upset her. They'd been spending a lot of time snogging and becoming more physically acquainted with one another. They were working on James's self-control, for he didn't seem to be able to hold himself back for too long.

One afternoon, they'd been snogging on his bed, and Teecie merely brushed her hand against his jeans on accident and he'd lost control. He'd been so humiliated that he didn't speak to her for a week after that, ashamed to look her in the face. After some prodding, he finally admitted what was wrong. Teecie had been very sympathetic, and they'd talked about it and afterwards, James felt less embarrassed.

They'd decided to move very slowly so James could acclimate to it all. They'd made some progress, and he was now able to touch Teecie's chest without losing control. Teecie was worried that he'd forget what he'd learned so far without any practice over the holiday.

A few days before finals, Teecie went to talk to Draco about this. "Draco, can James come and visit me at the Manor over the holiday?" she asked politely.

"I don't think so, Ticia," he replied, folding his arms and frowning.

"But we'd stay in the parlour. I wouldn't even show him any of the bedrooms," Teecie promised.

"Oh, that's very comforting, but the answer is still no," Draco replied, his face showing he was not enthused by the idea.

"Well then, can I go to his house sometime? His parents didn't allow us to go to his room the last time I was there," Teecie said, trying a different approach.

"Absolutely not, Ticia. Do not ask me again!" Draco seemed to be growing angry now; he narrowed his eyes dangerously at her.

"But Draco, how can I go for that long without seeing him? He's my boyfriend and I love him!" Teecie cried. "Can I at least write to him?"

Draco frowned. "I suppose you may write to him, but he will not be allowed to visit. And I may monitor your letters for their contents from time to time," he replied.

Teecie sighed. "All right, I suppose I'll live if I'm allowed to write to him at least," she conceded.

"Well, it's good to know I won't have to make any funeral plans over the holiday," Draco said, dryly. "Besides, you'll be busy with etiquette lessons again, as well as the month you'll be staying at my mother's house. You'll have many things besides young Mr. Lupin to think about."

"So, you took her advice and are sending me to finishing school?" Teecie asked, thinking about the lessons in how to be a good wife that she'd be learning.

"Yes, she wrote to me and advised me to do so. I've hired Madam Geary again, to come and give you daily lessons. You seemed to respond well to her the first time."

"What else will I be doing? I hope not music again. How about more dance lessons?"

"Would you like that? Let me look into hiring somebody for that. You did very well with the lessons for your party."

"Thanks, Draco. And how about art lessons? I've always wanted to be a good drawer, or a sculptor. I think working with clay would be loads of fun!" Teecie exclaimed with a smile on her face.

"And very messy," Draco chuckled. "Let me look into drawing lessons as well. What about water colours?"

"That too!" Teecie squealed excitedly, looking forward to the holiday, now only a couple weeks away. "Do you like to draw too Draco? Maybe we could take lessons together," she suggested.

Draco smiled at the thought. "I'm not so good with artistic things, but it would be fun to spend more time with you," he replied. "Perhaps I can hire somebody for you and your nieces," he said, "and think of something else for the two of us to do."

"Uncle Sev said he'd talk to you about taking me to St. Mungo's," Teecie informed him.

"I don't see why not. It would be good for you to see it under happier circumstances," Draco replied, thinking of his father's heart attack a few years ago. He didn't ever want to return to that place for that reason again. The memories of that time still gave him chills.

"Thank Draco," Teecie replied, hugging him.

"You're welcome," Draco said, returning the hug, and adding to it a kiss on her forehead.

Teecie spent the rest of the weekend studying for her finals. She and James tried to study together, but they ended up studying one another's eyes and mouths instead of their books, so she ended up studying alone after that, in order to be prepared for her exams.

Teecie didn't remember the exams ever having been so rigorous before, and was exhausted once they were finally over.

She and James spent their last night together, snogging enough to hopefully last them over the entire holiday. In the middle of it all, she left James with a memory that would hold him over for the whole summer.

While they were snogging, Teecie reached down and unbuttoned James's jeans. He was busy kissing her and running his hands up and down her bare chest, and didn't notice when she gently slipped her hand inside his boxers. He did notice, though, when her hand made contact with his body. He gasped and began to moan when she ran her fingers up and down him. Instinctively, James began to move his hips in rhythm to Teecie's movements. His breathing grew erratic after a minute, and after only a short time, he lost control, crying out in ecstasy as he did.

James remained out of breath for a minute as he lay in Teecie's arms, where he'd collapsed from the exertion. "Wow," he finally croaked as he regained the ability to speak.

Teecie wasn't sure what had compelled her to do what she'd just done, but she didn't regret it. It showed how much she loved James. She kissed him before taking her wand out and using a cleansing spell on both of them. "I love you James," she whispered as he settled down next to her.

James returned the kiss. "I love you too," he replied while running his hands through her hair. "I really wish we could see each other over the summer."

"Me too. My brother will never allow it though. He's probably afraid we'll do stuff like that," Teecie explained.

"Well of course we would!" James scoffed.

"That's the problem," Teecie replied. The two remained embraced for a while before parting to return to their dormitories.

The next day, all of the students left for home on the Hogwarts Express. Teecie couldn't believe her fourth year was already over and that in a couple months, she'd be starting her fifth year. It seemed like only yesterday that she had boarded the train for her very fist trip to Hogwarts.

James and Teecie spent all of their time together on the ride home snogging or holding hands and talking quietly to one another. They planned to write to one another every day in order to stay in touch.

The train ride home was over far too quickly, and James snogged Teecie goodbye on Platform 9 ¾ for five minutes before Lucius "suggested" that he unhand his daughter so that she could go home.

Lucius and Adriana had driven up to London to take their daughters and newest son-in-law home. Most of the ride home was done in silence. Every time Lucius tried to speak, Adriana would respond angrily, which shut him up quickly.

Teecie couldn't help but wonder what was going on. Her parents only bickered occasionally, and even then, it was usually in private. She couldn't figure out what was gong on, but assumed that it must be the stress from Paul and Kali's elopement.

Things didn't get any better that evening. Teecie was the only one who talked, while the others sat in silence and ate the poached salmon and rice pilaf Adriana had prepared.

In the middle of dinner, the phone rang. Teecie jumped up to answer it while the others ate. "Hello, is Lucius Malfoy there?" a woman's voice asked when Teecie picked up the phone.

Teecie was stunned. Her father never received phone calls. Who would know him in the Muggle world? "Um, hold on, I'll go get him," she replied faintly while setting the phone down. "Dad, it's for you, some woman," Teecie told Lucius while sitting down again.

Lucius jumped up and hobbled to the phone as quickly as he could. After a hushed conversation, he reentered the dining room. "I'm sorry, but I must go now. I don't know when I'll be back, Adriana, so don't bother waiting up for me," he said while walking back to the kitchen and out the backdoor.

Teecie was confused as she looked at her mother. Adriana was pale and withdrawn. After a minute, she stood up from the table and went to her bedroom, where she spent the rest of the night.

Kali and Paul were lost in their own world and didn't seem to notice any of this going on. They locked themselves in Kali's room, leaving the cleaning up for Teecie.

Teecie had decided to let the dishes wait until the morning, and was reading a book in her room when Kali and Paul started up. Since they couldn't use magic outside of school yet, they weren't able to put up a silencing charm. After about ten minutes, Teecie had had enough, and left her room to do the dishes.

Lucius was at breakfast the next morning, but Adriana wasn't. "Your mother says she doesn't feel well," he explained while serving the children their breakfast.

"So dad, who was that on the phone last night?" Teecie asked nonchalantly.

Lucius was taking a sip of orange juice and seemed to choke on it, coughing for a minute before answering. "It was nobody important. Just somebody trying to sell me magazines," he replied while tearing into a croissant.

Teecie didn't believe a word he said, but stayed silent anyway, allowing him to believe that she'd taken him for his word. She hadn't spent so much time around Slytherins to not learn anything from them.

The next few days passed slowly, with Adriana emerging from her room every once in a while, and Lucius running off every night. Teecie couldn't understand why her mother didn't confront Lucius about his obvious behaviour. He was having an affair; that's who the woman on the phone had been. The thought made Teecie feel cold and angry. How dare her father do such a thing? Running off and having sex with some woman who wasn't Adriana and then coming back home to her as though nothing had happened. How could he do that to her? How could he do that to his family? Tonks, one of Adriana's best friends, came over for tea one afternoon, and Teecie snuck into the kitchen, listening in on the conversation while the two older women had their tea together in the dining room.

"I think Lucius is cheating on me," Adriana said in a quiet voice.

"Oh, Adriana, how terrible! Are you sure?" Tonks replied sympathetically.

"I'm pretty sure. He goes off almost every night, and comes home late, no explanation, no apology, too tired to make love anymore. And there's been a woman calling him on the telephone as well. I've answered it, Ticia answered it just the other night and then he ran off right afterwards. He comes home smelling of her perfume, like honey or something sweet. I haven't had the nerve to ask him about it, and I don't know how long he's going to do this before leaving me," Adriana said, growing more and more upset and beginning to weep.

"But you know dear, I've heard that men having affairs tend to sleep with their significant other more, not less, because they feel guilty. This isn't happening, so, maybe it's something else," Tonks said, trying to reassure her friend.

"I'm pretty sure. I can only imagine this is what Narcissa went through. This is just a case of bad karma finally catching up to me," Adriana replied, before beginning to cry even harder.

"I'm so sorry that this is happening to you, Adriana," Tonks replied in a comforting voice. "Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help. Maybe I can do some investigating for you, if you want," she offered.

"Maybe, I'll see how much longer this goes on for," Adriana sniffled.

Teecie felt faint over hearing this conversation. How dare Lucius hurt her mother like this? He always seemed to have loved Adriana more than life itself, even more than his children when it came down to it. Teecie had always been a little jealous of the love and devotion her father had to Adriana, when he should have been doting on her. It was a feeling she'd kept buried deep down inside her for as long as she could remember, but that jealousy now turned to anger.

The anger continued to grow and smoulder inside Teecie's heart as the next couple days passed. Instead of being the normally loving daughter towards her father, she was rude and talked back to him whenever he spoke to her. She wasn't going to let him get away with having an affair as though it was no big deal. If her mother wasn't going to do anything about it, she was.

One afternoon, The Woman called on the phone for her father. Teecie answered it, but as Lucius was working out behind the barns, his newest haunt, she didn't feel like going to get him. "Hello dear, listen, is your father at home? I'm calling on my mobile phone and I'm about five minutes away from your place, I was hoping I could stop by to see him," she said after Teecie greeted her.

Adriana was out shopping and didn't hear any of what happened next. "He's not here right now, he's off with my mother, doing things that people in love do," she replied curtly.

"Oh, well, that's good. I'm happy to hear it. Well, please tell him that Heather Beaman called, and if he could get back to me as soon as possible, that would be lovely," the woman replied.

"All right," Teecie replied, feeling confused. The Woman didn't sound upset and was brazen enough to ask the daughter of the man she was sleeping around with to have him call her back. Suddenly, Teecie grew bold and decided to give this woman a piece of her mind. "You know, I think what you're doing is terrible! I don't want you to see my father ever again!" she shrieked before slamming the phone down.

Once the phone was hung up, Teecie ran into her parents' room and started looking around. There must be some clues as to what was going on. Inside her father's jeans pocket was a receipt for a card and a bouquet of flowers, dated two days ago. Her stomach fell as she looked at this. There were no flowers in the house, and he'd not given her mother any cards lately. He'd bought them for The Woman on the phone. Had he given them to her before or after making love to her?

Tears sprang to Teecie's eyes as she thought about this. He probably took The Woman out to dinner every night and then off to a hotel or to her house where they spent the rest of the time sleeping together. Was he going to leave his family for this woman? Would he go off and have children with her? Children he'd love more than he loved her?

With the receipt in her hand, Teecie turned from the room and stomped out into the hall. She had to confront her father, for Adriana's sake. Her anger grew as she left the house and slowly approached the barn where her father was.

She continued to hold the receipt in her hand as she rounded the corner to where her father was working. "Dad, I think you're being a right bastard to mum!" she screamed.

"Ticia, do not come any closer! Go back to the house, now!" Lucius shouted at Teecie.

Teecie stopped in her tracks and looked at her father as her eyes grew wide with horror at what she saw. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined the sight that was playing out before her. It was a scene that would haunt her nightmares for a long time to come…


	63. Growing Up

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm sorry to leave it like I did, but I couldn't help myself! Whatever it is that Lucius is up to will be revealed in this chapter. I agree about the magical healing issue. It has to be a very difficult thing to reconcile with, and quite frankly, I'm surprised that anybody can really turn their head and look the other way and not live a life completely filled with guilt and regret. Anyway, I'm glad you liked the chapter, and I hope you have fun with this one, I had fun writing it!

Jiska2005: Thank you so much for reviewing! I'm sorry to leave it on a cliffhanger like that, but it was just too much temptation to resist! I assure you that all will be revealed very soon! I'm so glad that you're enjoying this story, it's a lot of fun to write, and I appreciate that people are liking it so much! Here's the next chapter, so the long wait is finally over!

Growing Up

Teecie gasped and dropped the receipt as she saw her father. She never imagined seeing him like this before, and had no idea how to react. She stifled a scream and stepped back as she watched what was happening.

Lucius was standing in front of several large boxes set on stands. A large buzzing sound filled the air. He was covered, from head to toe, in bees. "Ticia, get inside the house, I can't get to my wand if these come after you," Lucius shouted at his youngest daughter, not even noticing what she'd said to him.

Teecie turned and fled the horrifying scene. Once she was safely back inside the house, she saw that Adriana had returned from the store with Paul and Kali. "Baby, what's the matter," she asked with concern when she saw how pale and frightened Teecie was.

"Dad…dad…" Teecie stuttered while pointing to the barn.

Adriana frowned as the backdoor opened and Lucius limped inside. There were no more bees on him, and he looked normal again. He sighed and looked resignedly at him family. "All right, let's talk about this," he said while sitting down at the kitchen table.

Adriana folded her arms and sat down at the far end of the table, glowering at Lucius. Teecie sat down next to her mother and entwined one of her arms through Adriana's for support. Adriana trembled and tears filled her eyes while she waited for Lucius to speak. Finally, she seemed to grow tired of sitting back and being a victim of his infidelity. "You're having an affair, aren't you? Why don't you just say it? Are you leaving me or not?" she cried.

Lucius looked shocked as he stared at Adriana. "What?" he asked dully. "I'm not having an affair."

"Oh come off it, Lucius, you run off every night and are too tired to do anything once you get home. You don't talk to me anymore. You're withdrawn and your mind is elsewhere. And for heaven's sake, she's called the house countless times asking after you and you always go to her afterwards. It's not like I don't know the signs," Adriana spat bitterly.

Lucius sighed and looked down at his hands. "Look, I know I've not been honest with you lately, but I swear to you that I am not having an affair," he replied quietly.

"Then what have you been doing?"

Lucius looked back up at his family, who were all waiting to hear his answer. "After the Christmas holiday, I started to take stock of my life. I realized that I'd let you take control of my life ever since the heart attack. I've never really made my own decisions in my life, and I wanted that. I needed to make a name for myself on my own volition. So, I decided to start my own small business. I started researching things that I could do on the farm and discovered bees. The area behind the barn that I've been using lately is set up with beehives. Ticia saw me there just now," Lucius explained.

"I've been making honey since the spring, and working to market it. The woman that I've been getting calls from and going to see each night is a business expert I've been getting advice from," he said before turning to Teecie. "I found the receipt you had in your hand just now. The card and flowers were for Heather, that's the business expert's name, as a way to thank her for all her help as I prepare to start on my own."

Lucius stood up and walked to the back door, opening it and summoning a box from the barn. With the box in his hands, he returned to the table and opened it, taking out its contents and showing his family. Small glass jars filled with golden honey glinted in the sunlight. Each jar had a label with a picture of the olive tree on the hill and the name "Alcedondia Farms Honey" on it. Alcedonia was the name her mother had given to the farm a long time ago, though it was never referred to by the name any longer.

Adriana gingerly picked up one of the jars and looked at it. "Honey," she murmured faintly. The tears filling her eyes finally spilled down onto her cheeks. Within seconds, she was sobbing. Teecie rubbed her arm comfortingly while her mother cried. "Lucius, you misled me. You made me think you were having an affair. You knew you were upsetting me and you didn't try to set things straight. That's the same thing as lying to me," she cried in a hurt voice while standing up and running into her bedroom.

Teecie glared at her father. "And you made me think it too! That's the meanest thing you could ever do! Do you know what I've gone through over the last few days? Mum's been feeling like that for months now, and it's horrible! And you're horrible too!" she cried before getting up and running into her own bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

All the feelings of relief began to flood through Teecie, and she was overwhelmed. Soon, she was sobbing too. It felt good to know her father had stayed faithful to her mother, though just the idea of it had been more painful than Teecie could ever have imagined.

After about a half hour, a small knock came from the door, and Teecie watched as her father stuck his head inside. "Are you all right?" he asked quietly while stepping inside and shutting the door.

"I will be," Teecie replied, sitting up on her bed.

"Your mother and I have been talking, but we need to talk some more, so I'm going to take her out for the night. You three kids are old enough to be left alone for the night," Lucius said while sitting down next to his daughter. "I'm terribly sorry that you were so upset over this. I just wanted it to be a surprise for the family and I guess now I ruined it by being too secretive. Can you ever forgive your old fool of a father?" he asked humbly.

Teecie bit her lip before slowly nodding her head. "Oh, dad, you're not a fool," she reassured him. "I just hope you can make this up to mum."

"It'll take some time, but I think I can," Lucius replied, smiling at the thought of all the attempts it would take to truly "make up" with Adriana. He stood up after saying goodbye to Teecie, and left her room to find Adriana. Within minutes, they had driven off to the nearest town, at least a half hour away from home.

It only took a little while for Kali and Paul to lock themselves in their room and start in on their "evening activities," leaving Teecie alone to find things to do for the rest of the afternoon and night. She sat on her bed for a few minutes before leaving the room and going into the living room.

After several more minutes, Teecie realized that there was nothing to do. She started to wonder what James was doing. Maybe he was sitting at home with nothing to do as well. This thought consumed her for a little longer before she stood up and walked to the fireplace. After picking up a pinch of floo powder, she threw it in the fireplace and bent down, stuck her head in, and said, "Lupin Lodge."

Teecie's head began to whirl around as it was transported to James's house. Within a minute, she slowed down and was able to look out into James's living room. There was nobody around, but she called out anyway. Peter walked passed the room, heard Teecie, and came to answer her. Within seconds, he was running up to James's room to get him.

James came running down and planted himself in front of the fireplace. "I've missed you so much!" he cried excitedly.

"Oh, I've missed you too," Teecie replied. "Listen, my parents left for the night, and I was wondering if you wanted to come over for a visit…" she said while wriggling her eyebrows.

James's eyes grew wide as he took in her meaning. "I'd love to, but I'll have to see if I can get away from my folks," he replied. "Hold on, I'll go tell them that you're Daniel and I'm going to his house for the evening," he said before running off.

James returned a minute later, grinning madly. "They bought it!" he whispered.

"Great, just let me get back before you floo over, OK?" Teecie grinned.

"OK," James replied while Teecie slowly withdrew her head from the fireplace and returned to her living room.

A minute later, James was standing in front of her, reaching his arms out to embrace his girlfriend. They spent quite a while snogging in greeting to one another. "We can't go in my room, because my sister and her husband are next door and they're being way too noisy," she said while taking James by the hand and leading him to the sofa. "I think we'll be perfectly comfortable here."

"I couldn't agree more," James replied while settling down next to Teecie. The two continued to snog for quite a while as they moved around on the sofa. The sun was beginning to fall behind the trees when James finally began to unbutton Teecie's blouse and slip his hands over her bra.

Teecie moaned while reaching out and helping her boyfriend take his shirt off. She looked at his muscular body and melted as she saw how strong he looked. His biceps were beginning to protrude, and he was developing the muscles on his stomach as well. The twilight glinted off his creamy white skin, and she couldn't help but run her fingertips over his body. "Oh James, I love you so much," she said before pressing her lips to his. She loved the feel of her bare skin against his as they embraced. His skin was soft and warm, yet his hands were solid and strong as he ran them up and down her body. She decided she could stand next to him forever and never get tired of it.

The two stayed like this for quite a while longer before James pulled back and stared at Teecie for a minute. "I was thinking about what you did the night before school ended," he said in a husky voice, "and I was thinking that I should have repaid you for it. I could do that now…"

Teecie's heart began to pound at the thought. "Are you sure you're ready?" she whispered. When James nodded his head, she leaned back against all the pillows and got as comfortable as possible. James took a few deep breaths before moving his hand down to the hem of Teecie's miniskirt and slipping his fingers underneath it.

Teecie gasped at the feel of his soft hands on her legs as he moved them closer to his final destination. She let him take control of the situation, and allowed him to move wherever he needed to go in order to do what he wanted with her. It was a bit nerve-wracking to allow James such free access to her body and to not be the one in control, as she had been up until this point, but Teecie felt it was good for her if they wanted to deepen and strengthen their relationship.

James looked into Teecie's eyes and kissed her before moving his hand again. "Don't be scared," he whispered, hoping to still her fears, even though his heart pounded as well. His breathing grew as erratic as hers did as he began to explore and feel the new sensations his girlfriend had to offer. Together, they stepped up to the next level in their relationship.

Teecie cried out several times during the experience, though they were cries of pleasure, not pain, and James smiled before kissing her each time she did so. It felt good to know he was capable of making his girlfriend feel so good.

When it was all over, the two of them held each other in their arms, breathless as they relived all of it in their minds. "James, that was so beautiful," Teecie finally replied in a whisper as she kissed his cheek and laid her head on his shoulder. James hugged Teecie to him, feeling proud of himself for having pleased his girlfriend so much. In a way, the pleasure he gained from what they did together came from knowing that she felt good from what their experiences-not all of it, but a lot of it. As much as James was turned on by what he'd done, he didn't want to ruin the moment by asking for anything in return. He thought it was quite mature of him.

Once the two of them had cuddled to both of their satisfaction, they got up and went to the kitchen to make dinner. Teecie found a frozen pizza and put it in the oven for the both of them. When it was ready, the two ate with relish, trying to replenish the strength they'd lost earlier in the evening.

Just as James bit into his last piece of pizza, the sound of a person flooing into the living room came. "Ticia? Kalare? Paul?" a male voice called out.

Teecie's eyes grew wide as she realized it was Draco. Why had he come over unannounced. He never did that? "Hide," she hissed quietly to James while pointing to the back door.

"Where?" he whispered while standing up and walking to the door.

"In the barn," she replied while he opened the door and ran out to the barn. Teecie shut the door to make it sound like she'd just come inside.

"Ticia?" Draco called out again while walking into the kitchen.

"Hello Draco! What brings you here?" Teecie asked with a huge fake smile on her face.

"Father told me he was taking Adriana out for the night and asked if I'd stop by to check in on you and the happy newlyweds," Draco replied grimly.

"Oh, well, I'm just fine. I was just eating dinner," Teecie replied.

Draco frowned as he studied his sister. "You were eating dinner and you just came in from outside?"

"It was a picnic."

"Even though there are two sets of plates clearly set up on the kitchen table."

"Those are Kali and Paul's. I was eating outside."

"I see. And do you eat outside with your shirt unbuttoned very often?" Draco asked, looking with scrutiny at Teecie.

Teecie looked down to see that she'd forgotten to button her shirt back up from her time with James. "I was tanning myself," she replied, willing herself not to blush.

"I see. Well, just let me assure you that will not be happening when you come over to the Manor on Monday," Draco replied, sniffing his disapproval. "Tell Lucius that he can drive you over Monday morning. I'll be taking you to Madam Malkin's in the afternoon to have appropriate clothing made for you," he said while turning and walking back into the living room. "Your sister and her husband are otherwise indisposed I assume?" he asked, trying to hide the grimace from showing on his face while stepping towards the fireplace.

"Yes, and rather loudly indisposed I might add," Teecie said.

Draco grimaced at the thought. "Well, I must go now. I shall see you on Monday," he replied before flooing back to his home.

Teecie sighed in relief after her brother left and turned to call James in from the barn. Once he'd returned, the two of them snogged on the sofa again for quite some time before moving to more comfortable positions and attempting to pleasure each other at the same time. It was a bit more complicated when there were two sets of hands doing separate things, but after a few minutes of fumbling around, they got into the rhythm of it. James managed to hold out for a lot longer than he thought he would be able to, and was quite proud that he only climaxed about a minute or so before she did.

When they were done and sitting back up, Teecie looked down at the sofa and noticed the stain James had left there. It was then that she remembered she couldn't use her wand and clean it up with a cleansing spell. "Oh no!" she cried, "How will we get this out?"

James looked down at the stain and blushed furiously. "I'm sorry," he moaned.

"It's not your fault, you couldn't help it," Teecie replied while standing up and pacing the floor. "I'm sure soap and water is all it needs, but I'll look it up online and see what it says." With that, Teecie walked to the computer table and turned on the machine. After a couple minutes of searching, she came up with a plan. "All right, it sounds like soap and seltzer water should do the trick," she said while trotting into the kitchen for the items she needed.

A minute later, she returned with a can of seltzer water, a scrub brush, and a bottle of soap. James paced the floor impatiently while Teecie scrubbed on the stain. He ran to get a hairdryer when Teecie asked for one and told him where it was. He held it over the stain while it slowly dried. Once it was completely dry, they carefully looked at it and sighed in relief. "It all washed out," Teecie declared with a smile on her face. "We'll just have to remember to be more careful from now on," she said.

"Yes, we will," James agreed, feeling relieved that the evidence of his actions had not been permanent, and hopefully Teecie's father would never find out what had happened. "I didn't want your father to kill me," he said.

"Oh, he'd probably think it was Paul," Teecie said in order to relieve her boyfriend's fears.

The two talked for a few minutes before James said he should leave or his parents would get worried. They snogged for a while before parting. James flooed back home, and that was the last Teecie saw of him until September.

Teecie's parents returned from home after breakfast the next morning, arm-in-arm. Adriana had a smile on her face that Teecie hadn't seen since before the Christmas holiday. Lucius did too. They acted like they had a wonderful secret between the two of them. Teecie had a smile on her face, as well as her own juicy secret, that hopefully they'd never find out about.

"So, did you two have a nice evening away from us?" she asked innocently.

"Oh, it was all right. Not much fun without you kids though," Lucius smiled before winking at Adriana.

Teecie rolled her eyes. Did he think she was two years old, or what? "Draco stopped by last night. Thanks for not trusting us," she replied after a few seconds.

Lucius smiled suavely. "Oh, I'm so sorry I insulted you. I keep forgetting that at fifteen years old, that makes you an adult," he replied before leaning across the table and tweaking Teecie's nose. Teecie swatted playfully at his hand while sticking her tongue out at him. "See? There you go, quite grown up," he said while sitting down. "And what did you end up doing last night?"

Teecie shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing much really. I just sat on the sofa for most of the night," she replied. "Oh, you do remember you're taking me to Draco's on Monday, right?"

"Yes, you told me about it weeks ago," Lucius replied.

"Good, because I can't wait to go!" Teecie said in an excited tone.

"We'll miss you here at home," her father said, trying not to sound too hurt that his youngest child couldn't wait to get away from him.

The rest of the weekend passed much more peacefully and pleasantly. Lucius showed Teecie the beehives and how the honey was being made. He showed her the list of flavours he was developing. "Rose honey; dad, I've never heard of that kind before," she said as she looked at the list.

"That's the point. I want to create a market for gourmet honey in flavours that nobody has thought of before," he explained. "When I have several ready, I'm going to start taking them to the local farmer's markets, and when I make enough money, I'll be able to afford to hire people to work the hives for me while I do more of the business aspect of the job," he said, puffing his chest out proudly at the thought.

"Well it all sounds very well thought out, dad. I know you'll do great!" Teecie replied.

"Thank you Ticia."

On Monday morning, Teecie hugged Adriana and Kali goodbye before driving off with her father to Black Manor. "Now, remember to be on your best behaviour," Lucius reminded her as they pulled up to the house.

"Oh dad, really! I'm fifteen years old!" Teecie cried while scrambling out of the car.

Roo came tearing out of the Manor and almost knocked Teecie over as he ran up to her. "Auntie!" he cried excitedly while hugging her tightly. "I'm so glad you're staying with us!"

"I'm happy to be here too," Teecie replied, kissing his cheek. She noticed Roo grimace before taking her by the hand and leading her inside. Had she done something wrong?

"Hello grandfather," he greeted Lucius, who followed several steps behind them.

"Good morning, Rouvin, and how are you today?" Lucius replied, smiling.

"I'm great now that Auntie is here!" he exclaimed. "Though, you'll have to stop kissing me now. It's too gross to be kissed by a girl," he explained while leading Teecie to a chair in the parlour.

Teecie smiled. "I see. Well, I'll try to remember that from now on," she said while sitting down next to her father.

Draco joined them a few minutes later, and soon they were all talking about the summer and how much fun it would be. Lucius took his leave once he was convinced that Teecie was in safe hands. "Good luck dad," Teecie called after him.

"Good luck with what?" Draco asked.

Lucius turned around and looked his son straight in the face. "I, my son, am going into the honey business," he explained slowly, as though daring him to say anything negative about it. "I am making my own honey, bottling it, and soon I'll be selling it myself at farmer's markets."

A flicker of horror crossed over Draco's face before being replaced with a sneer. "Really father, honey? And selling it in the Muggle world? What's next, will you run for Minister of Muggle Britain?" he asked sarcastically.

Lucius maintained his eye contact with Draco before replying. "Perhaps, though it depends on how well the honey business goes," he quipped before turning and walking out the door. "You be a good girl, Ticia," he called out as he got into the car and drove away.

It took Draco a few minutes to recover, so Teecie went to see her usual bedroom that had been prepared for her. The normal rose and dark green coloured surroundings had been replaced with more subtle colours, which she found more appealing. There was vine green carpeting and her bedding was now solid light silver. It didn't bother Teecie that everything was more Slytherin, for she had learned to love those colours over the years.

Her trunks and bags had been magically moved in, so she went to work on unpacking before Draco knocked and came inside. "I felt the colours were more sophisticated. You're growing up, and so should your surroundings," he explained when Teecie asked after the changes. "I've also decided to allow you and Madam Malkin full control over the clothing choices this year. She knows what I approve and disapprove of for young ladies, so I'm sure she'll come up with some wonderful choices," he said.

Teecie and Draco went to Diagon Alley right after lunch, where she spent the rest of the afternoon being fitted for clothes while he read books in Flourish and Blotts. Madam Malkin designed several dresses for Teecie that day, most of them of some shade of green or silver, though there was one lovely midnight blue evening gown thrown into the mix. Now that Teecie was fifteen, it was appropriate that her dress hems touch the ground, and that she have a proper waist on them. A couple had empire waists, which Teecie thought made her look pregnant, and a couple had normal waists. One of the slightly low-cut dresses even had a bustle, which Teecie didn't think looked attractive at all until Madam Malkin assured her that they were the height of fashion again. "Everybody is wearing them this year, miss," she explained.

Teecie had given up the idea of having "normal" clothes, and accepted everything that was made for her without complaint. They were quaint, in their own way, really. For each dress, Madam Malkin would magically change Teecie's hair to the appropriate style, completing the ensemble.

When they were done, Teecie chose to wear the forest green dress with the bustle out to meet her brother. Her hair was swept back in a French twist, and had a small green hat with matching netting that covered her eyes, set on it. She held a matching green parasol in her gloved hands. After finding him in the potions section of the book store, she marched up behind him, threw her head back, and said in an exaggerated, droll voice, "Come Draco, we must be going now."

Draco turned around and gaped at his youngest sister, who now looked years older than when he'd seen her last. Her face was devoid of any emotions except for her show of extreme distaste for having to wait for him. She looked like a true Slytherin for the very first time in her life, and Draco felt more proud of her than he'd ever felt before. "Look at you," he murmured, in awe of the sight before him.

Teecie was enjoying playing the part of the old-fashioned girl, and saw that her brother really liked it too. She slipped her hand onto his arm as he held it out to her, and followed him out of the store. She tried to not smile as several men nodded and tipped their hats at her as she passed them by. Draco tried not to kill them as he looked over his shoulder and saw the same men checking his sister out as she walked away from them. He just kept walking faster to get to the Leaky Cauldron sooner.

Draco wanted to return home upon arrival at the pub, but saw an acquaintance that he had to speak with. He sat Teecie down at a booth and left her with instructions to order nothing more than a Butterbeer.

Teecie sat in the booth and ordered a Butterbeer. While she drank it, a man with scraggly brown hair and missing teeth, approached her. "And what is a delightful young lady such as yourself doing all alone?" he asked, licking his lips while looking up and down at her.

"What business is it of yours?" Teecie asked.

"Well it's my business when a sweet thing like yourself parades around, showing off her goods," the man replied, referring to the cleavage Teecie's dress exposed.

"Sir, you need to leave me alone," Teecie replied firmly.

"Oh, you're feisty all right. The red heads always are," he cackled. "I bet you're even feistier under the covers. Do you bite?"

The only answer the man received was Teecie beating him about the head and shoulders with her new parasol. Draco was at her side within seconds, taking out his wand and pointing it at the man, who was ducking away from the parasol. "Are you harassing my sister?" Draco hissed, his eyes flashing red with fury.

"I was just-" the man said before being batted with the parasol.

"Leaving!" Teecie finished for him, hitting him once more for good measure as he turned tail and ran out of the pub. Teecie set her parasol down and sniffed. "I've never been spoken to so rudely in my entire life!" she cried indignantly while settling back down and drinking her Butterbeer.

"Ticia, I am so sorry about that. I should never have left you alone. This is exactly why every proper lady should have an escort when she goes out," Draco said, folding his arms and frowning.

"Don't worry Draco, he'll think twice about speaking that way to anybody again," Teecie reassured him while patting his arm. They left the Leaky Cauldron as soon as Teecie had finished her drink. She spent the rest of the day in her room, reading and writing a letter to James.

Draco had the cook prepare a lovely pork roast dinner for Teecie's first night at the Manor. Liss, who'd be attending Hogwarts this coming September, sat next to her and asked her questions the entire time. Teecie had never spent much time with Liss before. Because of the age difference, she had always found Liss a bit annoying when they were younger. But she seemed to have grown into a nice person to be around, and Teecie felt happy when she heard that they were to receive instruction from Madam Geary together.

Madam Geary's first lesson was the next morning, promptly after breakfast. They reviewed the different types of table settings for different functions, and the uses of all the silverware in each of them. Liss had never been to any fancy dinner parties, as Teecie had, and was impressed when Teecie was able to help her name all of the different uses for the vast amount of silverware on either side of the plate. Madam Geary praised them both at the end of the lesson, and both thanked her before she flooed away.

After lunch, came dancing lessons. Liss was excited to join in with these, as well as Mel, her younger sister, who thought it sounded like fun too. Draco was making Roo join in as well, but he was less than thrilled at the idea. The three girls, Roo, along with the instructor, Jeremy Harwood, who had been Teecie's instructor before her party, learned more about ballroom dancing. They had focused mainly on the waltz for the party, but now they would be learning other dances as well. Mel and Liss were dancing partners, and Jeremy was Teecie's. Roo took turns with each of the girls, claiming he didn't want to dance with his "gross" sisters, but that Teecie was OK. Teecie sighed as Roo spent most of the time dancing by wrapping his arms around her waist tightly and leaning his head against her chest. She really hoped that was something he'd grow out of, at least with her. By the time the lesson had ended, Teecie had managed to get Jeremy to promise that he'd teach her the tango by the end of the holiday, which thrilled her.

Roo and the girls were ravenous after their exercise, and ate heartily at tea time. They talked a kilometer a minute about what they'd learned, and how much fun it was. Draco was pleased that all three of the girls were benefiting from it.

That evening, Liss spent most of the night in Teecie's room, asking about Hogwarts. "Are there boys at the school?" she asked wistfully.

"Oh yes! You're going to be very popular with them, I can tell," Teecie grinned.

Liss sighed and sat down on the bed, her blonde curls bouncing from the impact. "I think it would be so romantic to have a boyfriend, but father says I'm not allowed until after I have my party," she said.

"But that's only a couple years away," Teecie replied.

"Father says I'm not going to have my party until I'm sixteen or seventeen," Liss replied.

"But that's terrible! How can you go that long without a boyfriend?"

"I don't know."

"I wonder why he's waiting so long for your party. I was thirteen when I had mine."

"Father said he had to strike while the iron was hot for you, but that the iron had better not even be lukewarm any time for me before I'm sixteen," Liss replied, biting her fingernail.

"Oh, I see."

"He said that after what happened with Renata, he had to act quickly to save you and Kalare. I guess he didn't quite manage it with Kalare either though."

"We are allowed to make our own choices in this world, you know. You don't always have to do what Draco tells you."

"But I can't disobey father."

"Sure you can. I disobey him all the time and look at me. I'm just fine," Teecie scoffed.

Liss was unconvinced of this. Her father had always said Ticia would end up just like her sisters if she wasn't careful, though she chose to say silent about that. "Do you think there will be a boy there who's perfect for me?" she finally asked.

"Probably, maybe one or two even. I found my boyfriend at school, and he's perfect for me," Teecie replied.

"You have a boyfriend? Oh, tell me what he's like! Has he kissed you yet?" Liss asked.

"His name is James Lupin, and he's the son of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at the school. He's the best boy in the entire world. He has sandy brown hair and hazel eyes and the best smile. He has a nice deep voice and is very tall and strong. And best of all: he loves me! He told me so all the way back in our first year. He wants to marry me when we leave school," Teecie gushed before sighing as she thought about James.

"I remember him. We met at Christmas several years ago when I was a little kid. He was really nice. Has he kissed you yet?" Liss asked eagerly.

"Oh, ever so many times. He kissed me the very first time he met me. We were in our first year of school and he tricked me into kissing him. I didn't like it at the time, but it's much better now. We kiss every chance we get," Teecie replied.

Liss sighed. "I wish a boy would kiss me," she said.

"Give it time, I'm sure loads of boys will try to kiss you," Teecie replied. "Though, it really is more enjoyable when you kiss a boy you're in love with," she added.

"Oh, I could never kiss a boy I wasn't in love with," Liss replied in a shocked tone.

The two girls talked long into the night before falling asleep. Liss felt very lucky that her "big" Auntie Ticia let her sleep in the bed with her, for there was just so much to talk about.

After a leisurely breakfast the next morning, Teecie had her first art lesson. Lauren Gladstone had been hired to teach Teecie in the art of sketching and water colouring. Two days a week, Teecie would get to work on this new hobby. Tuesdays were reserved for sketching, leaving Thursdays for water colouring. Miss Gladstone was a very nice young woman, who didn't put Teecie down for her first crude attempts at drawing. "It might be difficult sometimes, since you're left handed. Sometimes your hand brushes over the paper and smudges it, but we can work around that," she assured Teecie kindly after Teecie had cried out in frustration over her mistakes. Miss Gladstone took her hand and helped her move it in a way so it didn't smudge the paper anymore. Teecie smiled and thanked her profusely before turning back to continue drawing the apple set on the table in front of her.

Time passed very quickly. Teecie's days were filled with art, dance, and etiquette lessons. Her evenings were full of writing letters to James, Narcissa, and Uncle Sev. She spent a lot of time reading books as well, or swimming in the pool.

Several weeks into the holiday, Teecie reminded Draco of his promise to take her to St. Mungo's. "Don't you think you're busy enough with all your lessons?" he asked while not looking up from his copy of the Evening Prophet.

"We could go on the weekend," Teecie suggested.

"Ticia, I work all week long, I'd like to have my weekend to relax."

"But Draco, you promised to take me. I suppose I could write to Uncle Sev to take me instead…" she trailed off.

"Ticia, you don't really need to go to St. Mungo's do you? I mean, I know I said I'd take you, but we're both really busy. It's not very convenient for either of us to go there," Draco replied calmly.

Teecie sighed. "Don't you want me to be a well educated person? Don't you want me to be a successful healer?" she asked quietly. "I know you haven't always been excited about me wanting to be a healer…I guess I'll just write to Uncle Sev that you can't take me after all, and ask if he'll do it."

Draco frowned. "What is so important about it, Ticia? You have several years before you need to think about it seriously," he said. "Why not take the rest of the holiday and concentrate on all your lessons? Healing will wait for you come September."

Teecie shrugged her shoulders. "I love it, and sometimes I get the feeling that you wish I didn't. Sometimes I get the feeling that you just want me to live like a rich girl in a mansion having tea parties all day and not doing anything worthwhile with my life," she explained.

"You know, there is nothing wrong with that. My mother has a very fulfilling life doing exactly that. It's nothing to feel ashamed of," Draco replied, determined not to be insulted by his sister's insensitivity.

"I know, but the world is different now. Girls are supposed to have careers _and_ families now. My mother had a job at the school and a family. I want that too. Healing is really interesting to me, and I'm pretty good at it. There isn't much else in the magical world that I like to do. Unless I do healing, there isn't much reason for me to even finish going to school, because I'll never use any of it."

Draco looked into his sister's face and saw the look of earnestness in her eyes. "You're every good at a lot of things you do at school. You're a most talented potions-maker. You could always follow the family tradition of becoming a professional potions-maker," he said before running his fingers through her curls.

"But I don't want to make potions for a living. I want to make sick people well again, and help hurt people to feel better," Teecie replied, twisting out from under her brother's hand. "Why don't you want me to be what makes me happiest?"

"I want you to be happy, Ticia. You know I do," Draco replied quietly.

"Then support what I want. You always want what _you_ think would make me happy, but I have to do what _I_ want. I need you to see that," Teecie said, standing her ground.

"But I'm your big brother. I'm supposed to tell you what to do and you're supposed to do it," Draco said, trying to stifle the small grin on his face. It was difficult to see his youngest sister growing up so much.

Teecie shook her head before playfully punching her brother's arm. "You might be my big brother, but I'm not a little girl anymore. I don't need you to look after me or keep me safe anymore. I need you to support my decisions. So, are you going to take me to St. Mungo's or do I need to write to Uncle Sev?" she asked.

The next morning, Draco escorted his sister to the hospital. For once, she was the one telling him all about what they were looking at. It was an odd feeling for him to not know something and have it explained to him by one so much younger. "See Draco, they wrap the cloth around the broken skin, and pour the potion over it, and the skin heals. Isn't that fascinating?" she chattered away excitedly. Draco smiled the entire day at his sister's happiness. Maybe there was something to letting her do what she wanted.

The first month of Teecie's holiday flew by and before she knew it, the time had come to prepare for her stay at Narcissa's. Teecie was more nervous than she thought she'd be, for she wouldn't have Draco or Uncle Sev to protect her from Narcissa's cutting remarks and insults. There was no way she'd be able to make Narcissa happy, either. What had she gotten herself into?

In her last dance lesson before leaving, she managed to step on everyone's toes instead of her usual flawless execution of the moves. In her final etiquette lesson, Teecie and Liss learned about the art of small talk during a tea or luncheon. "My dears, small talk is vital to success in society. You must know how to speak to the wives of your husband's friends in order to help him foster as many connections as possible. Your children will also benefit from this as well. You will be able to help your daughters find good suitors, and your sons to find suitable girls for marriage," she admonished while the girls sipped their tea politely.

Teecie never realized how important the words that came out of her mouth were. She had the power to do all of that just by speaking! It was quite a big responsibility. Imagine if she had James's boss and his wife over for dinner sometime; one wrong word to the wife, and James might never get a raise or a promotion. In fact, he could even be fired. And of course she wanted her sons and daughters to marry good people that they loved very much, and it would be useful to be able to speak to other women with children the same age, to help them make friends with each other. You never could tell when a friendship might lead to a marriage.

Teecie realized this was something she could use at all the tea parties she'd be going to with Narcissa over the next coming month. This thought only made her nervous again.

It was impossible to sleep that night. Her bags had all been packed and she was all ready to go, but it was too nerve-wracking to fall asleep. Teecie wrote letters to James, Uncle Sev, Paige, and Patty, telling them all about her holiday so far.

The next morning, after a meager breakfast, she flooed with her brother to his mother's home. Draco and Narcissa spoke together for a while in the parlour while Teecie sat quietly and listened. She tried to be polite when Narcissa made rude comments. "Well, you can hardly expect her to know how to conduct herself in proper society, given the upbringing she had. Raised on a farm like she was, it's a wonder the girl has any manners at all," she said while looking down her nose disapprovingly at Teecie. Teecie blushed and looked down at her lap, unable to meet her eyes.

"And is it true they allowed her to be near the filthy animals on the farm?" Narcissa asked her son. When Draco nodded his head sadly, she gasped. "What were those parents of hers thinking? Were they trying to raise a bunch of country bumpkins? It's cruel, that's what," she said.

Teecie was still sitting in her chair when Draco took his leave. As Narcissa hugged him farewell, she left her son with the parting advice of: "You should sue for custody of the girl while you still can. There's still time." Draco thanked his mother for the advice before flooing back to the Manor, wondering if he'd done the right thing by allowing Teecie to enter into this world unprotected from the harshness of true Slytherin society.


	64. Visiting Narcissa

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm glad you approve of Lucius's new livelihood. He just needed to do something all his own. Actually it started out as a joke between ElfFlame and I when we were trying to think of something for him to do, but I just went with it! And yes, it was very brave of Teecie to stand up for herself with Draco and get him to take her to the hospital. I hope that bravery lasts for this chapter with the visit to his mother's house! It's a rather long chapter, but there's a lot going on. I hope you enjoy it!

Visiting Narcissa

Teecie told herself she wouldn't cry-at least not in front of Narcissa. Once she'd been taken to her room, and left to her own devices until lunch, Teecie allowed herself a good cry. She'd thought she could handle whatever Narcissa said about her and her family, but found the words much harsher and crueler than she'd remembered.

The tears had finally stopped by the time lunch was announced. Teecie went to the dining room and sat at the foot of the table, while Narcissa spoke at her from the head. She picked at her French onion soup while the older woman explained how things would be run in her home. Her doubts returned with a vengeance as she listened to how controlled things were in Narcissa's home.

"Miss Orendes, you have hardly touched your food. Is there something wrong with it?" Narcissa asked, acting slightly offended.

"No, Mrs. Malfoy, the food is delicious. I'm afraid I'm just not very hungry right now," Teecie replied.

"Perhaps you should have a lie down after the meal. Though I must say a few skipped meals would do you no harm. You will keep your husband happier by staying trimmer. It is a good habit to begin now," Narcissa said harshly.

Teecie blushed and looked down at herself. She wasn't fat! Better fat than old, she thought to herself before picking up her spoon and proceeding to eat every last bite of her lunch.

"Tomorrow, I have a friend coming to tea. She will be bringing her niece, Morgaine Fawcett, with her, and I expect you two to become acquainted with one another. This will be a good opportunity for you to practice what you've learned in all your etiquette lessons," Narcissa sniffed.

Teecie's nervousness increased at the thought. What kind of girl would she be? Most likely a Slytherin. Hopefully she'd be nothing like Lisette. Was a Slytherin girl capable of being kind? Probably not, but hopefully she wouldn't be too rude.

Teecie was certain she'd make a mistake and embarrass Narcissa in front of her company. She spent the rest of the afternoon in her room, writing letters and trying to sleep.

The next day dawned much too quickly for Teecie's liking. She ate her breakfast in silence with Narcissa. Narcissa spent the meal admonishing Teecie about the tea that afternoon. "Remember your manners, as paltry was they are. Do not speak unless you are spoken to. Do not eat too much; it wouldn't do to make your guests think you're a glutton," she reminded her.

Tea time arrived far too quickly for Teecie's tastes. Betsy, Narcissa's maidservant, helped her dress for the occasion. Her hair was twisted and tied up off her face with an elegant silver clasp. Betsy helped her into a floor-length emerald green dress with small snake-shaped buttons all the way down the back. The form-fitting dress had a very high collar, and long sleeves. A silver pendant necklace was placed around her slender throat, along with matching earrings and a bracelet on her ears and wrist.

Teecie looked in the mirror and put the infamous Malfoy sneer on her face. She was startled to see how much she really did look like a Slytherin. In a way, it scared her to know she could pull it off so well. She quickly replaced the sneer with her own usual smile. It comforted her to know she was still herself under the costume and jewelry. "Betsy, could you transfigure the silver jewelry into gold? I'd do it myself, but I'm not allowed to over the holiday," she said, smiling at the kind-faced older woman.

"Oh no, Miss, I'm a squib. Even if I weren't, Mistress gave me strict instructions to dress you just like this," she replied, shaking her head. "You'd best get down to the parlour. Your guests will be arriving any minute now."

Teecie sighed and took one last look in the mirror before leaving the room and walking down the stairs to the parlour.

Narcissa looked her over carefully before finally declaring, "For once you look appropriate. The silver touch of the jewelry finishes off the look for you."

"Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy," Teecie said before sitting down. She crossed her ankles primly and waited in silence for the guests to arrive.

Once the guests arrived, Teecie tried to remain calm. Even though the girl, Morgaine Fawcett, was younger than Teecie by a couple years, she was still intimidating. Teecie was friends with Zeren, but had never had much luck with Slytherin girls, her own sister included. "It's so nice to meet you, Miss Fawcett," she said politely as they walked to the dining room.

"Yes, I have wanted to meet you for quite some time," Morgaine replied quietly.

Teecie looked at her. She was quite petite, with wavy jet-black hair, almond-shaped hazel eyes, and cherry-red lips. She looked kind, and Teecie hoped she really was.

"Oh?" she finally said. "You could have introduced yourself at school."

"That wouldn't have been proper. You are two years older, it isn't good form for me to introduce myself to you," Morgaine replied loftily.

"Oh, well, I wouldn't have minded. I think people get too hung up on being proper sometimes," Teecie smiled.

Morgaine looked at her as though she'd suggested something wild. "I've been told you're a very unconventional girl. Is it true you mean to become a healer?"

"Yes. I'm already reading up on it. What do you want to do after you leave school?"

"Well my father is going to arrange my marriage after I am presented to society, of course. I'll spend my time running my husband's home and tending to our children," Morgaine replied as if it should have been obvious.

"That's cool too," Teecie replied as they entered the dining room. The table was set with a fancy green porcelain tea set, as well as laden with finger sandwiches and biscuits.

The girls waited until the older women were seated before sitting down next to them at the table. Atworth, Narcissa's butler, poured the tea and handed each of them a cup and saucer before taking his leave.

Gretchen, Morgaine's aunt, talked with Narcissa about the latest goings on with their friends. "And did you hear that Lenora's daughter has gotten herself engaged to a Muggle! Of all things; what will they come up with next!" she said while biting into a tea cake daintily.

Teecie and Morgaine remained silent, politely sipping their tea and nibbling on cucumber and watercress sandwiches.

"Well, Ticia here, seems to have made a fine match for herself," Narcissa said when the topic turned to the children in the room. Teecie was absolutely stunned to hear the approval in her voice. "Her beau is one of the Lupin boys. Their mother is my niece, don't you know," she said before sipping her tea.

"Well, I suppose that's a good match then," Gretchen agreed, biting into a lemon biscuit. "And my Morgaine is quite promising in the marriage she's sure to have. Her party isn't for another two or three years yet, but she's already got a line of suitors just waiting for permission to court her."

"Well, Ticia has already had her party, and came away with at least a dozen suitors, if not more."

Teecie watched as the women continued comparing herself and Morgaine as though they were objects. She had no idea Narcissa could be so competitive.

"I suppose though, that it doesn't matter who Ticia marries. She stands to inherit a great deal of money after she does," Gretchen said. "Isn't it true, Ticia, that your father is giving you a large sum of money?" she asked turning to look down at Teecie.

Teecie took a deep breath before speaking. She hated being asked about her money. "The money I may or may not be inheriting is nobody's business but mine and my family's, ma'am," she replied as politely as possible.

Gretchen gasped and clutched at her chest. "Well, I never!" she cried.

"Ticia, you apologize at once!" Narcissa said sharply, "And you answer her question."

Teecie took a deep breath and folded her arms. "I apologize Mrs. Fawcett. I will be receiving a large sum of galleons upon my marriage," she said woodenly. "Though the amount does not really matter, for what I don't use to pay my way through healing school, will most likely be given away to poor Muggles," she added quickly before taking a sip of tea. She saw Morgaine smile ever so slightly while she glanced at her aunt for the reaction.

"Well I never! Have you ever heard of such a thing?" Gretchen asked in a shocked tone. "The very idea, why it's preposterous! You must do your best to talk her out of it Narcissa."

"Believe me, I'll be having a very long talk with her about this," Narcissa replied through clenched teeth, glaring at Teecie. Teecie smiled broadly up at the two before eating another cucumber sandwich.

Morgaine and Teecie promised to write to one another as the guests were preparing to leave. "Don't tell my aunt, but I think you're loads of fun!" Morgaine whispered before grinning briefly. "Goodbye!" she said before assuming a calm face when Gretchen called for her.

As soon as the door shut, Narcissa whirled around and descended upon Teecie. "Never in all my life have I witnessed such behaviour. You should be ashamed of yourself for treating my guest in such a fashion! You deliberately upset her with that nonsense about giving your money away. If I ever see you do such a thing again, I'll withdraw my approval of your marriage to James Lupin. You'll find it much more difficult with your brother if I do so. Now, go to your room, and think about what you did. I don't want to see you leave your room for the rest of the day," Narcissa fumed before turning her back on Teecie and walking out of the room.

Teecie felt indignant. She was fifteen years old! That was way too old to be sent to her room for punishment. She walked to her room anyway, but spent the rest of the day writing letters to James, Morgaine, and Uncle Sev.

Teecie was thinking of a response for the letter she'd gotten from Uncle Sev the next morning, and was still holding it when Narcissa knocked on the door and entered the room. "Who is that from?" she asked in greeting.

"It's just a note from Uncle Sev. I like to keep him up to date with my life. He told me to tell you he says 'hello'," she replied innocently.

Narcissa looked at her skeptically. "Did he now?" she murmured.

Teecie folded the letter up and stuck it in her pocket. "So, what are we doing today?" she asked, smiling.

"I am having another friend over for tea. You will sit with us and remain silent unless spoken to. In the event of that occurring, you will answer honestly, and properly, as you should. I will not tolerate anymore of your cheek. You are a very rude girl, and should feel ashamed because of it," Narcissa said harshly.

"But I don't understand, Mrs. Malfoy, what Mrs. Fawcett asked me was very rude too. Why should I have to answer a question if it's inappropriate?" Teecie asked, honestly confused.

Narcissa sighed and shook her head slowly. "You do not decide what is appropriate and what is inappropriate," she explained slowly, as though to a young child, "You are a child, and an elder asked you a question. That is all that matters. In time, you will learn this better, but you must try to improve in this, Ticia."

Teecie threw herself on her bed once Narcissa had left. What sort of crazy world was this, when people could be rude just because they were old? She decided she'd answer all of the questions that were sure to come today, with total honesty. It was what Narcissa insisted upon, after all.

Narcissa's guest, Mrs. Ernestine Peasebody, was already sitting in the parlour when Teecie arrived. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Peasebody. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," she purred while curtseying.

Mrs. Peasebody was an older woman, with snow white hair tied up in a tight bun, and gaudy gold rings on each finger. She was dressed in a very old-fashioned black dress. "I'm in mourning for my dear departed husband," she explained after noticing Teecie staring at the dress.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, Mrs. Peasebody. When did he pass away?" Teecie asked kindly, sitting down next to her and patting her hand consolingly. There was something strange about this woman that Teecie liked, even though she'd only just met her. She decided that Mrs. Peasebody was exactly what Professor Creevey would be like in her old age.

"Twenty years ago, this November," Mrs. Peasebody answered after thinking about it for a moment.

Narcissa entered the room just as Teecie was about to respond. "Dear Ernestine, how are you today? I do hope Ticia here has been behaving herself," she said while waltzing into the room. "She is rather a handful at times."

"Oh, we've just been getting to know one another," Ernestine replied while standing up. "Now, let's have our tea!" she said before walking into the dining room.

Teecie sat next to Narcissa, and across from Mrs. Peasebody. She listened in perfect silence while the other two talked. She piled her plate high with sandwiches, miniature quiches, and biscuits, while sipping her tea.

She'd just stuffed and entire quiche in her mouth, when Mrs. Peasebody asked what she intended to do after school. Teecie quickly chewed and swallowed her mouthful before replying. "Well, Mrs. Peasebody, my boyfriend and I would like to get married after we leave school. When that's done, I'll be going into training to become a professional healer," she said in clear tones. "I might have some children later on, when I'm older."

Mrs. Peasebody sat back and took all of that in. "Oh, my, that is quite ambitious of you. Some of the girls these days are doing amazing things. Working and having a family. Why, it's nothing like when I was younger. I was expected to marry, have babies, and take care of the house. It was considered proper behaviour for women, in my day," she replied, shaking her head in wonderment.

Narcissa smiled and nodded her head in agreement while Teecie's shoulders fell as yet another person voiced her disapproval over her choice in careers.

Ernestine took a sip of tea before starting up again. "Well, all I have to say about that is, I think it's about time young women these days were encouraged to do such things like having careers. I'd never been more bored in my life just taking care of the kids, day in and day out. What I wouldn't have given for a Ministry job, or a job at Gringotts, but my husband, bless his soul, wouldn't hear of it. Count your lucky stars, Ticia dear, that you have such a good young man supporting your decisions. It is rare enough in this world."

Teecie grinned. "Oh, yes, ma'am; he's a wonderful boy!" she gushed. "And you know, it's not too late to get a job if you want. I bet there are loads of places where you could work."

Ernestine smiled. "I'll keep that in mind. I do get awfully tired of doing nothing all day long."

Narcissa sat through all of this in stony silence, trying to maintain her composure. Ticia should not be encouraged in this! If enough people encouraged her, then she'd grow convinced it was a good idea.

As Mrs. Peasebody was leaving that afternoon, she left continued with her approval for Teecie. "Well, now, Miss Ticia, I wish you the best of luck when you become a healer. I wish I'd had a daughter with as much spunk as you, but I only had sons. And they're greedy ingrates who are counting down the days until I'm put in my grave, so they can fight over my money. Maybe I should teach them a lesson and leave all my money to you. You could use it to build a hospital in my name. Yes, that's what I'll do. I'll contact my solicitor first thing tomorrow morning."

"Oh, Mrs. Peasebody, you don't need to give me your money!" Teecie exclaimed in shock.

"But I would like to, dearie," Mrs. Peasebody smiled.

"I'm very flattered, but my father is giving me a rather large inheritance, and I don't think I'll need more money. Perhaps you could leave it in some sort of scholarship fund set up to help pay for other girls to go through schooling and training to get good jobs," Teecie suggested.

Mrs. Peasebody thought about it for a moment. "Why, that's a wonderful idea. I'll set out tomorrow to do just that," she said while putting on her shawl and hat. "Good afternoon, Ticia dear, Narcissa," she called out while leaving the house.

Teecie sighed and flopped down on the sofa. "I like her!" she laughed.

"Ticia, you were very rude today," Narcissa began, moving to stand in front of her, hands on her hips. "First, you treated Mrs. Peasebody far too familiarly. She was a perfect stranger and very much your elder, and you shouldn't have been so friendly towards her. And your posture, I cannot begin to tell you how humiliated I was to see you slump your shoulders the way you did. You'll grow a hump on your back if you're not careful. And do not even get me started on the way you forgot to cross your ankles. Only girls of ill-repute keep their ankles uncrossed. You don't want boys thinking you're a girl of loose morals now, do you? A boy who sees a girl with her legs parted will think he can get in between them, remember that," she admonished Teecie.

Teecie blushed. She hadn't thought she'd been that bad with Mrs. Peasebody. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Malfoy, I had no idea I'd done all those things," she said. "I don't want boys to think I'm a slut," she reassured her.

Narcissa gasped. "Ticia, a proper young lady does not use such foul language! I'm afraid you are on a path to lesser things in life, and it is entirely your own fault. I do not know how much help I can give you when you continue to act and speak in such a fashion," she said gravely. "And I'm afraid there's more. First you piled your plate full of food. A proper young lady should have the appetite of a bird, not that of an elephant. And then, stuffing an entire quiche in your mouth! I have never heard of such improper behaviour!"

"But I was really hungry. And it's not like I chewed with my mouth open or anything," Teecie reasoned.

"That is not the reason you were improper. You'll have a difficult time keeping a husband if you continue to gorge yourself like you do."

"James says he likes a girl with a healthy appetite," Teecie replied flippantly.

"Then James is lying. No boy, or man, wants a girl who eats like a pig. You have to learn to restrain yourself. Perhaps it's time to get you fitted for a corset. That will help stave your hearty appetite."

Teecie was unsure if Narcissa could really do that or not. "Mrs. Malfoy, corsets are very dangerous. They can break your ribs and squash your guts up into your stomach. It's not healthy, and I will never wear one," she finally replied firmly.

Narcissa narrowed her eyes dangerously. "We'll just have to see about that," she said quietly. "And there is yet more, you should not have engaged Mrs. Peasebody in conversation so much. She is an elderly woman, and an eccentric one at that. It was wrong of you to turn down her offer of money. You probably hurt her feelings terribly, and lost out on a chance for possible connections and an inheritance. Do not ever do such a thing again," she hissed.

Teecie folded her arms and frowned. "I was just trying to be polite and nice, like you want me to be. I figured there were others who could make better use of the inheritance. I have enough money, I certainly don't need more," she replied. She could tell that nothing good would come of this day, but it would still not do to lose her cool. "Look, Mrs. Malfoy, I am trying my best to be what you want me to be. I'm trying my best to be what my brother wants me to be. But I don't think I can do that. All you and Draco ever do is find more things I did wrong to trash me about. I don't know that I'll ever be any better than this, so you might want to get used to it," she said in a flat voice, trying not to betray any emotions.

Narcissa sighed and frowned before sitting down next to Teecie. "Ticia, I know you feel as though your brother and I pick on you. But you must understand that it is for your own good. When you are introduced to certain people in the society that Draco and I live in, you will be expected to know all of this, and act in a certain way. Young ladies are supposed to be demure, and very polite in every aspect of their lives. It would not be this difficult if you had received a proper upbringing from the very beginning, however, your brother and I are trying to make up for lost time. You have to learn a lifetime of lessons in only a few months. It is a lot to have to learn in such a short time, I know, but you must learn these lessons if you want to make it in this world," she said in an almost kind voice.

Teecie sighed. There was no point in arguing with Narcissa. And it did seem as though she truly cared. "I'll keep doing my best, Mrs. Malfoy, but please don't yell at me anymore. It doesn't help me remember things any better," she finally said in a defeated tone.

Narcissa sniffed and straightened out her skirt before speaking. "Well, we'll just see how things go. You must be tired now, so why don't you return to your room and get some rest?"

Teecie nodded and slowly stood up. Before walking away, she threw her arms around Narcissa, and gave her a hug. "Thank you for being so patient with me," she whispered before turning and running out of the room.

"Proper ladies do not run, Ticia," Narcissa called out after she'd had a chance to recover from the shock of the embrace. She watched as Teecie slowed down to a walk and tripped on the first two steps while going up the stairs. She sighed and shook her head with resignation as the girl picked herself back up and walked to her room. She did have potential, really, if only she would just stop being so excitable.

The next week was spent with Narcissa instructing Teecie on a one-on-one basis. There were no tea parties or guests to distract them. Narcissa taught her more in the art of small talk. They ate their meals together, and practiced.

"Did you know, Mrs. Malfoy, that this is my OWL year at school? I'm going to study really hard and get O's in all of my classes!" Teecie exclaimed one afternoon before biting into her Croquet Monsieur.

"Ticia, really, you must try to speak with less enthusiasm. And people don't like it when you only talk about yourself. You must always gear your conversation towards the other person," Narcissa instructed.

Teecie finished her bite and tried again. "So, do you have any funny stories of when Draco was a baby?" she asked curiously.

The corners of Narcissa's mouth twitched. "Ah, that is much better, Ticia," she replied. "Now, let us begin answering questions. I will ask you questions that you are to answer for me. What are your plans for when you leave school?"

Teecie took a sip of lemonade before responding. "Well, it's a toss up between circus clown, and prostitute. I'm not quite sure yet," she replied calmly.

Narcissa gasped and grew pale. "Ticia Orendes, what has come over you? You were doing so well this last week!"

Teecie broke out into uncontrollable giggles. "It was a joke, Mrs. Mafoy! You should see the look on your face right now!" she shrieked hysterically while bending over from all the laughter.

"Ticia, there is a time and a place for humour, but public gatherings are not it. You must always remember to be composed. Dignity, always dignity, remember that," Narcissa replied while shaking her head. "Now, let's try that again."

Teecie needed another minute to calm down from her joke before trying again. "Well, Mrs. Malfoy, I intend to go to healing school and become a professional healer. I also intend to marry and have a family," she said in a smooth voice.

Narcissa nodded her head. "That was much better, Ticia, only, you might talk about marriage and family first, as it is more fitting for a girl," she replied.

Since Narcissa decided it was too early to take Teecie out into public, she brought a seamstress to the house and had several more outfits made for her. There were more evening gowns and a few sun dresses made. Teecie's favourite was a rose pink sundress with a soft sea foam green trim. It had cap sleeves, and just the smallest hint of a vee-neck. Matching gloves, slippers, and a most lovely light yellow straw hat adorned with pink rose buds, Queen Anne's lace, and a silk tie, accompanied the dress.

"Oh, Mrs. Malfoy, aren't I beautiful," Teecie crowed while gazing at her reflection in the mirror.

"You look lovely, Ticia, but it isn't good manners to ask people such things. It is very vein of you," Narcissa replied.

"I wish I had somewhere to wear this."

"It just so happens, that we were invited to attend the annual Fawcett garden party. We shall attend, if you can manage to behave yourself," Narcissa replied.

Teecie grinned. "Really? When is it? It will be loads of fun," she cried excitedly.

"Two days from now, so we must work very hard until then to make sure your manners are acceptable for such a gathering. There will be adults, and people your age. There will be some young men in attendance as well, so you will need to make sure you are on your best behaviour," Narcissa replied.

"Oh, I know I'll behave. I want to make more friends. You can never have too many," Teecie replied.

Narcissa's heart felt proud at that moment. She knew then that she was making an impact on the young girl's life.

The next couple days passed quickly, and before anybody knew it, the day of the garden party arrived.

Teecie stood close to Narcissa when they arrived that afternoon. There was nobody she recognized at first, and she found herself growing nervous to be around so many strangers. After a minute though, she spotted Zeren and Rey standing off in a corner by themselves. The looks on their faces showed that they were clearly less than thrilled to be at a garden party full of women.

"Mrs. Malfoy, I see some people from my class. May I go see them?" she asked politely.

Narcissa looked at Teecie carefully. "Yes, you may, but remember to be on your best behaviour," she said as Teecie started walking towards the boys.

"Hey, guys!" she said excitedly as she approached them.

"Hello, Ticia," they replied.

"Who brought you here? Surely Professor Black has better things to do than attend a garden party," Zeren said after kissing her hand politely.

"Oh, I didn't come with him. I'm here with his mum," Teecie replied, turning to wave at Narcissa.

"That's his mum?" Rey asked incredulously.

"I can see the resemblance," Zeren replied in awe. His head tilted back as he followed Narcissa while she walked through the crowd. He bit his lip and shook his head gently before turning his attention back to Teecie.

"So, boys, what have you been doing over the summer?" Teecie asked, trying out her conversational skills. She kept them talking about themselves for almost an hour before Narcissa tore her away from them.

"Ticia, you must speak with some of the other guests as well," she instructed Teecie while leading her over to a group of girls. She noticed that none of them was wearing pink or looked remotely like her.

"So, you must be Ticia Orendes. I'm Levana Clarke," a dark-haired girl with bright blue eyes said. "I'm a fourth year Slytherin."

"Hello, Levana, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Teecie replied, smiling at the girl.

All the other girls stood around in a circle and introduced themselves. Occasionally, one of them would compliment Teecie on her dress or her hair. Teecie was as demure and polite as she could be, and felt like she'd made some progress with the girls.

After a while, she excused herself to get a glass of lemonade. By the time she returned, the other girls were cackling and giggling to one another. "Did you see her dress? Who in their right mind would wear pink? That's a Gryffindor for you!" Roxanne Zabini, one of the girls in the circle, cried out while the others laughed.

"And her hair! It's practically unruly with those curls. I'd get it straightened if it was mine," Stella Gavroche, a third year Slytherin, added.

Teecie had never felt more humiliated in her life. She could feel the heat seeping into her cheeks. The girls didn't know she could hear what was being said about her, or if they did, they didn't care. Narcissa hadn't told her what to do in such a situation, so she was unsure of how to handle herself. The easiest thing to do would be to go off and find other people to talk to, but she didn't feel like running away this time.

It wouldn't do to cry or yell at the girls. These were sophisticated girls, who would only frown upon her even more if she did. She could rejoin the group and pretend she hadn't heard anything, but then they'd feel like they'd gotten away with it.

Teecie finally decided to go back to the circle of girls, and see if she couldn't dole out a few insults of her own. Perhaps that would teach them to be nicer.

She calmly took her place back in the circle and listened as the laughing died down. Once a lull had fallen over them, Teecie smiled and turned to Stella, the girl who'd insulted her hair. "So, Stella, what is your favourite class at school?" she asked curiously.

"Care for Magical Creatures, it's easy and I make the best grades in my year for it," Stella replied haughtily, tossing her long blonde hair over her shoulder.

Teecie sniffed. "Oh, well, I suppose it's all right to feel accomplished for making good marks in the easy classes. If that's the level of competence you're at, it's good that you feel so comfortable and proud of it," she replied. "And I suppose you don't need to worry about being smart, seeing as you're just going to end up as some man's trophy wife some day. It's good that you recognize it so early on so you don't have to waste time on all that boring effort." Teecie took a sip of lemonade when she'd finished. Stella glowered at her, but remained silent. The other girls didn't seem to know what to make of the situation.

Next, Teecie turned to Roxanne, the one who'd insulted her choice in colours. "Well, Roxanne, I must say it is good to see you've gotten out from under Lisette Crabbe's thumb. She was a frightful bully, and so were you. But now it seems that you've taken up with Fenton Payne." Roxanne was currently dating the seventh year captain of the Quidditch team, and one time wooer of Teecie's inheritance. "You're probably under far more than his thumb, or less, I suppose, as the case may be, and it seems to have mellowed you out. I suppose you're just really grateful to have a boyfriend at all. Even if he is one _I_ turned down," Teecie said while straightening out the hem on her skirt.

She went down the line and insulted each and every one of the girls. Once she'd finished, she looked at her now-empty glass. "My, I am parched. I do hope you won't think me rude for running off to find more refreshments. Ta ta girls!" Teecie said smoothly before swaggering off triumphantly in search of a drink.

As Teecie lingered at the refreshment table, Morgaine Fawcett approached her. "Hello, Ticia. So, word is getting around of what you said to the girls. They seem pretty impressed that a Gryffindor could come up with such things to say to insult people. I think they respect you now," she informed Teecie while grabbing a plate and putting a couple of biscuits on it.

"Really? I didn't hurt their feelings?" Teecie asked incredulously.

"Oh no, see, we Slytherins trade insults like Wizard cards. It's a sign of respect, really," Morgaine explained.

Teecie straightened her shoulders and smiled. "Well, that's a good thing to know. This party has sure been a lot of fun so far. Maybe I'll get to be better friends with some more of the girls at school."

Once finished speaking to Morgaine, Teecie wandered around and found Narcissa speaking to some of the other adults. "Oh, well, Ticia is very rough around the edges, but I'm having great success with her, so far," she reassured one of the women.

"But what's this I hear about her becoming a healer? Surely you do not approve," one of the gentlemen attending the party asked.

"Well, I cannot say I fully approve, but I must always remember the upbringing she had. It really is no surprise," Narcissa sniffed.

"Perhaps you can speak with the Headmaster. Maybe Snape can help dissuade the girl."

"I already have. He does not feel at liberty to tell her of his disapproval. He feels he may have a better chance at success by discouraging her in more subtle ways," Narcissa replied.

Teecie's heart sank to hear this news. Not only did Uncle Sev fully disapprove of her becoming a healer, but he was going to do his best to discourage her as well. The rest of the garden party slowly crawled by until it was time to leave a couple hours later.

There were only a few days left before Teecie would be leaving to return home. That night, she composed a letter to Uncle Sev, hoping it would convey how she felt to him.

Headmaster Snape,

It has come to my attention that you do not approve of my becoming a healer upon completion of my schooling at Hogwarts.

I am writing this letter to inform you that any attempts to thwart my chances of going into healing, or otherwise discouraging my desires, will not be appreciated or effective. Any such occurrence will only act to encourage me more, not less.

I am saddened to know that a person I have loved and respected so greatly, would wish to make me so unhappy in my life. I would have thought if you truly cared for me, you would have supported me, no matter what I chose as my career.

I know you must be deeply disappointed in me, but please, do not think less of me. Please do not withhold your, albeit rare, affections for me. I hope this will not cause you to stop loving me, but know that my love for you is not conditional. My love for you remains the same, no matter how much you have disappointed and hurt me.

I remain yours, affectionately,

Ticia Orendes

Teecie sent the letter off that night. She was very surprised to see Uncle Sev show up the very next morning, letter in hand, while she was busy eating her pancakes with strawberries. "What are you doing here?" she asked as he walked over to the table.

Atworth, the butler, hurried into the room after Snape. "I'm so sorry, Mistress, I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't hear of it," he said apologetically.

"Severus Snape, what are you thinking, entering unannounced into my house?" Narcissa asked, frowning at him as he walked over to Teecie.

"I came to talk to both of you. I would like to speak to Ticia, alone, first," Severus replied coolly.

Teecie felt slightly afraid as she looked up at him. He was so intense, and so insistent that he speak to her. He must be really angry at me for writing that letter, she thought to herself. She slowly stood up and looked at Narcissa. "It's OK, Mrs. Malfoy, we'll go to the parlour and talk," she said while walking towards Uncle Sev.

Narcissa was speechless while Snape put his hand on Teecie's shoulder and led her out of the room. Once they were behind closed doors in the parlour, Severus began to talk to her.

"Ticia, I do not know who told you that I disapprove of you becoming a healer, but that simply isn't the case. I care very much about you, and I have come to see that healing is something you are quite talented in. You are the only one of your sisters to attempt such a prestigious and important career, and I would do all within my power to help you attain your goals. I do think you will have an arduous task in having both a career and a family, and I wish you the best of luck with that," he said quietly.

Teecie took a deep breath as she took all of this in. "But she said you didn't want me to become a healer and would try to stop me in any way you could," she replied quietly.

Severus sighed and looked into Teecie's eyes. "I do admit to telling Narcissa that I did not approve when you _first_ toyed with the idea. I have since come to see that you are serious about it and good at it as well. I also said that at a time when she was most insistent upon my agreement with her opinions," he said.

Teecie tilted her head and looked at him carefully. "You mean you said it to shut her up," she replied.

"Well, I wouldn't put it in those words precisely, but…yes," Snape agreed while straightening his shoulders and standing up to his fullest height.

Teecie stood up and smiled. "Oh, Uncle Sev, you don't know how upset I was!" she cried while throwing her arms around him.

Severus patted her on the back tentatively. "Yes, well, you had no need to be. I care deeply for you. And I must say that your letter was very maturely written. I was quite impressed," he said in a reassuring voice.

"Oh, it wasn't so hard. I had a thesaurus," Teecie replied before kissing his cheek and walking to the door. "Do you mind? Only, my pancakes are getting cold," she explained while opening the door and coming face-to-face with Narcissa. "Hello, Mrs. Malfoy," she greeted her. "I'll leave you two alone."

Once the door was closed, after Narcissa entered the room, Teecie forgot all about the pancakes, and stood with her ear plastered against the door, but couldn't hear anything.

If Teecie had been able to hear what was going on inside the parlour, she would have been very nervous. The two adults were speaking very intensely to one another.

"Narcissa, what are you doing filling that poor girl's head with nonsense about my not supporting her?" Snape demanded harshly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Narcissa replied.

"She sent me a letter last night saying she'd heard that I was not supporting her choice in becoming a healer. Now, I'm sure you had nothing to do with that," he explained.

"I never said anything of the sort to the girl. She probably heard it at the garden party we attended yesterday."

"Oh? You took her to mingle with a group of your friends? No wonder she came up with such an idea."

"So, you deny having thought such a thing? You did tell me the same thing in Hogsmeade, did you not?"

"Yes, I did say that. I wish now that I had kept my own council on the matter. But whatever I may have said, that does not give you the right to say such things to Ticia. It's just like you to be a meddlesome woman, you always have been. And don't tell me you're being kind to her. I know how harsh you can be when you want to. I wouldn't doubt that you take pleasure in hurting the youngest child of your husband."

Narcissa's eyes narrowed dangerously and put her hands on her hips. "How dare you mention him? You are no gentleman to say such a thing. I cannot believe I actually sat through an entire afternoon with you on Ticia's birthday. You are a perfect barbarian, and I should have you thrown out of this house immediately," she hissed.

Snape's nostrils flared dangerously as he took an ominous step closer to her. "Narcissa, if I ever hear of you saying anything like that to Ticia again, I will make sure that you regret it. I can also promise you that Draco will hear of it as well. I doubt he would take kindly to someone injuring his sister in such a way," he growled.

Narcissa's eyes grew wide and she took several steps back from Snape. She had moved behind an arm chair before coming to a stop. She was visibly shaking, and not looking at him while huddling against the chair.

Snape was confused by her actions, and moved closer to her. Narcissa let out a strained cry and moved further back in the room. She came to stand next to the fireplace, and picked up the wrought-iron poker in her hands. Narcissa looked at him in strained silence and shook her head at him. Snape stopped and held his hands up to show he meant no harm.

"Narcissa, what is the matter?" he asked quietly.

Narcissa merely shook her head and brandished the poker at him. A few seconds later, another strangled cry was heard coming from her mouth.

"Narcissa, I'm not going to hurt you," Snape said in a kind voice. He was absolutely horrified to see he'd upset her so much. "Please, put that down," he said, pointing to the poker.

Narcissa shook her head and held onto the poker more tightly. "I will not let you do what _he_ did to me. Never again," she whispered.

Snape was taken aback as he realized what he'd done. "Narcissa…I'm so sorry. That is not what I intended. I should never have mentioned that man, nor should I have threatened you. It wasn't fair to you," he replied while sitting down on the sofa. He looked at her again. "Please, Narcissa, why don't you sit down? Keep the poker if you want to."

Narcissa seemed to relax somewhat. "I promise I won't tell Ticia anything else," she stammered.

"Narcissa, this isn't about Ticia anymore," Severus said in a pleading voice. "I should never have spoken to you the way I did. You don't deserve to be spoken to like that. Please, just…sit down."

"You will not give me orders in my own home," Narcissa hissed angrily.

Severus rubbed his temples. She was still very upset, but at least she wasn't cowering in fear for her life anymore. He slowly stood up and started walking towards her. "Narcissa, are you all right?" he asked cautiously. After a couple minutes of silence, he grew frustrated, no longer knowing what to say.

Severus was saved from this though, by a large crashing sound, and a scream coming from the window. He whipped around to see Teecie hanging from a tree next to the window by her arms. Her legs were pumping quickly as she tried to regain her footing on a branch that had broken out from under her weight.

Snape's eyes grew wide as he saw Teecie dangling precariously from the tree. Within a second, he was at the window, opening it quickly, with his wand. He grabbed Teecie around the waist and pulled her inside the parlour. "Ticia, are you all right?" he asked in a tight voice, while looking at her to make sure she was unhurt. Teecie threw herself against him and hugged him tightly, unable to speak. When he was certain she was unharmed, he frowned and pulled her away from him. "Ticia, what put this feather-brained notion into your head? You could have killed yourself," he said harshly before drawing her back into a hug.

Teecie had grown impatient at the door and had finally decided to see if she could climb the tree to look in the window. As she had finally gotten to the level of the window, the branch she'd stepped on, broke under her weight. She hadn't even had a chance to see anything.

Before Snape could berate Teecie any further, Narcissa rushed over to her, grabbed her out of Snape's arms, and dragged her back towards the arm chair before pushing her down into it. "Ticia, what were you thinking doing such a thing? Have you learned nothing since coming here?" she cried. "I cannot believe you would do such an un-ladylike and dangerous thing!" After a few seconds, she turned to look at Snape, with pure venom in her features. "You, this is all your fault. You excited Ticia too much by barging in here and demanding to be heard by us. I want you out of this house, and out of my life, now!" Narcissa was still holding onto the poker, and brandished it at him again.

Teecie was beginning to thaw out from her traumatic experience, and saw what was unfolding before her. Narcissa was about to skewer Uncle Sev, and she didn't seem to have any problems with it.

Teecie moved to stand in front of Uncle Sev, wanting to protect him. "No, Mrs. Malfoy, don't hurt him!" she cried loudly while throwing her arms out dramatically to shield him from the impact of the poker.

Severus frowned and took Teecie firmly by the shoulders. He led her to the door of the parlour, and slammed the door shut on her face. Teecie was indignant. After she tried to save him, this is how he repaid her? There was no use after that, so she went up to her room, and began packing for her return home in a couple days' time.

Once Teecie was back out of the room, Severus turned back to look at Narcissa, who was still ranting and raving about him. "All your fault!" she shouted, "You encourage her to do such things. You're so busy trying to help her become a healer, you've allowed her to become a perfect disappointment. She'll never have a good future, not if you let her get away with that sort of behaviour."

Snape took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. "Narcissa, I do not encourage her to do such things as climb trees, nor do I encourage any of her other unladylike behaviours. Believe me, I will be having a long discussion with her about this little stunt of hers. I do not even know why she did it," he said in a firm voice.

Narcissa looked at him as if he was insane. "You have no idea? None at all? I'm sure that's the case. It's not as though you had her set all this up yourself, now, did you? Do you really think me that simple?" she cried.

"What are you talking about?"

"It is perfectly obvious, Severus, that you have feelings for me. It is also obvious that you put Ticia up to helping you in setting all of this up. I can see now, even Hogsmeade was your idea, was it not? I wonder what my son will think of all this," Narcissa said coolly.

Snape stopped cold. He tried not to betray any emotion, but found it very difficult not to. Everything was starting to make more sense now. If he ever got his hands on Ticia again, he was going to strangle her. "I can assure you, Narcissa, that my feelings for you are nothing more than platonic. I am an unemotional man, Narcissa, nor do I want to be emotional. About you or anyone else," he explained to her as calmly as possible.

Snape turned to walk out of the room, but turned and looked at her with narrowed eyes. There was more to this than he thought. "How can I know for sure, that it was not _you_ who set this up with Ticia, to meet me in Hogsmeade? I did not even agree to go until the night before. Ticia had set the day up with you weeks in advance. Perhaps it is _you_, madam, who has feelings for _me_," he said before turning back around and walking once more towards the door.

His hand was on the handle before Narcissa responded. "How dare you suggest such a thing? That is the rudest thing you could ever say to me!" She emphasized this point by throwing a crystal vase at his head. It would have hit him had he not ducked in time.

Snape's eyes grew wide as he straightened up and looked at Narcissa. He'd never known she was capable of such an action. It was so emotionally charged, not a thing he associated with her. "You could have killed me!" he bellowed angrily while walking over towards her.

Narcissa stood her ground, feeling the anger well up inside her as she watched him approach her. "It would serve you right for being such a bastard!" she hissed.

"Attempting to kill me and cursing? Such very lady-like things to do, Narcissa," Snape replied sarcastically.

"Don't you preach to me about being ladylike. I've spent my entire life being proper, and doing what is expected of me. I will not have you question my actions or judge me for them. Especially when _you_ have the manners of a mountain troll!" she said while taking a bold step towards him.

"A mountain troll, eh? If I have the manners of a mountain troll, then why are you not afraid that I will club you over the head and drag you off to my cave by your hair?" Severus asked, raising his eyebrow curiously.

"You would never do such a thing. You're far too…" Narcissa trailed off, trying to find a word that wouldn't take back all she'd just said about his lack of manners.

"Polite? Gentlemanly? Well-mannered? Do any of those work?" he asked, both eyebrows now raised.

Narcissa scowled. She had the distinct feeling he was mocking her, and it made her very upset. "Oh, why don't you just leave? You are very rude and I do not wish to associate with you ever again," she replied firmly.

Snape nodded his head curtly. "Very well then, Narcissa. I will not burden you with my presence any longer," he said smoothly before taking one of her hands in his and kissing it. "Good afternoon," he said quietly while looking deeply into her eyes for a moment. A few seconds later, he turned and walked towards the door. He turned back when Narcissa began to speak.

"And good riddance, I say," Narcissa called out after him, while unconsciously cradling the hand Snape had kissed, against her bosom. He couldn't help but notice the smallest of smiles creeping into her face as she looked away from him.

Snape gazed at her for a moment before smiling politely at her. "It's always a pleasure, Narcissa," he said, hoping to get the last word. He was amazed though, because she let him have it.

Snape walked out of Narcissa's home that afternoon feeling very confused over what had taken place there. It would take time, though, to sort it all out. Such things were never easy to work out, not that there was anything _to_ work out, of course.

Author's Note: "Dignity, always dignity…" Quote taken from Singin' in the Rain.


	65. Fifth Year Begins

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: Yes, Narcissa does seem to have a good future ahead of her…We'll just have to wait and see what happens! And Teecie is starting to stand up for herself a bit more, which is good. This chapter brings her back to school, the start of her fifth year! I can't believe she's a fifth year already! They're all growing up so quickly, though taking a few steps backwards at times, as this chapter will show. All I can say is, it's going to be an interesting year. Enjoy!

Fifth Year Begins

Narcissa was still very upset with Teecie the next morning. She kept glaring at her while buttering her toast at breakfast. As she drank her morning cup of tea, she'd shake her head as though disappointed.

Teecie sighed. "Look Mrs. Malfoy, I'm sorry. I do not know how many more times I have to say that to you," she replied quietly as she cut into her cheese omelet.

"Don't you speak to me with such insolence, girl. I took you into my home, and offered you the chance of a lifetime, the chance to better yourself in society, and this is how you repay me!" Narcissa hissed angrily.

"But I didn't mean to ruin my chances. I just wanted to see what was happening, that's all," Teecie cried.

"Curiosity is not a ladylike quality," Narcissa snapped. "What you did was disgraceful, and you should be mortified and ashamed. You do not understand any of this, it is very simple, and yet you do not get it. I don't think I can do any more for you, Ticia. I think it would be best for you to return to your brother's house until you go back home," she finally said before setting her tea cup down.

Teecie's face fell as she looked at Narcissa. "I'm sorry I disappointed you," she whispered as tears filled her eyes. "I don't think I'm cut out for this kind of life. All I do is make people angry and upset. But, really, what do you expect? I grew up on a farm and was raised to think and do whatever I wanted. There's nothing wrong with that, you know," she said, starting to feel angry that Narcissa was so upset.

"You are obviously not capable of understanding the importance of a good future in proper society. As much as it is your parents' fault for not raising you like a proper young lady, it is also your own fault for not trying hard enough, and for not wanting it enough to make the changes needed for a better life. You are a disgrace, and a shame, and I'm outraged to know I wasted an entire month of my life trying to help you," Narcissa was very upset now.

Teecie set down her fork and slowly stood up. "I'll go pack my bags now and floo back to my brother's. I don't want to impose on you any longer," she said quietly while walking out the door.

Once back in her room, she finished packing her bags. Teecie sat at the table and composed a letter of apology to Narcissa that she left on the pillow of her bed for the maid to find and deliver.

Teecie picked up her bags and walked to the fireplace in her room, and quickly flooed back to Black Manor. She arrived in the drawing room, where Tanith was sitting and reading a book by the window.

"Ticia, what brings you back early? Is everything all right?" she asked while setting the book down and standing up.

"Mrs. Malfoy decided she'd had enough of me and that I should come back sooner," Teecie replied sullenly.

Tanith tilted her head and looked at her sister-in-law with scrutiny. "Did she now?" she said faintly. "Well, no matter, welcome back dear," she said while giving her a hug.

Teecie walked alone over to her room and set her bags down. She'd be returning to her house in two days, so there was no need to unpack anything. As soon as she'd sat down on her bed, there was a knock on the door, and Draco stepped into the room. "So, Ticia, what brings you back so early?" he asked curiously.

"She caught me climbing a tree and freaked out," Teecie replied honestly.

Draco's brow furrowed. "And what were you climbing a tree for?" he asked.

"I was trying to get a better look at something, and needed to climb a tree. I apologized to her like a million times, and I really am sorry," Teecie said quietly. "She already told me how worthless I am and that I have no future in 'good' society. I told you I'm not meant for this kind of life, Draco! All the two of you do is make me feel bad for just being myself. I think I'm done with it. I appreciate what you did for me, and I love you. I really did enjoy most of the time I spent with your mum too, but I think I'm just going to enjoy being who I am. Do you think you can learn to love me for that? Please don't be angry with me."

Draco sighed and walked over to Teecie. "Ticia, you know I love you very much. Nothing you do will ever change that," he assured her while pulling her into a hug. His sister always needed a lot of reassurance of his love. "Why don't you go to Lisandra's room and help her pack for school? She's quite nervous about leaving home, and you might be able to help her with that," he finally suggested after a minute.

Teecie stood up. "All right, that'll be fun," she said with a smile on her face. Draco walked her up to Liss's room before going into his den and dispatching a letter off to his mother.

The girls spent the rest of the day packing and talking and laughing together. Liss was actually quite excited to be going off to school. "I'll get to see father every day. That will be wonderful!" she squealed.

"It's not always that much fun to be so close to your parents at school. I mean, it's nice when you need a hug or help with your potions work, but it's not so much fun when you're trying to sneak out of the school or snog a boy," Teecie replied.

Liss gasped. "Oh, Auntie, I would never do such a thing. Father would be so disappointed if he knew I did stuff like that," she said in a shocked voice.

"Give it a few years, you'll surprise yourself," Teecie replied. "Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, when we get to school, would you mind calling me Ticia, or Teecie, instead of Auntie? You know I love being called that, but it's kind of funny when we're both going to be at school together, you know?"

Liss nodded her head. "I understand. I'll just call you Ticia," she replied.

The two girls spent the rest of the two days together, talking and making plans for school. Teecie told Liss all about the Lake Party. She was very excited about it. "I hope father allows me to attend," she said while twirling around the room happily.

Two days before school started, Teecie flooed back to the property, to spend some time with her family. It seems that it had been an interesting holiday for them. Adriana had taught Kali all there was to know about keeping house for her family, though Kali really hadn't enjoyed any of it. Paul had spent his holiday interning with his father at the Ministry of Magic. "Father says he'll get me a job in his department when I leave school after this year," he told Teecie while they sat around the dinner table.

Lucius had spent his summer at the local farmer's market. He'd set up a booth with samples of all his flavours of honey that were available for purchase. Apparently he had quite a contingent of female fans of his honey. One woman, he reported, showed up every other day to buy a jar. Adriana found time during her holiday to visit Lucius on those days-just to make sure he was all right, of course.

Adriana had helped him sell a few jars herself. It seemed she was quite the charmer when it came to drawing in male customers. Lucius decided they made a near-perfect team when it came to marketing and selling his honey.

Teecie was very happy to see her parents doing so well again. They seemed to have made up, and had a lot of fun in the two days she was home. Adriana didn't treat Lucius like a baby, and he seemed to respond well to that. She smiled to see her parents sitting on the back porch swing, Adriana's head on Lucius's shoulder, as they rocked in the twilight hours. As Teecie went to bed that night, she stood in the kitchen doorway and watched as her parents whispered into one another's ears, and stole kisses every few minutes.

The next morning, Lucius asked Teecie if she'd like to go with him to the farmer's market to help him sell honey for her last day of the summer. "Sure!" she replied.

The two talked while they drove into town. Teecie told Lucius all about her summer at Draco's, leaving out the time she'd spent at Narcissa's. Once they arrived at the farmer's market, she carried the box of jars for him while he walked over to his booth. "It's not much, yet, but I have plans," he assured her while puffing his chest out with pride at his creation.

"Oh dad, I think it's great," Teecie reassured him as she looked around at how much space he had to show off his honey. They spent a while setting up the jars before stepping behind the counter and opening for the day's business.

It was a busy Sunday at the farmer's market, and lots of people seemed interested in Lucius and his honey. Teecie watched as he flirted with all the women who stopped to sample his wares. "Oh, of course, this honey would go wonderfully on glazed salmon, but, I would recommend using it for something sweeter…" he said, wriggling his eyebrows and winking at a middle-aged brown-haired woman.

"Oh, you are so bad," the woman gushed breathlessly while picking up three jars of the sweet substance and walking over to Teecie, who was in charge of the money for the day. "This honey is so delicious," the woman said while handing the money over to Teecie, and turning to stare at Lucius for a while longer.

"Why thank you, my father has worked very hard on all of this," Teecie said while handing her the change.

"That's your father?" the woman asked in a shocked tone.

"Yes, that's my dad," Teecie grinned while looked at Lucius, who was busy wooing another woman into buying a jar of honey. "And no, he's not available."

The rest of the day passed like this, and was over far too quickly. As Lucius drove them home, he took out a twenty pound bill and handed it over to Teecie. "Here you go, for a hard day's work," he said with a smile.

"Oh, dad, you don't have to pay me," Teecie replied while taking the money.

"You deserve it. Besides, it feels good to have money of my _own_ to give to people when I want," he replied.

"Well, if it makes you happy," Teecie said while stuffing the money into her purse.

They stopped on the way home and picked up several pizzas for the rest of the family. Everybody spent a wonderful last night at home together, reminiscing, and talking about the school year to come.

Kali, Teecie, and Paul sat on the back porch talking after the sun went down that night. "So, what are you two going to do when you can't live in your own room at school?" Teecie asked the married couple.

"Uncle Sev says he'll let us use one of the private living quarters a couple days a week," Paul replied while wrapping his hands around Kali's shoulders and kissing her cheek.

"Oh really? Maybe James and I can use it sometimes too," Teecie joked, "you know, whenever you're not in it."

"You two are going to wait until you're married," Paul informed her.

"OK, James and I will elope this Christmas just like you two did," Teecie giggled.

"You'd better not!" Paul said, standing up and putting his hands on his hips.

"Like you could stop me!" Teecie replied, standing up and punching Paul's arm playfully. She turned and ran off while Paul ran after her. They stopped at the edge of the pond, where Paul picked Teecie up and tossed her into the pond.

Teecie started laughing and couldn't stop as she waded back out of the water. She threw her arms around Paul and drenched him as best she could before they walked back up to Kali on the porch. She looked at them like they were insane. "I married a mad man," she said wryly while pushing Paul away. He'd tried to wrap his arms around her once again, and was getting her wet.

"That's why you love me so much," he replied while smiling at his wife.

The three talked late into the night, until Adriana insisted they get some sleep for the train ride the next day.

Monday morning rolled around too quickly. Teecie would rather have slept in several more hours and flooed to the school in time for the feast, but her parents insisted she follow the rules and ride the train as usual. "You should have gotten more sleep last night instead of playing in the pond," Lucius said while handing her a piece of toast and honey.

Teecie grumbled while pulling her socks up and munching on her toast. The morning went by in a blur of shouts and last minute packing.

Finally though, they were all ready for the ride to King's Cross Station. This was one of the only times Adriana used magic on Flynn, the family automobile. The property was so far away from London they'd have to leave the night before to get there in time for the eleven o'clock deadline.

It was very chaotic at the train station, but it only took a few minutes for Teecie to spot James. She ran over to him and they snogged right there in the middle of the platform for at least five minutes before Lucius wrenched the two apart. "Ticia, have you learned nothing from all your time at you brother's house? Where are you manners?" he asked harshly.

Teecie sighed and looked up at her father. "But dad-" she began before being cut off.

"But dad nothing, now start acting like a lady," Lucius admonished her before giving her a hug and sending her on her way.

James and Teecie walked hand-in-hand towards the train after saying goodbye to their parents. "Ticia, Ticia!" a voice called out behind her.

Teecie turned to see Liss skipping up to them. "See, I didn't call you Auntie!" she exclaimed while wedging her way in between the happy couple. "Come on, let's go!" she cried.

Teecie grinned at James and skipped off after Liss. She caught up with her niece just as they boarded the train. They found the twins sitting in a compartment, saving seats for them. James walked in a few minutes later. He'd refused to skip, and so took longer to make it to the train.

Teecie looked at the crowd, and noticed one more girl sitting next to the twins. She was every inch a Weasley, yet much more dressed up than either of her sisters. "Portia!" she said with a smile on her face. "I forgot you'd be starting this year too. This is my niece Lisandra," she said, pointing to Liss. "Liss, this is Portia, my best friends' little sister."

The girls exchanged greetings, yet stayed pretty quiet afterwards.

After the train had started to move, a nervous-looking boy with dark auburn hair walked past the room. "Frank Harold get in here!" Patty shouted out to him. The boy returned to the doorway several seconds later.

"Hullo Patty," he said shyly as he walked into the compartment and sat down next to Portia. Teecie had forgotten about Neville and Ginny's youngest starting this year as well. Within minutes, the room was loud because everybody was talking at once. Teecie stole glances at James whenever she could. She couldn't help but wish she could have some time alone with him to get caught up.

It wasn't until later in the afternoon that Teecie and James were able to talk. They left the compartment, and went for a walk, hand-in-hand. James told her about his summer holiday.

"Sirius came home for a while month! It was so cool. We hung out together a lot," he gushed. "Pamela was at the house a lot too. He hasn't proposed to her yet, but I bet he will by Christmas," James said while they looked out a window at the passing countryside.

"Peter joined a band. You know Tristan? The Ravenclaw in our year? The boy with the wavy blonde hair that girls swoon over? Anyway, he started a band, and it's cool because nobody needs to be able to play instruments or sing! All they have to do is dance," he informed her.

"And while Peter practiced dancing all holiday, I practiced Quidditch all summer with my dad. The seeker position is open and I'm going to try out for it this year. I don't know what I'll do if I don't make the team," he said.

"You'll make the team," Teecie said encouragingly while squeezing James's hand.

The two talked and walked for another hour before going back to their compartment. When they arrived, Paige was showing off a shiny scarlet and gold badge with a large "P" on it.

"Father says it's a family tradition for me to get a gift for making prefect," she informed everybody. "I haven't decided what I want yet, but it'll probably be clothes."

Teecie hoped Paige wouldn't go too overboard now that she was a prefect. She'd heard tales of Paige's father, Percy, when he'd become a prefect, and later Head Boy. She hoped swelled heads weren't genetically inherited.

Paige seemed to be on a roll, and kept talking about her summer holiday. "I was busy all holiday answering more letters from the students. I didn't even have time for anything else!" she exclaimed. Teecie now knew why Paige hadn't answered any of her letters that she'd sent over the last couple months. At least Patty had written, which had been fun. She'd come to quite appreciate Patty a lot more over the last year.

After a while, Paige left the group to join the rest of the prefects for a meeting. Patty and Portia sighed with relief. "She's been really excited over this for the last week since she found out. It's all she talks about now," Portia informed Teecie.

"I still don't know why I didn't make prefect," Patty grumbled.

"They're probably afraid you'd beat up too many students," Frank Harold quipped.

"Shut up," Patty muttered while punching him in the arm. It wasn't too hard though, for he only grinned and shook his head as if to say, "See, I told you so."

"Well, I'm glad I didn't make prefect," Teecie added.

"Yeah, it would be too hard to dock yourself points for sneaking out at night," James added.

"Exactly, and you'd feel guilty for snogging in the halls way past curfew and sneaking into your room afterwards," Teecie said, grinning at her boyfriend.

Patty considered this for a minute before nodding her head in agreement. "That's a very good point," she replied.

Several more hours passed before the train arrived in Hogsmeade. The students began to shuffle off the train. Teecie and her friends walked their first year relatives over to where Professor Lupin was waiting for them. Liss and Portia joined him eagerly, while Frank Harold was a bit more cautious.

There was one boy who stood off to the side, all by himself. He looked terrified, and refused to come any closer when Professor Lupin called out to him. Teecie thought she'd never seen a tinier boy before. He had black hair, and creamy white skin, and trembled in fear before everybody. When Lupin walked over to him, Teecie saw him start to cry. "I don't want to go," he cried quietly.

Teecie felt terribly for him. She remembered reacting the same way while clinging to Kali in her first year. It was a miracle she'd even made it to the school. Her instincts told her to reach out to the boy and take him into her arms to comfort him, but before she managed to take a step, Frank Harold approached Lupin and the boy. Teecie watched as Frank Harold put his arm around the boy's shoulders and carefully walked off to the boats with him.

Once that excitement was over, Teecie walked to the carriages with her friends. She sat with James's arms around her on the ride over to the school.

The first years were just finishing up their tour when the older students arrived and walked into the Great Hall. Once everybody was seated, the first years paraded their way down to the front of the room, where the Sorting Hat was placed on a stool.

Teecie watched carefully as the first several students were sorted. Her heart began to pound as Liss took her turn with the Sorting Hat. She knew that Draco had groomed her to be a proud Slytherin, so when Liss put on the hat, and many seconds passed before it called out, "Ravenclaw!" she knew to look for her brother's reaction.

Draco had been sitting stiffly at the professor's table, watching with rapt attention as his first-born child was sorted. He'd never been more shocked in his entire life to hear she hadn't made it into Slytherin. He did a good job of hiding his disappointment though, so nobody found out.

Teecie watched her brother's lips draw tight as the colour drained out of his face. Uncle Sev glanced over at him as well, and looked for a minute before returning his attention to the students.

Liss seemed perfectly happy being sorted into Ravenclaw, and stepped down from the stool, and turned and waved at her father before walking demurely to her new table.

Several more students were sorted before the small black-haired boy who had been so terrified a short time ago, took his turn at the hat. He was still trembling as the hat slipped down over his eyes. Teecie wasn't surprised at all to hear that the boy, Laron Carlisle, was his name, was sorted into Hufflepuff. He hurried quickly down to his table, and sat down at a corner by himself.

Teecie was excited to see Frank Harold get sorted into Gryffindor. Professor Longbottom seemed proud, too. He grinned from ear-to-ear, and applauded loudly as his son sat down at the Gryffindor table. Frank Harold flushed deeply as Paige kissed his cheek. Patty slapped him on the back in congratulation.

The rest of the sorting went smoothly, with nothing worth nothing, until one of the last people took their turn. Portia Weasley sat on the stool and put the Sorting Hat on her head. Nobody was expecting it when it shouted out a few seconds later, "Slytherin!"

The school reacted with absolute silence for a few seconds before it erupted in whispers and talking. "My own sister!" Patty cried angrily.

Draco and Uncle Sev exchanged shocked glances. There had never been a Weasley in Slytherin house before. It just seemed so…wrong, somehow. Even the Slytherins were buzzing about it. Most of the younger students were fine with it, but several of the older ones protested loudly.

Portia tried to maintain her composure during all of this. She stepped down from the stool, and walked over to her table with her head held high. The other first years shook her hand and welcomed her.

Nobody seemed to know what to make of it all, but the crowds settled down a minute later, and the sorting continued, uneventfully.

Professor Snape stood up, and made his welcoming speech. He didn't look at Teecie once. She knew he was angry with her over the tree stunt. She decided to talk to him about it in the next few days.

Once the speech was over, the feast began. Teecie enjoyed a roast beef dinner with mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, chicken wings, and crème brulee for pudding. She and James talked and ate together, and afterwards, instead of going up to the common room, they snuck into one of the private rooms in the library and snogged.

Teecie was glad to be able to use her wand again, for they ended up needing to clean themselves up a few times that evening. She was excited to see that James was still as good at making her feel good, even though they'd spent so much time apart. She was also pleased that nobody else was in the library that evening, for they were both pretty vocal during their time together.

The two young lovers were exhausted by the morning, and Teecie at least, was not in a good mood at breakfast. She was very crabby when the conversation turned to the annual Lake party. Each house was supposed to elect two representatives for the planning committee, and Teecie and Paige were both vying for that position.

"I think Paige would be a good choice for it, she's really good at planning things like that," Carl said in a supportive tone while patting Paige's arm.

"But I'm the one who started the party years ago!" Teecie cried angrily. "Didn't I do a good enough job?" her voice was growing louder.

"But you're so busy, Teecie, give somebody else a chance! And my column in the newspaper is the most popular in the entire school; I know what people like. Besides, I'm a prefect, it only makes sense that I be on the committee," Paige replied sensibly.

Teecie stood up and put her hands on her hips. "I knew you were going to let the prefect thing go to your head!" she said in a shrill voice. "Well go ahead then, don't let me stop you from becoming Queen of the school!" With that, she turned and stormed out of the room.

When she'd reached the marble stairs, James called out to her to stop. "They all hate me!" she said, beginning to cry as James wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into a gentle hug.

"No they don't, Ticia," he said, remembering to call her by her true name, "Paige is just excited about being a prefect. Give it a little time for her to calm down again."

"But she's going to take over the Lake party," Teecie sniffled.

"So what if she does? It'll give you more time to spend with me," James replied consolingly.

Teecie laughed lightly. "I like that, but it doesn't stop her from being a total cow," she said.

"I agree, Paige is a total cow right now. So just ignore her for a while until she gets over herself," James said before kissing Teecie's cheek.

"I'll do my best," Teecie replied while resting her head on James's shoulder.

The first day of classes passed without any incidents until Teecie found Liss crying in the library after dinner. "Oh, darling, what's the matter?" she cried while throwing her arms around Liss.

Liss sobbed into Teecie's shoulders for a couple minutes before answering her. "F-f-father wanted me to b-b-be a Slyther-rin," she gasped in between sobs.

Teecie frowned and hugged Liss tightly for a while. She had known that would cause problems. She only hoped Draco hadn't been too harsh, for Liss had no control over where she was sorted. "What did he say to you, Liss?" she asked.

Liss tried to compose herself before answering. "I went to talk to him after classes today. He made me tea and asked how I liked Ravenclaw. He was frowning when he asked. I told him that I loved it so far, and he frowned again. And when I said that I was glad to be in Ravenclaw, he stood up and said, 'You would have liked to be in Slytherin just as much. It's the best house in the school.' I told him I thought Ravenclaw was pretty darned good too and he frowned at me. I think he hates me now," Liss said before beginning to sob again.

Teecie held onto Liss until she'd calmed down enough to work on her homework. They worked together for an hour or so before Teecie left to go talk to her brother.

Draco was reading a book in his office when Teecie entered the room. "Ah, Ticia, how are you doing?" he asked, smiling at her.

Teecie stood in front of his desk with her hands on her hips and shaking her head slowly. "I just got finished calming Liss down. She is horribly upset that you said she should have been in Slytherin. She was sobbing Draco," she replied in a dramatic voice.

"How in the world would she think I said that? All I did was joke with her about Slytherin being the best house in the school," he replied in a confused voice.

"Well, she thinks that means you wanted her to be a Slytherin. She thinks you hate her now and are angry with her for not being sorted into the 'right' house," Teecie replied.

Draco sighed and stood up. "Where is she, Ticia?" he asked.

"In the library," Teecie replied.

Draco walked around the desk and stood next to Teecie for a minute. He looked down at her and tugged on one of her curls gently. "Ticia…" he began, trailing off, "thank you, you are getting so grown up lately. Sometimes I can hardly recognize you anymore."

Teecie smiled. "Thank you, Draco. Now, go make my niece feel better," she said while gently pushing him towards the door. She could see him continuing to shake his head in confusion over the situation as he walked down the hall towards the stairs leading to the library.

A couple minutes later, Teecie returned to her dormitory, prepared to continue working on her homework. Paige glared at her from her desk while Teecie set up her books on her bed. "Don't you have something to say to me?" Paige asked pointedly, while frowning.

Teecie looked thoughtful for a minute. She could be mature about it, and apologize, but she really didn't think she'd done anything wrong. In fact, she had been the wronged one. "Look, Paige, I don't want to fight with you. If you're so intent on being queen of the entire school, by all means, go ahead. Don't let me stop you," she replied sarcastically.

Paige stood up from the desk and stormed over to Teecie. "What is your problem, Ticia?" Teecie was taken aback for a moment. Paige never called her by that name. "I know what it is. You don't like it that nobody reads your column in the newspaper and everybody worships me because I'm Miss Amore. Did you know they kept writing to me even over the summer holiday? I hardly got a moment's peace to myself!" she said in a haughty voice.

Teecie glared up at Paige before assuming a calm demeanor. She'd heard all of that only the day before on the train. "I'm sorry Paige. You should have allowed more time to yourself in your days full of helping others. But, being a megalomaniac will do that to you," she replied as politely as possible.

Paige's eyes grew wide as she fumed. "How dare you say that about me? You're just jealous because I'm more popular than you now! Well, Ticia, I don't care, but just remember, if you try to sneak out of the room to hang out with James, or run off and do something equally slutty, I'll take points away! I will not have people in my house, in my dormitory, breaking the rules! Not when I have something to say about it!" she cried.

Teecie flew off the bed and got right in Paige's face. "How dare you call me a slut?" she shrieked. "You're just jealous of me because you're a frigid virgin! You don't even have a boyfriend! And you're Miss Amore," she smirked.

The two girls were screaming back and forth at one another when Patty walked into the room. Neither girl heard or saw her, and as soon as she saw the girls fighting again, she sighed, rolled her eyes, and turned on her heel, walking right back out of the room before the door had even shut from being opened the first time.

The fighting continued, though neither girl did anything to physically hurt the other. At some point in time, one of the girls threw the other girl's robes out the window. This led to more clothes and items being tossed out the windows of their dormitory, onto the shrubs several stories below.

Paige had just picked up the Lord of the Rings themed music box that James had given Teecie several years ago, and walked to the window with it. "No, Paige, don't!" Teecie screamed while coming to a complete stop. She dropped the skirt in her hands and rushed over to where Paige was standing.

Paige smirked at Teecie before sticking her hand out the window and letting go of the music box. Teecie screeched, drew her wand out quickly, and floated the box back up to her own hands. She clutched it tightly while tears streamed down her face. "How could you?" she cried while running to her bed and huddling against the music box as though it was trying to jump out the window of its own volition.

Teecie was still crying when Professor Weasley hurried into the room. "What's this I hear about clothes being flung out of windows and loud screaming?" she demanded angrily, looking back and forth between the two girls. Teecie was crying too hard to respond, and Paige stood by the window, looking sullen and guilty, yet not speaking.

"You two were fighting today at breakfast. I take it the fight is still continuing now?" she asked curtly.

Teecie wiped away her tears and looked up at the professor. "She just got all bossy and mean," she cried.

"And she's a rule breaker who doesn't care about anybody but herself!" Paige shrieked, pointing at Teecie.

Hermione looked at the two girls and sighed. "What rules has Ticia been breaking?" she asked calmly.

Paige threw her head back pridefully. "Well…none yet, but she broke a lot last year and I know she's going to break more this year," she said.

"But I didn't break any important rules!" Teecie cried indignantly.

Hermione sat down in a chair in between both of the girls. "Paige, why don't you give Ticia the benefit of the doubt? Everybody deserves to start with a clean slate when a new year begins," she said, turning to Paige, who was walking over to her aunt.

"But Aunt Hermione, it's not just that, she's selfish too," Paige replied. "She always has to be on the committee for the Lake Party and I want a turn at it. And she's jealous of me because my newspaper column is the most popular of the entire school, and nobody reads hers. I can't help it if I'm more popular than she is. She should just be happy for me."

Hermione raised her eyebrows as she looked at Paige. "Paige, do you realize how self-centred and spoiled you sound? This seems so unlike you. Perhaps giving you the prefectship was a bad idea," she said.

Paige clasped her hands together. "Oh no, Aunt Hermione, it wasn't a bad idea. I won't abuse it, I promise," she vowed desperately.

"I hope you don't, for I'd be quite disappointed to have to take it away from you. Remember Paige, being a prefect is a privilege not to be taken advantage of." Next, Hermione turned to Teecie. "Ticia, what is it that Paige has done to you so far that makes you think she's using her position of prefect inappropriately?"

Teecie bit her lip and kept her arms around her music box. "She tried to throw this out the window. And she called me a slut. And she put on airs about being popular and having a better column for the paper. And she said that since she's a prefect that she should be the one on the Lake party committee," she explained to Hermione.

Hermione looked back at Paige with a look of confusion on her face. "Paige, what has gotten into you? You used to be such a sweet girl," she murmured.

"I just want a good year. I want to have fun and study and get all O's on my OWLS," Teecie said as Hermione turned back to her. "And I want to be on the Lake party committee."

Paige scowled at Teecie. "But Carl thinks I should be on it, and so does Daniel. And Alice told me that Rina Diggory told her that Tegan Pearce told her that Spencer Lowell thinks I should be on the committee for our house too," she explained while flushing.

Hermione thought she might be getting somewhere now. Spencer Lowell was a very handsome seventh year student in their house. Paige must have a crush on the young man and want to impress him.

"Fine, if nobody wants me to be on the committee, then I won't be. You go and have fun. And have fun at the Lake party too, cuz I won't be there either," Teecie cried out.

Hermione patted Teecie's arm. "Ticia, dear, don't let this ruin your fun. Let Paige have her fun; remember, you've had a lot of time in the spotlight already. Now it's somebody else's turn. See if you can't find a way to be happy for her," she encouraged the girl.

Teecie sighed and slowly nodded her head. Hermione smiled at the girls. "Good, now let's see if there isn't something nice we can say about one another, shall we? Paige, why don't you go first? What is something nice about Teecie that you can say to her?" she asked, trying to get the girls to begin the process of making-up.

Paige sat in silence for a minute, seeming as though she was thinking really hard for something good to say. "I like the way you haven't quit the newspaper yet, even though your column has barely any readers and it probably wastes more of your time than you have to spare," she finally replied glibly.

Hermione whipped around to stare at Paige. "That was not very gracious of you," she snapped.

Teecie was very hurt to hear about the newspaper column. It was a lot of fun for her to do, and she had always been frustrated to not receive more recognition for it. She took a deep breath and tried to maintain her composure. "And I like the way you seem to answer everybody's questions about love even though you've never been kissed or had a boyfriend. You're really good at making up stuff you know nothing about," she retorted.

Hermione sighed. "Well, you girls seem very determined to not get along any longer. That is quite a shame, for you've been such good friends for many years now. Perhaps you can try to just get along, even if you aren't interacting that much. Maintain a "separate but equal" status," she finally suggested while standing up to leave. "And no more screaming and throwing things out of windows, or I will take points and give detentions." With that, she turned and walked out of the room.

The two girls were left alone in silence. Teecie drew the curtains around her bed and opened her books to do some homework, but was too upset from the evening's events to do any work. She spent the rest of the night, crying into her pillow, and mourning the loss of one of the best friendships she'd ever had before.


	66. Quidditch and Life Plans

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: Unfortunately, Paige will be like this for most of the year. But don't worry, it won't last forever. I'm glad you like Lucius's selling techniques! I just couldn't see him not flirting with the ladies, it's just an ingrained part of his personality, and it seems to sell honey pretty well too! Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it!

Dark-Child 2007: Welcome aboard! It's always exciting to get new reviewers. I'm so glad you've enjoyed the story so far and I hope I continue to entertain people with it! I look forward to hearing from you! Enjoy the next chapter!

Shinigami: Paige certainly has become quite annoying, hasn't she! She'll come around in the end though, don't worry, but for now, we do have to deal with her. And as for writing Roo's story, I'm not sure that I ever will to be honest. ElfFlame, the other author of the True Revenge series that this is a part of has always claimed ownership of Draco and his offspring, so really, she'd be the one to write his story. I do intend to keep mentioning him throughout the years, and there will probably be a huge epilogue at the end of this story explaining what everybody went on to do with their lives, including Roo. I wouldn't say that Draco is mean, he's just very strict, and very set in the old ways. He feels that traditional gender roles are proper and appropriate, and has tried to raise his children to feel the same. Yes, the relationship with Kali is forever ruined because of what he did in the past, but I'd say it still doesn't make him mean. But you, however, are free to think of him whatever you will, and I look forward to hearing your opinions! Here's the next chapter, enjoy!

Quidditch and Life Plans

Author's Note: I must thank ElfFlame for helping me with editing this chapter. As each new school year begins, I tend to have a crisis of confidence in the story and the plotlines I've chosen to go with for the year, and this chapter was written during that, and suffered for it. Fortunately, we worked very hard and got it back on track, and the crisis has passed, also much in thanks to ElfFlame, and I hope the rest of the year will be just like the other years, fun to write!

I also feel I must make some discretionary note of some of the events in this chapter. The students are now fifteen and sixteen years old and getting heavily involved in relationships, and the story will be reflecting that. I am trying very hard to keep it pg13 rated, but each year tends to reflect the student's ages more and more. This chapter in particular contains scenes of teenagers exploring their sexuality and experimentation, so if for some reason this bothers you, you may want to skip the chapter. Unfortunately, it's unlikely that the story from this point on will not be dealing with these issues, as they are what teenagers go through in real life. All right, now that that is done, on to the chapter!

After the first day of classes ended, Teecie went to speak to Uncle Sev about what had happened at Narcissa's house. She walked to his office, and said the password to get inside. Uncle Sev was working on paperwork when she sat down across from him.

"Throw any more clothes out the window today?" he asked dryly in greeting.

Teecie hadn't been expecting this. Her face fell and she burst into tears. "She was my best friend!" she sobbed. "How can you make fun of me? That's so cruel!"

Snape looked very uncomfortable at having caused this scene. "Ticia, please, calm yourself. I did not intend to insult or upset you," he said in as calming a voice as possible

Teecie's cries began to grow quiet, and soon she sat quietly, sniffling to herself. "I came here to ask if you're still angry with me for what happened at Mrs. Malfoy's house. You seemed awfully upset, and I hope you won't hate me forever, because I don't want anybody else to hate me," she said once she'd calmed down enough to talk.

Uncle Sev conjured up two cups of tea for them, and sat in silence for a minute, staring intensely at his cup. Finally, he looked up at her. "Most of my anger that day was due to my concern for your safety. You cannot imagine how alarming it was to look out and see you hanging from a tree, completely helpless. The idea of trying to explain to your mother not only why you were at Narcissa's, but why you'd broken your neck by falling out of a tree, was not a good one, I did not want to have to do that, and it would have put me in a bad position," he explained with the very slightest of smiles.

Teecie couldn't help but grin. "She would have been very upset," she agreed before sipping her tea. "I was only curious to see what you and Mrs. Malfoy were talking about. And you charmed the door so I couldn't hear anything."

"That would be because what Narcissa and I were talking about was private," Snape replied. "And that brings me to another issue. You wanted me to come to Hogsmeade that day, didn't you?" The look he gave her was quite stern. "That is why you are so curious about the two of us, isn't it?"

Teecie sipped her tea while trying to maintain her composure. It wasn't the right time to tell him just how involved she'd really been in orchestrating all of it. But how to satisfy his curiosity? Finally, she set the cup down, cleared her throat, and spoke. "Uncle Sev, you know I'm only curious because I love you so much, and care about your happiness. It wasn't until I saw you with Mrs. Malfoy in Hogsmeade that I thought you two could develop a nice friendship together if you so desired it. Is that so wrong of me?" She gave him her best innocent look that she could muster up.

Snape looked at her with scrutiny, as though debating within himself over everything she'd just said. "None of this is any of your business, Ticia. Do not dare to presume to know what is best for me. I will not allow a fifteen year old girl to manipulate me. I did not survive seven years in Slytherin house, and my life as a Death Eater, without learning how it feels when someone tries to manipulate my moves. I understand that you care about me, but you must stay out of my personal life," he demanded, not harshly, but sternly.

Teecie sighed and drank the last of her tea. "All right Uncle Sev, I understand that you want your privacy, and I know what if feels like to have that privacy violated as well. By you in fact," she replied, remembering back to France and her fateful night with Owen. "I don't want you to feel upset, so I won't talk to you anymore about it."

Snape nodded his head. "I appreciate that, thank you," he replied.

Teecie changed the subject after that, and told him of her plans for making good marks over the school year.

"I figure, that since I have eight classes, and there were seven days in the week, that I'll go to one professor every day to review the work each week. I'll go on the weekdays, right after classes let out, before dinner and club meetings. And then on the weekend, I'll go on the mornings so I could have the rest of the day free. I'll visit all the professors except for Binns, because he's boring and I don't need a History OWL to be a healer. Besides, if I ever really need to learn a history lesson, I'll just ask my mum," she explained to him.

"That sounds very ambitious of you, Ticia. I wish you well, but remember to not overextend yourself. You have the tendency to do too much, and pay for it in the end. This would not be the year to do that," Snape advised her.

Teecie waved him off lightly. "Oh Uncle Sev, don't worry, I can handle it," she replied. "And that reminds, I heard a rumour that Master Wilkes is starting up a magical healing class. Can I join it?" she asked enthusiastically. There had been talk of several more classes being introduced this year, but she hadn't heard anything officially.

"Ticia, those classes are for sixth and seventh year students; you aren't eligible to join. Besides that, you are doing far too much than is good for you without adding an extra class," Snape replied firmly.

"But I know I could handle it-" Teecie said before seeing the look on Snape's face, and falling silent.

Teecie left soon after that for dinner. She ate a quick meal in order to have time to work on her homework in the library for the rest of the evening. She barely had time to even say goodnight to James before returning to her dormitory for the night.

The next day flew by just as quickly as the day before, and before she knew it, Teecie was in the Hospital wing, assisting Master Wilkes. While he was helping a student who'd been splashed with a potion that had turned his skin blue, Teecie sorted herbs. Just as she'd finished, a boy walked into the room.

It was the little Hufflepuff boy who'd been so scared of coming to the school a few days ago. He still had a terrified look on his face. Teecie walked over to him and smiled. "Hi, I'm Ticia. What's your name?" she asked kindly.

The boy's eyes grew wide as he looked up at her. "L-L-Laron," he stuttered.

"Hello Laron. What brings you here today?" she asked kindly.

"I took a wrong turn somewhere. I was trying to find the Headmaster's office," he replied in a thick Irish brogue. "I needed to talk to him."

"What about? I know him really well, maybe I can help," Teecie replied. There was something about this boy that drew her to him. She wanted to get to know him better.

"I don't think you can help me," Laron replied. "I need to talk to him about going home. I don't want to be here."

Teecie's heart melted for the boy that instant. She took him by the arm and gently led him over to one of the beds. She sat down on the mattress and patted the space next to her for him to join her.

Laron looked skeptical for a minute before sitting down next to her. Teecie smiled before speaking. "Laron, I understand exactly how you feel. I didn't want to leave my home or my parents when I first started here. It got so bad for me, that I actually packed my bags and ran away in the first week!"

Laron's eyes grew huge while listening to Teecie. "You ran away? Why did you come back?" he asked.

Teecie smiled at the memory. "My head of house went after me and found me in Hogsmeade. We talked about it, and I went back to the school and talked some more to the Headmaster. We decided to try it out for a week and see how it went. By the time the week was up, I was happier and agreed to stay," she explained.

Laron shook his head slowly. "I don't know…I don't think I'll ever be happy here," he replied.

"Why don't you stay at least until the clubs start up next week, and you can see if you like any of them," Teecie suggested. "They've got tons of fun clubs here, plus a school newspaper. And there's always Quidditch to watch. I'm not into the sport myself, but you might love it!"

"Why don't you like it?" Laron asked.

"Well, I'm not very good at it," she explained. "One time I played and got the snitch stuck in my hair. Another time, I broke my broom and fell on the ground, and then the bludger broke my bum!" she cried.

Laron laughed at this. Teecie was glad to see him in better spirits. "So, Laron, tell me why you don't like school," she said, trying to get to the root of the problem.

Laron sighed. "I miss my family. And my farm. We have a dairy farm just outside of Limerick. It's beautiful there."

Teecie squealed with delight. "You grew up on a farm? So did I! Nobody seems to understand how wonderful it is to live on a farm," she gushed.

"It's the best thing in the world!" Laron agreed in an excited tone. "Do you have lots of animals?"

"We have chickens and a couple cows, a few goats, a plow horse, several cats, and some barn owls. The animals are mostly for our own use, we have some large fields that we grow wheat in. We also have a large apple orchard, and a pumpkin patch, as well as a large vegetable garden.

"That sounds wonderful!" Laron cried. "We only have cows and sheep on our farm, and a vegetable patch too."

"My father recently bought some beehives and has been making his own brand of honey. He's been selling it at the local farmer's market," Teecie continued.

"My da makes cheese with the milk from our cows, and my ma makes yarn out of the sheep's wool. Then she knits it into clothes. We sell most of it, but keep some for ourselves," Laron added.

"The pumpkins we grow on our farm are brewed into pumpkin juice and sold to the school," Teecie said, not in any sort of competition with Laron, but with excitement over finally finding somebody who truly understood life on a farm.

Laron sighed. "I love farming, and I intend to follow my da's footsteps, and have my own farm someday. I have nine brothers and sisters, and all my older brothers work on the farm. I'm the middle child, and the first to go to Hogwarts."

Teecie was excited to see Laron opening up to her. "Nine siblings, that's a lot! I only have two sisters and a brother. I also have a sister-in-law, two brothers-in-law, and four nieces and nephews. I miss them a lot, though some of them attend the school here."

"Well, I'm all alone here, and I miss all of my family," Laron said quietly, biting his lip and looking down at his hands.

He started to sniffle, and Teecie threw her arms around him. "Oh, please don't be upset. I can't stand to see you so sad. Why don't you pretend I'm one of your sisters, so you won't be so lonely? You can come to me any time you want to talk about anything, all right?"

Laron allowed Teecie to hold him tightly, and after a minute, wrapped his arms around her waist, and cried onto her shoulder. Teecie rocked him gently, trying to calm him down, and several minutes later, he did. The two of them remained in their embrace for a while longer before Teecie pulled away. "Are you all right?" she asked while wiping away his tears with her hands.

Laron sighed and nodded his head. "I guess I can wait and see what the clubs are like before going to the Headmaster," he said reluctantly.

Teecie grinned and gave him another hug. "That's the spirit!" she cried. "Now, why don't you go down and get some dinner? You'll feel better with a full stomach."

Laron thanked her while standing up and walking out of the room, towards the Great Hall.

Teecie had started to fold linens when Master Wilkes approached her. "You did very well with that boy," he said, smiling. "I'm very proud of you, Ticia, and you should be proud of yourself as well."

Teecie beamed with pride and happiness. "It's such a thrilling experience to help somebody out," she gushed.

"It is a good feeling," Wilkes agreed with a smile. "Now, why don't you take some of your own advice, and go get some dinner? I think you've done enough here for one day," he continued, dismissing her for the night.

Teecie made her way down to the Great Hall, and sat next to James. He talked nonstop about the Quidditch tryouts the next afternoon, and made her vow to be there for him. She promised to be there while dishing herself up a plate of spaghetti and meatballs.

James was now obsessed with making the Quidditch team. He talked of nothing else. Daniel and Patty were likewise looking forward to the tryouts. The three of them sat with Robert and Kern, who'd both been on the Gryffindor team for years now, and talked about what it would be like if they all made the team this year.

Teecie sat next to James, and ate in silence. She knew he was excited, but she really had no interest in the sport.

While eating her last meatball, she glanced over at Laron, and saw him sitting with his housemates. Every once in a while, she'd see him leaning in to talk with a housemate, but for the most part, it didn't look as though he was enjoying himself very much.

James caught Teecie gazing at Laron, and demanded to know who she was looking at. "I made friends with a first year boy today. He's terribly homesick, and I tried to help him. I was just checking on him," she replied.

James glared in his direction. "Don't become too good of friends with him…" he muttered.

Teecie rolled her eyes. "Honestly James, he's eleven years old! You have no idea how silly you sound!" she cried.

"There's nothing wrong with making sure you're not going to stray…" James replied.

"James, I'm not going to stray from you! I love you and want to marry you some day," Teecie replied before kissing his cheek.

James smiled before wrapping his arms around her and drawing her into a hug, right there at the table. "I love you too," he whispered before kissing her cheek.

The happy couple spent the rest of the evening together, working on schoolwork and trying to keep James distracted from the thought of Quidditch tryouts the next day.

The next day arrived all too soon for James though, and he was nervous the entire day. He dropped his goblet of pumpkin juice at breakfast, and splashed everybody at his section of the table.

Teecie refused to let him do anything in potions class that day, and made him take notes while she did all the work. "You'll probably cut your thumb off, and I don't know how to put it back on yet," she said lightly while chopping a shrivelfig for their Invigoration Potion.

That day at lunch, she forced him to eat half a tuna fish sandwich. "James, you must keep up your strength if you want to do your best this afternoon," she admonished him.

James picked at the sandwich, but ate it eventually. Teecie held his hand tightly during their last classes of the day, and walked with him down to the Quidditch pitch. There was a small crowd of supporters in the stands, watching while those waiting to try out made their way to the middle of the pitch.

Teecie kissed James for luck before he trotted off down to the rest of the students. She sat down on the sidelines by herself, and watched them do warm-ups before breaking into teams and began to play together.

Tegan Pearce, the Gryffindor captain, flew around and observed how they played with one another. Everybody had a chance to play each position while she took notes.

Teecie kept her eye on James, and squealed when he made an amazing catch as the snitch flew past him. It was hovering behind him, and instead of turning and trying to grab it, he twisted his arm around and just snatched it. It took about a second, and the snitch didn't have a chance to fly out of the way. She thought he was the best at it, though she had to admit to being a little biased.

Daniel and Patty proved a bit distracting as they began to yell at one another part way though the tryouts. Daniel seemed to think he had more of a right to be on the team because his father had been the captain of the team and was the flying instructor as well. Patty didn't seem to share that opinion, and told him so very loudly.

The strange thing was that they both seemed to play better when they were in competition with one another. They made a good team, seeming to know what the other was going to do and responding to it accordingly. Teecie actually enjoyed watching them.

By the end of the afternoon, James was much more confident and excited over the tryouts. Teecie led him by the hand behind the bleacher, and snogged him for a while, then walked back up to the school, arriving just in time for a hearty beef stew dinner.

James felt happy about his performance, but was still nervous. The results wouldn't be posted until Friday, so he still had a couple days to wonder if he'd made the team or not.

While explaining the moves he'd made to Teecie, they couldn't help but overhear Carl and Paige talking about the plans for the Lake party on Saturday.

"It's going to be the best party yet! Way better than the other ones," Paige said loudly, looking pointedly at Teecie and sneering.

"I can't wait!" Carl exclaimed with a grin.

Teecie narrowed her eyes at the two before looking away. She wasn't about to give Paige the satisfaction of knowing she'd hurt her feelings. It was best to just ignore her.

In order to help James feel better, and to help her calm down from the encounter with Paige, Teecie stayed with him and studied for her Ancient Runes class while he worked on an essay for his Muggle Studies class. "What do you think about this?" he asked at one point in time during the evening. "Muggles use fascinating forms of technology in order to do things that we use magic for. For example, many Muggles use a mikelwave to heat up food. This is a box with buttons on it that Muggles use to program how long to heat their food. The food goes inside it and then the box turns on and starts warming the food up. It is almost like magic because Muggles don't have to actually do anything to get a good, hot meal."

Teecie listened and nodded her head as James read to her. "It's great, only it's a 'microwave' not a 'mikelwave,' but other than that, it's perfect!" she replied with a smile.

"Thanks," James replied while correcting the word.

The two worked on their Defense Against the Dark Arts essays next, until the rest of the students began making their way up to their dormitories for the night.

Soon enough, James and Teecie were alone on the sofa, and the essays were quickly forgotten for other "extracurricular" activities. "Oh James, you looked so hot and sexy out there on the pitch today," Teecie panted in between kisses.

"I kept looking out at you and the sun was shining on your hair. You looked so beautiful," James gasped while unclasping her bra and slipping his hands under her shirt.

James had begun kissing Teecie's chest and was fumbling around with her skirt, and Teecie had undone James's belt and stuck her hand down his pants, when Professor Lupin walked into the room.

Lupin had planned on walking through the house, making sure everything was all right, when he saw two kids on the sofa, completely oblivious of his presence. From where he stood, he couldn't tell who they were. Remus was unsure what to do. The hormones emanating from them were very potent; he could feel them even from across the room. He was uncertain of getting any closer to them without losing control. He took one step closer, but heard the girl moan his son's name quietly, and had to leave. He'd try to talk to James the next day to tell him not to do such things in public places.

Laron Carlisle visited with Teecie after classes the next day. While there, his new friend, Frank Harold Longbottom, came in with a badly scraped knee from a fall off a broom. The two boys seemed to have bonded in their Herbology class. Frank Harold had started cracking jokes in class, and his father had reprimanded him. The two boys were soon embroiled in a discussion about their classes.

Liss also stopped by to talk to Teecie. She'd already met Frank Harold on the train, but this was her first time meeting Laron. Laron was shy around girls, and didn't say much. Liss though, seemed to be fascinated with his accent, and kept peppering him with questions just to hear him talk more.

"So, Laron, where are you from?" she asked while sitting down next to her aunt.

"Ireland," Laron replied while blushing furiously.

"Oh, Ireland is beautiful! Father took me there one time when I was younger," Liss crowed.

Teecie went back to her task of polishing goblets in order to let the three children bond together better. She smiled while listening to them, loving how much fun they were having together. They chattered happily for almost an hour before trotting off to the Great Hall for dinner, leaving Teecie in silence.

Later on, while James sat with his friends and talked Quidditch, Teecie joined Zeren and Rey at the Slytherin table. "I don't know, Ticia, I don't think anybody could do that much work," Zeren said while tucking into his roast beef. She'd just finished telling the boys her plan on success for the school year.

"Zeren's right, I don't think the professors expect us to devote our lives completely to classes like that," Rey added.

"Well I know I can do it, so it's not a problem," Teecie replied. During this time, Morgaine Fawcett had sat down next to her and was dishing a small salad onto her plate.

Zeren's eyes were drawn to her, and he quickly dropped out of the conversation. Both Teecie and Rey noticed this and smiled at one another. "So, Rey, I heard a rumour that Zeren wets the bed at night, is that true?" she asked while watching for Zeren's reaction.

Rey smiled and nodded his head. "He sure does, and I know that for a fact because we do share a bed on a regular basis. He also sucks his thumb and sleeps with a teddy bear," he replied.

Teecie grinned and looked at Zeren, but he didn't even seem to know they existed as he gazed at Morgaine.

After growing tired of the conversation, Rey left to work on his homework in the library. Teecie dished herself some apple strudel for pudding when Portia moved down the table to sit where Rey had been. She spoke with Teecie while Morgaine and Zeren moved closer and started to talk quietly to one another.

"So, how's Paigezilla treating you lately?" Teecie asked lightly to Portia.

Portia rolled her eyes. "I am so sick of her! Her head is so swelled she has to hold it up by her ponytail," she replied. "It's too bad you have to share a room with her. I'd offer to let you stay in mine, but I doubt that's allowed."

Teecie shook her head slowly. "Probably not, but I'll try to do my best to deal with her. What do you suppose her problem is?" she asked, feeling sad for a moment at having lost a friend.

Portia sighed. "We're a large family, and Patty is the louder of the two. I think she's been overshadowed her whole life. Now she's getting attention and she likes it, so it all went to her head," she replied.

"I'll try to be patient. Maybe it'll all blow over soon."

Portia just frowned and grabbed an apple instead of responding. Her eyes grew wide as she bit into the piece of fruit. She pointed up at the Professor's table. Teecie turned to look and saw Paige standing at the front of the room, trying to get everybody's attention.

Once people grew a little quieter, she began to speak. "Good evening everybody. I just wanted to make an announcement about the Lake party," she said before pausing to let people start paying attention to her. "Everybody is invited to join in this coming Saturday starting at noon. There will be food, music, games, and make sure to bring your swimming suit for a dip in the lake! I know this is going to be the best party yet and I can't wait to see you all there!" Her voice had grown more cheerful by the end, and many in the crowd clapped and cheered at the announcement.

Snape stood up and walked over to Paige when she'd finished. "Yes, the Lake party will be held again this year," he said in calm tone, "but there are a few rules that must be adhered to. All girls wishing to wear clothing for swimming must make certain it is tasteful, and one piece. There are to be no bikinis. If any professor sees a student in a bikini, that student will be sent back to the school to change their clothes." Snape looked pointedly at Teecie when he said this. "Also, the party will end promptly at eight o'clock in the evening, after which time, the students will be required to return to their dormitories. And as I am sure you are all aware, there will be absolutely no alcoholic beverages allowed. We have had incidents of alcohol being added to beverages at the party, but be aware that the drinks will be sampled by the professors throughout the day to prevent this." A few of the students groaned while Snape was talking, but he paid no attention to them. "If you can obey all these rules, then you are welcome to attend the party. I am sure you will all enjoy yourselves," he concluded before walking back to his seat and sitting down.

Paige was once again by herself at the front of the school. "All right, thank you Headmaster," she said in a cheerful voice. "I hope to see you all out there on Saturday. It'll be the best! Oh," she said, changing the subject, "I also wanted to let you know that I am returning this year as Miss Amore. I wouldn't abandon my many legions of fans, and rest assured that this year will be just as great as last year!" With that, the school broke into cheers and applause while Paige walked back to her seat.

"Go Paige!" "Miss Amore rules!" "You rock Paige!" were some of the cries heard from the crowd while she walked. Paige had to stop several times and wave at people before she sat down.

Teecie couldn't believe her ears. The nerve of that girl! She glanced up at the professors and saw Hermione shaking her head slowly. Draco looked at her and said something that Teecie could only make out part of, "Lockhart," but she wasn't totally sure. Hermione nodded her head at this. Uncle Sev rolled his eyes before retiring to his office for the evening.

Teecie and Portia exchanged a sour look. "Will you be going to the party?" Portia asked Teecie.

"Probably not. I mean, they stole it from me. How can I support something that was taken from me?" Teecie asked. Portia didn't have an answer for that, so they finished their pudding in silence before going off to do their homework.

James had been called into his father's office after dinner, so Teecie did her Charms homework by herself in the library.

James joined her later when he'd finished talking with Remus. "Dad told me we aren't supposed to snog in the Common room anymore. He said it isn't right to do that in public places," he whispered to her while taking out his Transfiguration book.

"What?" Teecie whispered fiercely, "Did he see us or something?"

"Yeah, he said he was going to check on the dormitories and saw us snogging on the sofa. He kept going on about 'inappropriate behaviour,'" James answered, shrugging his shoulders and trying to appear nonplussed to know his father had caught him with his girlfriend.

"All right, I guess we'll just have to keep using your room then," she replied resignedly.

The two settled into studying after that, although they did play footsies the entire time.

James was extremely nervous the next morning, so Teecie sent him down to breakfast, saying she'd stay to look at the list for him and tell him if he'd made it or not. The results of who had made the team were due at the start of the meal, so Teecie would join him shortly.

Finally, after about ten minutes, Tegan Pearce came into the Common room and posted the roster on the wall. Teecie walked over to the list and stood in front of it for about a minute, studying all who'd made the team before turning around and walking down to the Great Hall.

James was frantic to hear if he'd made it. "Did I make it? Oh, I can tell by the look on your face that I didn't. Damn it, now I'll have to try out again next year!" he cried as Teecie slipped into her seat.

She buttered a piece of toast and took a bite while James continued to rant and rave. Once he'd calmed down a little, she cleared her throat. "Well, I suppose you can try out again next year, but you probably won't need to, unless they start making team members compete for their old positions," she said slowly.

James had been taking a sip of his pumpkin juice and choked on it while hearing this. He coughed and spluttered while grabbing Teecie by the shoulders. "What do you mean? Did I make the team?" he gasped.

Teecie grinned and nodded her head. "You're our new seeker!" she cried.

James jumped up and grabbed her by the waist. "I made the team!" he cried while spinning her around. When he set her down, he ran up to his father at the Professor's table. "Dad, I made it! I'm the new seeker!" he cried.

Remus grinned and stepped down to hug his son. "I know you'll be a great seeker. You've worked very hard for this," he replied while giving his son a hug.

Peter rushed over and patted his brother on the shoulder in congratulation.

James's head was in a cloud for the rest of the day. He was useless in all his classes, and none of his homework got done.

That evening, Teecie and James went to his room and closed themselves off in his four poster bed, using silencing charms and a charm that kept people on the outside from being unable to open the curtains.

Teecie had stripped her boyfriend of his shirt and pants, and lay on top of him, kissing him passionately. James was in heaven as he gazed at the beauty above him. His ecstasy reached new levels as Teecie tried something new with him. After about a minute of losing sight of her hovering over him, he gasped and flinched, for he'd never felt a sensation like it before, and never wanted it to end. He seemed to lose all sense of time and awareness as the sensation traveled through his body like a wave.

When James had finally returned to earth, he sat up, breathless, and looked at Teecie, who was looking at him with wide eyes. "Are you all right? Are you hurt?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine," she whispered, while wiping at the corners of her mouth, "but I don't know if I'm comfortable doing that again any time soon."

James wrapped his arms around her, and held her in silence for a long time after that, both content with just hugging for the rest of the evening.

That evening, Teecie sat with her knees up against her chest on her own four poster bed with the curtains drawn. She hadn't expected it to feel so weird. She'd read so many stories about it in books and magazines that she thought it would be a pleasant act, and it had been, up until the very end when she'd found herself with a mouthful of warm, bitter liquid. The stories she'd read always talked about how wonderful it tasted, but that hadn't been her experience.

It had also been the first time she'd actually seen James naked. She'd seen Owen naked before sleeping with him, but this was different. Now it meant something. Owen's had been what she'd thought was huge, not knowing any better, but James's was about the same size, maybe a little thicker in width. Owen had seemed so proud of his though, he'd paraded around in front of her for a while before he'd slept with her, and James had been shy, like he was scared she wouldn't like what she saw. Teecie found that horribly attractive in him.

Teecie knew she'd done it out of love for him, but was worried that now he'd either hate her for it, or want her to keep doing it for him. After a troubled night's sleep though, her fears were calmed as James took her aside in the Common room before going to breakfast.

James gave her a hug and looked at her with concern showing in his eyes. "I can see you're still upset over last night, Ticia. It looks like you didn't sleep very will last night. I just wanted to tell you how much I love you, and even though I really liked it, I'll try to be patient and wait until you're ready to do it again," he said while giving her a hug and holding her in his arms. "But until then," he continued, "I wanted to say thank you for what you did. I've never experienced anything like it before."

There was always something about the way James held Teecie that made her feel safe and protected. She knew he loved her, and that made her feel better. "All right James," she replied quietly. "Maybe when we're older and out of school I'll be more comfortable with it. And I don't think I want you to try it out on me either until we're older."

Teecie thought James looked slightly disappointed when she said that, but all he did was nod his head and kiss her cheek. They walked down to breakfast that morning hand-in-hand.

By some cruel twist of fate, or mere coincidence, the plate of sausages appeared right in front of Teecie as they sat down to breakfast. She paled and quickly passed them to the person next to her. It would be a while before she could eat those again and not feel strange about it.

Schoolwork and all her Hospital duties kept her busy over the next couple days, so the rest of Teecie's week flew by in a flash, and soon it was Friday night.

She and James snuggled on the sofa and talked about what to do the next day. James knew Teecie didn't want to go to the Lake party, so he'd decided not to go either. He told her they should do something special together instead.

After an hour of throwing ideas around, they settled on a lovely picnic on the Quidditch pitch, with just the two of them. They planned a menu for Teecie to make while James was at his first Quidditch practice.

The next morning, Teecie went to the kitchens and prepared the picnic lunch, with Nili's assistance. They made fried chicken, potato salad, French rolls, and chocolate-dipped strawberries, as well as lavender-honey lemonade, made with honey that Teecie had gotten from home. She'd wrapped the jar in tissue paper and put it in a plastic re-sealable bag before stashing it in her trunks when getting ready to go to school last week, and was happy to see it had survived the trip.

After Quidditch practice ended, and James had showered from his workout, he walked with Teecie, arm-in-arm, out to the pitch. He set up the blanket for the two of them to sit on, while she unpacked the food.

James loved Teecie's cooking, and ate three times as much as she did. "Will you cook like this everyday after we get married?" he asked after finishing his fourth chicken leg.

Teecie grinned and nodded her head. "I'll cook wonderful meals for you all the time. I'll have to keep my husband well-fed now, don't I?" she replied.

James sighed happily once he'd finished his lunch. "What a beautiful day," he commented while leaning back on his elbows.

Teecie moved over to his side and helped him settle down, resting his head on her lap while she leaned back and gazed up at the sky. They spent over an hour just looking at the clouds and pointing out what they saw in them.

"I think that one looks like a penguin," Teecie commented, pointing up to a cloud on her left.

"I don't know…it sort of looks like a seal to me," James replied.

Once the two were ready for pudding, Teecie took out the chocolate-dipped strawberries, and hand-fed them to James, who was still lying down.

"Ticia, these are delicious," he declared with a smile.

Thank you," she replied while popping one into her own mouth.

The rest of the afternoon was spent making plans. The two talked about when they would get married-the summer after they left school; how many children they would have-two, one boy and one girl, and what they would name them-James wanted Parker for a boy, and Teecie wanted Rosina for a girl.

James was going to become a world-famous Auror, and would be the best one ever. And he couldn't wait to start a family with Teecie. "It'll be so much fun to have kids running around the house!" he declared.

At one point in the afternoon, Teecie began experimenting with her name. "Teecie Orendes-Lupin…Teecie Lupin…Ticia Lupin…" she murmured. "I like the last one best," she finally declared.

James was still on her lap, and had been playing the snitch he'd been using at practice that morning. He'd let the snitch begin to fly away before grabbing it quickly, over and over again, testing his reflexes. After he heard Teecie's declaration, he let the snitch slip through his fingers, and sat up to look at her. "I love the last one," he said quietly before leaning in to kiss her gently.

Teecie settled into James's arms after that, and they watched as the sun dipped down below the stands. Just as the evening set in, bringing with it a slight chill, Teecie stood up to gather the picnic basket and blanket.

James looked up and watched Teecie folding the blanket. The last of the sun's rays hit her hair, making it look like a coppery halo around her head. He knew at that moment that he'd never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life before. As she bent down to pick up the basket, James caught her by the hand and looked into the deep chocolate brown eyes of hers. "Ticia?" he whispered, trying to figure out what to say. "Ticia, I have loved you since the first day I saw you when I was eleven. There has never been anybody else for me but you. I know we're young, and will wait until we leave school, but I don't think I can wait any longer…" with that, James shifted so he was up on one knee, looking imploringly up at Teecie. "Ticia…will you marry me?" he asked earnestly.

Teecie's eyes grew wide and she dropped the blanket she'd been folding. "Oh…oh…" she gasped. "A proposal," she murmured as her breathing increased its pace. After a minute, she nodded her head and said, "Yes, James, I will marry you!" Suddenly, she squealed and danced around in pure joy. James hopped up on his feet and joined her in the dance, which soon turned into a slow dance, set to the music in their hearts for one another.  
Once the sun had set completely, James wrapped the blanket around his betrothed's shoulders, and took her hand as they returned to the school. Before parting for the night, they shared one last kiss. "Good night, Mrs. Almost-Lupin," he said before going up to his dormitory.

"Good night, Almost-husband," she returned before leaving for her own.

Neither Ticia nor James slept well that night, for they were both too excited for the future that lay ahead for them.


	67. Three of Clubs

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: Thanks for the compliment! The picnic was a lot of fun to write. Paige will have a run-in with the authority that will cause her to rethink her attitude, it might not change too much though. But be patient, it'll all work out in the end!

Usdragonflies: Thanks for the positive review. It's always fun to get nice feedback. I look forward to hearing from you again!

Three of Clubs

Author's Note: I apologize for the long time since the last posting. I ran out of chapters to post, and I hate to write for the very next chapter to be posted, so I stopped until I had about three new ones built up. At the same time, the usual yearly crisis of confidence that I thought had passed reared it's ugly head again and ElfFlame and I worked hard to get past that. I feel more confident finally and up to posting again, so without further ado, here's the next installment! Due to the approaching holidays, I may not post every week until next month, but do not fear, I haven't abandoned this story!

It was now nearing the middle of October, and Teecie had settled into her hectic routine of classes, clubs, revising, volunteering with Wilkes and at the orphanage, and talking to her professors about schoolwork.

Some sacrifices had to be made for her to do this. She no longer ate her dinner in the Great Hall with her friends, but grabbed a sandwich from the kitchens and snuck it into the library to eat while working.

Teecie only got about four or five hours of sleep a night anymore so she could stay up late and work on homework longer.

On Saturdays, while sitting in the stands to watch James's Quidditch practices, she worked as well.

Teecie was exhausted, but felt it was worth it in order to reach her goal.

It was a Thursday afternoon, and she was now sitting in Professor Weasley's office, talking about the assignments for the week, as had become her weekly custom.

Hermione poured tea for the two of them and discussed the Transfiguration essay she'd assigned on Monday. She couldn't help but notice Teecie yawning the entire time. "Am I boring you, Ticia?" she asked lightly.

Teecie yawned so hard it made her jaw hurt before being able to answer. "No, it's really quite fascinating," she replied. "I'm just so tired."

Hermione furrowed her brow. She knew Teecie well enough now, and knew her past history to know that she was doing too much. "Ticia dear, do you think you might be pushing yourself too hard? I remember my third year, using the time turner to go to extra classes and do more work, and I was quite exhausted from it. And to be honest, looking back on it now, I can't say that it was the best way to go about doing things. Being too tired can hinder you from retaining information. You're trying to do almost the same amount of work I did, but without a time turner. You're going to collapse from exhaustion some time if you're not careful," she said in a caring tone of voice.

Teecie sighed. "I know, but there's just too much to be done. I'll try to catch up on my sleep over the Christmas holiday," she replied sleepily.

Hermione looked at her with disapproval. "I'd rather you get a proper amount of sleep every night. You'll need it if you want to succeed with your classes."

"But there isn't time! I have it perfectly timed to get everything done, just the way it is," Teecie replied.

Hermione frowned. "Just promise me, Ticia, that you'll come to somebody for help if it gets too overwhelming for you. I don't want to hear of you experimenting with potions anymore."

Teecie sighed. "Of course I won't use potions anymore! I know how bad they are for me!" she cried in response.

Hermione nodded her head. "That is very good to hear, but I had to make sure," she said kindly.

That evening, Teecie took a well-earned dinner break, and ate in the Great Hall. She'd managed to avoid Paige lately, but wanted to check in with her friends.

Once she arrived in the Great Hall, she was met with a disheartening sight. Paige was holding court in the middle of the Gryffindor table with none other than Candace Howe, James's ex-girlfriend. They both shot Teecie dirty looks and whispered to one another when she walked past them.

"Nice shirt, Ticia," Candace called out, commenting on Teecie's pink jumper. Teecie ignored them and continued walking over to the Slytherin table.

"Pink is so first year. Why doesn't she just give it up already?" Paige hissed at Candace. The two girls giggled as Teecie tried to remain calm. It wouldn't do to let them know they'd upset her in any way.

Portia Weasley smiled at Teecie as she joined her at the Slytherin table. "Just ignore whatever she says about you," she advised her after hearing the story.

"Yes, Ticia, I agree, why let her feel superior to you?" Morgaine added.

"Besides, you know you're better than that girl," Zeren said while patting her on the shoulder.

"Thanks you guys," Teecie replied while smiling. "It's good to know I still have some friends around here."

At that point in time, Marguerite Weasley, a seventh year Ravenclaw, turned around, stood up and walked over to tower over Teecie, with her hands on her hips. "You know, I can't believe you all are saying such things about my _dear_ cousin Paige," she cried before pausing. Teecie's heart began to pound at the thought of having angered the older girl. Her fears were quickly allayed though, as Marguerite continued, "And didn't invite me to join in!" Once she'd finished, she sat down next to Teecie, who quickly scooted down to make more room for the girl.

Portia smirked at her cousin. "Meg, you almost gave Ticia a heart attack, I saw her turn pale when you were talking," she admonished Marguerite.

The older girl looked over at Teecie. "I'm sorry, Ticia, it was only a joke," she replied.

"That's all right, I'm fine now," Teecie replied. She grinned as Marguerite made herself at home. She couldn't help but feel she'd gained a powerful ally.

By the end of the meal, the group felt a solid connection to one another through their annoyance at Paige.

Teecie enjoyed talking to her friends so much that she decided it was good to take time from studying to hang out with them every day for dinner.

Over the next week, June Lindon, Liss, and Diana Weasley joined the gang. It was a mix of houses and years, but they all enjoyed one another's company.

At the same time, Paige's troupe grew to include Carl, Tristan, and Serilda Jugson, a Slytherin girl with a reputation for being quite a snitch. They sat at the Gryffindor table and laughed at the other students.

Some of the students refused to take sides in this. Patty, James, and the other Gryffindor Quidditch team members stayed away from the other groups, and sat together in their own group at the other end of the table, trying to ignore them. Rey, Carl's boyfriend and one of Teecie's good friends, refused to join either side, for he didn't want to deal with the drama of the offended party.

The professors seemed to have noticed that the girls were dividing the school into one cool group, and the other cool group. Teecie could see them looking down on them and whispering to each other. She knew they thought the girls were being silly, but they weren't! It was very serious business making sure you were on the side with the best people.

Draco gave her a hard time about it. She went to have tea with him one afternoon, and had to endure his disapproval. "Ticia, do you realize how unladylike all this nonsense is?" he asked harshly.

"It is not unladylike! I haven't done anything unladylike at all!" Teecie cried in response. "You're just saying that because you don't want me to have fun."

Draco sniffed. "That's right, I'm just trying to spoil everything for you," he replied in a deadpanned tone.

"But this is the time in my life when I'm supposed to be having fun. And it's not like I don't do my schoolwork either," she retorted.

"Yes, but at what cost? Your homework is poor quality, and you've started making mistakes in class. Why just yesterday you almost blew up your cauldron by adding too many dragonfly wings to your potion. If I hadn't caught you in time, you would have had a disaster on your hands. And look at you, you have dark circles under your eyes, and you're losing weight. How much sleep are you getting at night?" Draco asked, sounding more concerned than angry.

Teecie bit her lip and didn't respond.

"You are getting some sleep aren't you?"

Teecie didn't reply to this, but looked down at her hands which were folded in her lap.

"I thought as much."

"But I'm doing just fine! None of my professors have said anything to me," she cried in frustration.

"That's because we were hoping you'd start changing things around on your own," Draco replied.

"Well I think I'm doing all right. Nothing needs to change."  
"Ticia, you're pulling yourself in too many directions. You can't do it forever. Someday you will have to decide which direction to choose, and stay with it. You cannot be a healer and the popular socialite at the same time. You can only be one or the other."

"You just don't want me to be happy!"

"I'm trying to keep you happy! You won't be happy when you don't do well enough on your OWLS to study healing because you spent too much time with your silly girlfriends."

"But I can do both. You'll see!" Teecie was frustrated over the lack of Draco's support in this.

Draco sighed and slowly shook his head. "You seem determined to do things your way, and I cannot force you to stop. I can, however, ban you from school clubs and Hogsmeade weekends if I feel the need to. I just hope you will see the need to limit yourself before it comes to that," he finally replied.

"Don't worry Draco, I can handle it," she said lightly. She left a few minutes later to work on homework for the rest of the night.

Several days later, after spending time with her new group of friends, Teecie took a break from homework, and composed a letter to Narcissa. She hadn't heard from her since she'd left over the summer holiday. She didn't like how angry Narcissa had been at her, and hoped she could mend the damage done.

Dear Mrs. Malfoy,

I wanted to tell you how very sorry I am for the tree incident. It was wrong of me to endanger myself and to act so foolish and unladylike. It was wrong of me and I feel terrible to have upset you so. I hope some day you can find it in your heart to forgive me.

I also wanted to tell you that I really enjoyed the time that we spent together. I learned a lot from you and have used some of the lessons in my life. Morgaine Fawcett and I have become close friends since the start of school. She's a very good person.

Well, I hope to hear from you, and I hope you won't hate me forever. I would be heartbroken to have lost your support.

I remain your friend,  
Ticia Orendes

Once she sent the letter off with her owl, Teecie fell asleep, and got about three hours sleep before waking up for the next day.

That day, her friends voted on a name and official colours for their group. They all decided that the "Pixies" was a fun title, and they all agreed that periwinkle was a lovely colour they could all bear to wear.

Paige's group had named themselves Brigide, and chose white as their colour. They enjoyed looking down on a lot of the girls at school for not being so "pure" as they were.

During this time, a third group had formed. This group was made of Slytherin girls, plus a few Ravenclaw girls who tried to hang out with Draco all the time. They were all in the Potions club, and had even named themselves the Narcissans, after his mother. Roxanne Zabini headed this group of girls.

These girls had already created a stir among the student population at the school, as well as among the professors. They tried to get away with things like wearing their blouses with the minimum amount of buttons done up to keep them from falling off, or hiking up their skirts to show off their legs. It was rumoured that most of the girls didn't wear undergarments either, and had been confirmed by a few of the boys at the school. The professors were always telling them to fix their clothes to fit in with the regulations, but the girls always found other ways around it when this happened.

Most of the Quidditch players had congregated together in order to avoid the three groups of girls. Paige had the Gryffindor table, Roxanne the Slytherin table, Teecie and her friends were at the Ravenclaw table, so that left the Hufflepuff table for the school's Quidditch players.

Everybody seemed to be OK with the new seating arrangements. Nobody had to interact with people they didn't want to be around. It offered a nice respite from dorm life, which Teecie found stressful.

Paige was always sniping at Teecie whenever she had the chance. "Ticia, you're putting all your stuff on my side of the room." "Ticia you almost fell asleep in class today; we'll start losing points if you do that again." "Ticia I don't think you should stay out so late with James anymore, you'll get caught and get us into trouble." Every day it was something like that. Teecie had started staying out of the dormitory until late at night in order to avoid Paige most of the time.

The worst time though, had come about a week after the Lake Party. Paige had been in a snit because Patty hadn't attended, and was constantly badgering her because of it. She'd ranted and raved before Patty shut her up. "You want to know why I wasn't at the Lake party? It's because I'm sick of you! Little Miss High and Mighty, sticking her nose into other people's business; I'm sick of it!" Patty cried at her twin. "Daniel and I had a wonderful time together instead of going to the crummy party!" Teecie couldn't help but notice the normally unabashed Patty blush while she spoke. Had more gone on between Patty and Daniel then just an afternoon of hand holding and kissing?

Teecie snuck over to Patty's bed once the fight was over. "Did you and Daniel…" she trailed off.

Patty bit her lip and looked up at Teecie. She drew the curtains around the bed before responding. "We'd been fighting over the Quidditch tryouts, and when we both ended up making the team, we wanted to celebrate. So Daniel and I went to his room while everybody else was at the party," she explained slowly.

"And did you…" Teecie trailed off again.

Patty took a deep breath before nodding her head. "It was a beautiful experience! I love him so much, Teecie, and it was perfect. Though I thought I'd heard it was supposed to last longer than two minutes. Maybe we just need more practice," she replied in a quiet voice.

Teecie squealed. "Oh, that's so romantic! James and I are going to wait a little bit longer, but he proposed to me at the picnic we went instead of the Lake party!"

Patty gasped and soon the two girls were chattering away about their experiences on the day the rest of the school attended the Lake party. Teecie had really enjoyed getting to know Patty better. The first few years of school they'd been so different from one another that they hardly interacted, but now, Patty seemed to have more in common with Teecie than with her own twin sister. This led her to confide more in her friend than in her own flesh and blood.

Over the next couple of weeks, the two girls continued to talk to one another on intimate matters, leaving Paige feeling left out. This only led to more animosity between her and Teecie, and the war between them didn't show any signs of slowing down either. Teecie found that the best way to deal with the problem was to not be around it for as long as possible, so she spent more and more time in the library or the common room, or with James before having to return to her dormitory to work on more schoolwork. It seemed like a pretty good system so far.

A few days before the Hogsmeade trip, Teecie received a letter from Narcissa while eating breakfast. She was a little nervous to read the contents, but opened it anyway. She was pleasantly surprised by what she read:

Miss Orendes,

While I appreciate the sentiment of an apology, do not believe that it will undo all the damage you caused. But it takes more than regrets to fix a situation of this kind.

I am pleased to hear you've been using the lessons learned while in my care. I would like to see you use them more often in your life. Your situation can only improve by doing so.

I am also pleased to know your friendship with Miss Fawcett is going so well. It would be good for you to have more Slytherin friends. One can never have too many. Miss Zabini is a lovely girl; perhaps you could befriend her next.

I hope you manage to do well in school this year, and do not cause any trouble for your brother or the Headmaster. They are both important men who do not have time for the silly antics you seem so fond of.

N. Malfoy

Even though the response was a bit frosty, it wasn't a rejection either. It would take time, but Teecie knew everything would be all right between her and Narcissa in the end. She was also excited to see how she'd mentioned Uncle Sev in the end. Perhaps he'd left a lasting impression on Narcissa.

Teecie would have worked on a response, but Liss joined her and began asking about Hogsmeade. "And you'll get the sashes then?" she asked her aunt.

"Yes, at Gladrags. I've already ordered them and have to see if they're what we want before I buy them," Teecie replied.

"I can't wait to see them! I'm going to wear mine around my waist," Liss exclaimed while other group members began to join them and talk about how they planned to wear their sashes.

Draco had been walking past their table, having just reprimanded Roxanne Zabini for having her blouse unbuttoned too far, and not having anything underneath it, when he overheard his daughter talking of her plans. He scowled and ground his teeth while trying to remain calm and dignified. It was not an easy task.

Most of the other girls planned on wearing them around their waists as well, though some, like Teecie, planned to tie their hair up with it. Marguerite planned on wearing hers from shoulder across down to her waist like a beauty pageant contestant, because she'd heard that's how Paige was planning on wearing her white sash which would be procured at Gladrags on the same day.

That evening, in the library, after dinner, Liss joined Teecie at her table. She was sobbing again. "Fa-father says I can-can't be in your gr-oup!" she gasped through sobs. "I cr-cried and beg-beg-begged, but he said n-nooo!"

Teecie hugged her niece while the younger girl cried her heart out on her shoulder. "Would you like me to talk to him about this and see if I can get him to change his mind?" she finally asked after a few minutes.

Liss sniffled and nodded her head. "I just want the chance to be with you and all the cool people. I don't know why he has a problem with it."

Teecie gave Liss another hug. "I'll go talk to him and see what I can do," she said in a comforting voice. With that, she got up and left to go talk to her brother, who was in his office.

Draco was relaxing at his desk, reading the Evening Prophet, and sipping a coffee when he was interrupted by his sister. He couldn't help but be annoyed over the fact that she hadn't knocked, and started talking the moment she entered the room.

"Draco, why won't you let Liss be in our group? Don't you want her to have lots of nice friends? There are even Slytherins in the group," she said in earnest.

Draco scowled. "I will not have my daughter associating with those groups. You and your friends draw far too much attention to yourselves. Lisandra is a very sensitive girl and does not need to be involved with the teasing that goes on between all you girls," he replied.

"But that's why we formed into groups, Draco, because we were being teased," Teecie explained.

"It isn't proper behaviour for young ladies."

"Well at least be glad she doesn't want to join that group of Slytherin girls," Teecie retorted.

Draco paled at the thought. "Those girls have no respect for themselves."

"Yes, but that's why they're so popular. And before you go on about what bad people they are, just keep in mind the amount of Slytherin boys who have enjoyed their company over the years. Though, you're probably of the old way of thinking, that it's a man's prerogative to enjoy the pleasure of as many women as he wants just for the fact that he is a man. Well the world isn't like that anymore, Draco. Girls are free to do what they want with themselves, and you should be grateful that your daughter isn't like them. But if you push her too hard, and not allow her some innocent fun, she'll rebel and find less innocent things to do with her time." Teecie took a deep breath once she'd finished her speech and looked expectantly at her brother, waiting to hear his response.

Draco's lips were drawn taut as he formulated his response. "Ticia, I am Lisandra's father. It is my duty to take care of her and protect her in the best way I see fit. It is not proper for young ladies to draw so much attention to themselves. Perhaps if your parents had raised you to be more demure and maidenly, you would understand this better," he said in a steady voice.

Teecie shook her head and narrowed her eyes. "Well that's a shame, Draco, because you're keeping your child from making some really good friends by doing this," she said quietly.

Before leaving the room, Teecie turned around and looked at Draco carefully. She held her head high and threw her shoulders back proudly. "I know you don't approve of me or the choices I've made with my life, and that is the true reason you won't allow Liss to be in our group. But I want you to know that I'm not ashamed of who I am or what I do with my life. I do not need your approval to make of my life what I will. And some day, Draco, you'll have to accept that your children are just as free as I to choose what kind of life they'll have. I only hope that you can love them, and show your disapproval of them less than you do of me." With that, Teecie turned and left Draco alone in his office, thinking about what she'd said.

When Teecie returned to Liss, she had to break the news gently to her. Liss's lips quivered as she heard the verdict. "Well I'm just not going to speak to him for a whole week for this and we'll see how he is after that," she replied haughtily. It was a very bold thought for Liss.

That evening, while Teecie was in the library working on her Transfiguration homework with James, Draco went to visit Snape in his office.

Snape poured him a glass of Italian Ambermead, and sat on the sofa, listening to the younger man's problems.

"I mean, the very idea of my daughter wanting to associate with those groups of girls. It's preposterous!" Draco declared after explaining the situation.

Snape breathed deeply, inhaling the spicy scent of the drink before taking a sip. "Most children that age just want to fit in and feel like they belong to a group of like-minded people. I'm sure you remember that feeling…" he trailed off.

Draco glared at Snape, but didn't respond for a minute. Acceptance did seem a life or death situation at times in a young person's life. Was it cruel of him to deny his daughter what he himself had craved and almost driven himself mad in the pursuit of when he'd been a young man?

"Surely she can find a nice group of girls who stay out of all this nonsense," Draco finally replied in a quiet voice.

"Perhaps, or she might also withdraw and not make any friends at all. It is a hard call to make. You do not want her to be lonely, for that would be a cruel fate that nobody in their right mind would wish upon their own child," Snape replied while looking intensely at his glass of golden nectar. He had a sad look on his face, as though he was remembering a particularly bad memory.

Draco sighed. He didn't want Lisandra to be miserable, quite the contrary, in fact. He'd always only been concerned with her happiness, and always thought he knew what was best for his children's happiness. Was that so wrong? Why wouldn't his children want his advice, and to learn from his mistakes? That way their lives would not be as hard as his had been. Nobody seemed to understand this.

"I want Lisandra to be happy, but I also do not want her to end up like her aunts. As much as I love my sisters, I do not approve of the choices they've made for their lives, and I will not have my daughters following the path they forged. I do not care if this makes me cruel or judgmental, it will not stop me from wanting to protect my children!" Draco said angrily.

"Calm yourself," Snape said. "You just have to remember that your children will always remember moments like these. If you are too harsh in situations that do not matter in the long run, then they may not come to you for the moments that are very important. And if they do, they may not be as inclined to take your advice. Sometimes it is better to pick and choose your battles," he said in a calm voice.

Draco remained silent for a long time after this. It just wasn't fair. He knew what was best for his children, and they should be willing to follow his instructions because he'd learned the hard way that what he wanted for them was the most pleasant way for them to spend their lives. There were plenty of girls at the school for Lisandra to befriend without joining a large group like Ticia's.

Then Draco found his thoughts turning to the heartbroken look on Lisandra's face as she was told she could not join the group. It was a look he hoped to never see on his children's faces, and it sickened him to know he'd been the one responsible for it.

Lisandra had always been a sweet and obedient child. She'd never caused any trouble before, leaving that for her siblings. Was she trustworthy enough to allow such a thing? Would she use good judgment in the choices she'd be faced with while socializing with these people? If the answer was yes, then there was no problem in letting her do this, but if the answer was no, then it wouldn't be right to allow her to join Ticia. Could he trust his child? Could he allow himself to find out?

Draco frowned. Sometimes being a father was very difficult.

The next morning, as the older students prepared for the trip to Hogsmeade, Draco called Liss into his office. She sat in front of his desk with her arms folded, looking at the floor. She was determined to live up to her promise to not speak to him for a whole week.

"Lisandra, I have decided that you can join Ticia's group of friends. I will expect you to act like a proper lady and use the decorum befitting of one bearing the name 'Black'," he said stiffly, just wanting to get those words out of his mouth.

Liss wasn't sure if she'd heard right. Her head whipped up to look at her father, and she stared at him for a moment before speaking. "I can be in the group? I can be a Pixie?" she gasped while jumping up and running over to him.

Draco sneered at the name. "Yes, you may join the group, but you are expected to act properly or I will revoke that privilege," he replied.

Liss beamed up at her father and threw her arms around him. "Oh father, thank you so much!" she cried while standing on her toes to kiss his cheek. "I love you so much father, and now I can speak to you again! But I must go tell Auntie before she goes to town. I have to have a sash too!" she squealed while rushing out of the room and trotting down to the Great Hall.

Teecie was sitting next to James and Zeren when Liss rushed over to her. "Ticia, Ticia, father says I may be in the group after all so make sure to get a sash for me in town today!" she gushed excitedly.

"He did? Oh, that's wonderful!" Teecie cried while standing up and hugging Liss. "I'll make sure to get a sash for you. Is there anything else you want? I have a list of things to get for other people. Portia, Laron, and Frank Harold all want stuff from town, so can I get anything for you?" she asked while sitting back down to finish her meal.

Liss sat down next to James and began dishing herself a plate of sausages and scrambled eggs. While putting hash browns on her plate, she spoke again. "I'd love some Bertie Bott's. Father doesn't let us eat those very often, and I heard they just introduced a new flavour: sour apple. They say it makes your mouth pucker and your eyes tear up.

Teecie nodded her head and added that to the list she was taking with her into Hogsmeade.

Once it was time to go, Zeren, who'd been sitting with them, left to escort Morgaine on her first trip to town. James and Teecie held hands and strolled lazily down the road.

"It's nice to spend some time with you, just the two of us," she said while they walked.

"I know, we'll have to stick together today," James agreed.

The first stop in town was to the Three Broomsticks for a Butterbeer. James loved the story of how his father had bribed Teecie back to school while talking to her at this pub. He made her tell the story while they sat on stools, sipping a Butterbeer with two straws.

"I'm glad you came back," he said in conclusion.

Teecie grinned and kissed James on the cheek. "I am too," she replied.

"Ew, Ticia, public displays of affection are inappropriate," a girl's harsh voice called out behind them.

Teecie turned in her seat to see Candace Howe standing with her hands on her hips. Paige walked up next to her and started tapping her foot. "What do you think, Paige? Should you take points from them for such bad behaviour?" she asked her leader.

Before Paige had a chance to respond, James stood up and walked over to Candace. "Shut up you twit! You're just jealous," he growled while towering over her.

Candace glared at him. "Jealous? What an ego! You're not even worth my time. I mean, it's not like you're even a good kisser," she retorted.

Teecie was fuming by now, and joined the two in the stand-off. "He is too a good kisser! And you are so jealous! James is gorgeous and you're just upset because you aren't going out with him anymore," she hissed.

Candace turned to glare at Teecie. "Don't even talk to me, freak show. At least I'm not a slut," she said coolly.

Paige smirked and nodded her head at Teecie. Before she had a chance to speak though, Professors Lupin and Wood approached them. The men frowned at the students, knowing full well a fight had just been averted by their arrival.

"Miss Howe, please mind your words while in Hogsmeade. We do not want the other visitors to think Hogwarts students are so crass as to use such language," Remus said in a curt voice. Candace sighed and scowled but didn't say anything.

"And James, you should know better than to fight with the female students," he said sternly to his son.

Teecie stepped over and entwined her arm through James's. "But he was only defending my honour," she cried.

"All right, everybody out!" Oliver barked authoritatively, frowning slightly in disapproval. "You are all being too loud to be inside, so carry on your argument outside if you must."

Teecie bit her lip for a moment before looking at James. "Come on, let's get out of here. Too much 'bad company,'" she said.

James nodded in agreement, took her hand, and walked away from everybody with her. "I can't believe my dad did that in front of everybody!" he cried once they'd gotten out of the pub. "I'm going to have to go yell at him tonight for it!"

"He probably would have done that to anybody though, not just you," Teecie said quietly, trying to calm him down.

"But he totally humiliated me in front of you and the other girls!" James cried while stomping towards Honeydukes.

Teecie trotted after him, allowing him some space. Once in the store, she took her list out and started to look for the items she was getting for her friends. She made sure to get the biggest bag of Bertie Bott's she could find for Liss.

James seemed to have calmed down again by the time Teecie found him standing in the aisle of gummi sweets. He gave her a hug and kissed her tenderly in front of all the other students. "I'm sorry I was being such an arse," he whispered in her ear.

"Oh James, you weren't being an arse, but you know what? You do have a nice arse," she teased while brushing her hands against his backside.

James smiled and kissed her. "Not as nice as yours," he retorted. The two snogged for a long time in the middle of the aisle while students walked around them.

By the time they'd finished snogging and shopping for everybody on the list, it was time to pick up the sashes at Gladrags. James decided to go to the Quidditch supply store instead, stating that sash-buying was a "girl thing."

Teecie went into the clothing shop and looked around at the racks of clothes for a while before approaching the woman at the counter about picking up her order. The woman handed her a bundle of sashes for her to look at before wrapping up. Teecie thought the periwinkle was a most lovely colour, and couldn't wait to wear it at dinner that night.

While looking at them, Paige entered the store to pick up her white sashes. She smirked at Teecie while standing next to her at the counter. "I think these sashes are perfect," she said while holding up one of the pristine white pieces of fabric.

Teecie smiled pleasantly. "Well, they are plain and boring just like you, so I'd have to agree completely," she replied smoothly before turning to the woman behind the counter and taking several galleons out of her purse to pay for her sashes.

Before leaving the store, Teecie put one of the sashes on. She tied it carefully around her waist like a nice belt around her jeans. Paige scowled at her and took one of her white sashes and tied her hair back with it.

Teecie frowned as she watched this. "Paige, why do we have to be against each other? What happened to us being friends?" she asked quietly, feeling overcome by sadness as she saw her former best friend take up sides against her once again.

Paige sighed and looked down upon Teecie for a minute before answering. "Because you're a troublemaker, Ticia, and I'm a prefect. We're on opposite sides now, unless you wanted to shape up."

Teecie shook her head slowly. "I never knew you to be so judgmental, Paige. You used to be such a kind girl who liked everybody no matter what they were like. What happened to that girl?" she asked quietly.

Paige ran her fingers up and down her white sash. "She grew up," she replied just as quietly before turning and walking out of the store.

Teecie left the store and found James sitting on a bench outside, waiting for her. "Did you get the sashes?" he asked.

She nodded her head and held her hand out for him to help pull him up. James took her hand, and together they walked to Madam Puddifoot's for lunch.

Teecie told him about the conversation with Paige while they ate. James sighed and shook his head sadly. "It's a shame really," he replied. "Maybe she'll come around with time."

"I sure hope so. I miss her as a friend," Teecie said in a sad tone. James gave her hand a loving squeeze.

After a couple more hours of wandering through town, the two walked back to the school. Teecie walked around the halls, looking for members of her group and handing out sashes.

Liss was sitting in the library reading a book when Teecie found her. She beamed with happiness and pride as her aunt put the sash around her waist and tied it for her into a matching belt. "Oh, Ticia, this is one of the best days of my life!" she cried happily while giving Teecie a hug.

Teecie squeezed Liss tightly and kissed the top of her head. "I'm glad you're so happy, darling," she exclaimed.

"I have to go show father!" Liss said while walking towards the door.

Once everybody had gotten their periwinkle Pixie sash, Teecie went to her dormitory and spent the rest of the evening working on schoolwork. James was talking with his father and wasn't around to be with, so she curled up on her bed with Rose on her lap, and read about the Imperious Curse for her Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

It had been a long and exhausting day though, and Teecie soon found that she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. She fell asleep that night feeling accomplished, but at the same time, saddened over the negative changes in her life. She hoped a good night's sleep would help her feel better by the next morning.


	68. Facing the Strain

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: Yes, Teecie really is doing too much, and it all comes to a head in this chapter. I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. Now that Easter and all the spring craziness has passed, I should be able to post a chapter a week again. I've just had so much to do and not enough time to do it in, that posting has had to be pushed aside. So, here's the next chapter, and I hope you enjoy it too!

Facing the Strain

"Go James, go!" Teecie screeched while hopping up and down excitedly. James was racing after the snitch during Quidditch practice one Saturday morning on a chilly November day. He'd almost caught it several times, but it always managed to elude him.

James was concentrating too hard to acknowledge Teecie, but she knew he appreciated her being there while he practiced. Of course it meant missing her Cooking club meeting, having to test her recipe for the school paper later in the morning, and stay up later at night to get her homework done so she could still have her tea with Professor Lupin that afternoon, but she figured it was worth it if James liked her to be there for him.

A minute late, after a mad dash towards the snitch, James caught it and flew over to show Teecie.

"You got it! You got it!" she squealed while kissing his cheek. James wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly for a while. Finally, he let go and flew back to his fellow teammates, who congratulated him on a fine catch.

Practice ended soon after that, and Teecie ran off to test the pumpkin-banana-pecan bread recipe she was going to use for this week's recipe for the Weekly Howler. She sat and chatted with Nili while the bread baked in the oven. Nili loved the company and the attention, and showered Teecie with sweets and pastries to take and give to her group members.

James joined her in the kitchens, knowing he'd get free food if he did so, and wasn't disappointed as he was able to be Teecie's guinea pig for the bread. She wasn't sure how the bread had turned out, and was nervous while buttering a piece for him. She watched curiously as he took a bite and ate it. He showed nothing on his face as to how he felt. "Well?" she finally prodded.

James set down the bread and grabbed Teecie's face, drawing it to his, and kissed her passionately for a minute before letting go of her. "It's the best bread I've ever eaten!" he exclaimed.

Teecie reeled from the kiss and the compliment. James sure knew how to make her feel special. She took a bite of his slice and was pleased with the result as well.

Once they were done with the sample, she sliced the rest up and together they took that and all of Nili's treats up to their tables to share with their friends. Everybody loved the bread, and Teecie felt reassured for taking time out of her week to prepare a recipe for the school paper.

She wrapped up the very last piece of bread for her afternoon tea with Professor Lupin. He'd seemed more open to meeting again, now that Teecie was keeping the discussions limited to schoolwork, and not personal relationships. Her marks were improving as well, from receiving extra tutelage in Defense Against the Dark Arts. She'd always been average in that class, but now that her OWLS were approaching, and a high score was needed in that class in order to become a healer, she decided that average wasn't good enough.

Lupin had been helping her review things from past years, and was going to continue testing her on the stuff they were learning now. They'd been discussing the Unforgivable Curses, and he was still trying to find a way to demonstrate the effects of the curses without using them on a living creature. He'd told them that it was important for the students to see the effects, but he refused to use the curses on anything living. He'd finally decided on developing some sort of projection to show the students. Teecie couldn't wait to see it. This way she'd be able to see the effects, but nothing would get hurt.

She planned on asking him about this as she walked up to his office that afternoon for tea. She held his slice of bread on a small plate, and knocked on his door. This seemed odd to Teecie, for Professor Lupin's door was always open unless there was somebody in his office with him.

It took a minute for Lupin to come to the door, and Teecie couldn't have been more shocked to see Paige sitting in the chair across from his desk, sipping a cup of tea.

"Ticia…" Lupin began quietly, knowing the trouble that would probably come from this.

Teecie's eyes grew wide as she looked up at her professor. "I don't understand, professor, this is always when we have _our_ tea together. And now you're having tea with Paigezilla? Isn't she scared of you?" she asked while folding her arms.

Remus frowned. "Now, Ticia, Paige is finally growing out of her fear, and I want to help her with that. And I am allowed to have tea with any of the students who wish it. She came before you did, that's all. Would you care to join us?" he asked calmly, already knowing the answer.

Teecie shook her head. "No thank you, I'd rather have my hand bit off by a warg," she replied quietly before holding out the plate of bread to him. "Here, I saved this for you. Enjoy it while you talk to _her_." She handed the plate to Lupin before turning and walking away.

Remus sighed and watched Teecie walk away for a few seconds before going back into his office and shutting the door.

Teecie felt sad as she rounded the corner of the hallway. Of course Professor Lupin was allowed to have tea with all the students, but why Paige? And why at "their" special time? Paige was trying to take that away from her too, and Teecie wasn't going to let her succeed.

She found James in the Great Hall, and told him all about what had happened. "I can't believe he did that! Do you want me to go yell at him for you?" he growled while standing up and pacing the floor.

Teecie shook her head, and James wrapped his arms around her. There was almost nothing he loved more than to comfort her. It took quite a while to cheer her up again, and darkness had already fallen outside the school by the time she felt better, but James took her for a moonlit broom ride for a special treat, just like they'd done the year before.

By the time they returned to the school, Teecie seemed to have forgotten the unpleasantness of the afternoon, and was able to study for the rest of the night with no problems.

The next morning, however, Paige put on all sorts of airs about her tea with Lupin while the girls dressed for breakfast. When Paige met up with Candace on the stairs, it got worse.

"And she refused to join us. It's only because she's jealous of me…" Teecie heard Paige say to her friend.

Teecie's cheeks burned with embarrassment, because Paige was right. She was jealous of having her special time with Professor Lupin taken over by somebody else, who probably didn't even appreciate it as much.

"Shut up, Paige!" she snapped as they all walked into the Great Hall.

Paige turned and smirked. "See Candace? I told you she was jealous," she remarked in a snide tone.

"I am not jealous! You only did it because you know that's when I always go to see him. Though the way you've been gushing, I think you might be in love with him!" Teecie snarled while members of both groups began to congregate around them, to see what was happening.

Paige gasped. "I am not in love with him! You take that back!" she cried.

"I will not! You're in love with him! Madly! Passionately! I bet you have hot, crazy dreams about him! Am I right Paige? Do you have a thing for werewolves?" Teecie didn't care if she was crossing the line at this point; she just wanted to give Paige a taste of her own medicine.

Paige crossed her arms and glared at her former friend. "That is so not true and you know it! Maybe you're the one who's in love with him! Maybe you're only going out with James because you think you can seduce his father!" she snapped.

Teecie fumed over this. "How dare you say that? James and I are going to get married and Professor Lupin will be my father-in-law!"

"Well that will make it even easier for you, won't it?"

The two girls began screaming in earnest at one another. Nobody could make out what was being said, but it was as if a clarion call had been set off among the other group members, who were now pairing off and sparring on their own.

The arguing only went on for a minute or two before professors arrived to break it up. Professors Weasley, Longbottom, and Creevey all worked their way into the fight and started separating people. It soon became evident to them who had started the fight, and within several more minutes, Teecie and Paige were being escorted to the Headmaster's office by Professor Weasley.

Once in the Headmaster's office, Teecie sat and listened as Professor Weasley filled him in on what had happened. She couldn't help but be nervous over this. Would she be expelled? Was this the end of her schooling at Hogwarts and any chance of becoming a healer?

Snape sat in his chair and frowned at the girls. He slowly stood up once Professor Weasley had finished explaining to him. First, he looked at Paige. "I must say, Miss Weasley that I am disappointed thus far over how you are choosing to use your prefectship. It is a privilege not to be taken advantage of, and you are abusing it. If there is one more such incident, I will revoke your prefectship and award it to your sister," he paused to see if he was having any effect on her. Paige was pale and trembling where she stood fidgeting with her hands.

Next, Snape turned to Teecie. "Well, Miss Orendes, here we are once again. It is another year and you are already filling your record with black marks. Will there ever be an end to this? I am going to take ten points from each of you for disrupting the peace. And you will spend the rest of the day in your house working on a four parchment essay about what you want out of your careers at this school," he paused and watched Teecie's face fall.

"Miss Weasley, you may be excused. Miss Orendes, I'd like to have a word with you in private," he continued.

Once Paige and Professor Weasley had left the room, Snape turned to see Teecie, her eyes filling with tears. "It'll take all day to write that essay," she sniffled. "I won't get any homework done, and I'll have to do it all tonight. There was too much to do last night. I promised myself I would try to sleep tonight," she said quietly, more to herself than to him.

Snape frowned as he looked closely at Teecie. She was extremely pale, and had dark circles under her eyes. She was also growing thinner. "Ticia, when is the last time you had a full night's rest?" he asked sternly.

Teecie bit her lip and clasped her hands. "A while," she admitted.

"How long is 'a while'?"

Teecie didn't answer for a minute. "Before school started," she finally replied.

"That was two months ago! It is not healthy for a person your age to go without sleep for so long. You are still growing and sleep is vital to that process. You should know this as you are studying to become a healer," Snape growled, very displeased to hear this news.

Teecie was growing flustered now as she thought of losing even more precious time in this argument. "I don't have enough time to get everything done! What do you want from me? You all want me to be perfect! Perfect takes time and effort! I'm doing that now!" she was screaming at him, not even sure of the words tumbling from her mouth.

With that, Teecie flung herself down in a nearby chair and began to sob hysterically. "Why is everybody being so mean to me? I'm a nice person and all I get is trashed by people!" she cried.

Severus sat down in the chair next to her and patted her on the back gently. "Ticia, I must use my authority here, and insist that you make some changes in your life. You are doing too much, and it must stop. If you don't do this, I will do it for you. Since you have too much to do, then you must cut out the unnecessary activities in order to leave time for the necessary ones, and sleep would be one of those," he said in a calm voice.

Teecie's lip trembled. "But I love everything I do and I don't think I can choose what to stop. I have to keep working with Master Wilkes, and I love my clubs and volunteering at the orphanage," she cried.

"Life is about making choices, Ticia, and you have come to a point where you must choose what is more important to you."

Teecie nodded her head and sighed. "I suppose I can drop all of my clubs and the volunteering with the orphans. I'll keep my duties with Wilkes and visiting the professors each day to get help with my classes. If Paigezilla insists on stealing my time with Professor Lupin from now on, can I come talk to you about Defense Against the Dark Arts? I have to have somebody to explain the hard parts to me," she replied slowly.

Severus thought about this for a minute before answering. He was quite flattered that she would come to him for help in that area, and he did know a lot about the subject, but would she take it seriously? Ticia had the tendency to chatter incessantly whenever she was around him. But try as he might, he'd found he'd grown attached to the chattering. And as the school's Headmaster, it was his duty to help the students if he could.

"Yes, Ticia, you may come see me if you like," he said quietly.

Teecie smiled while her eyelids began to flutter. "Thank you very much Uncle…" her voice trailed off while her eyes closed. Once all the excitement had passed, the soft, comfortable chair she was sitting in began to feel like a feather mattress, and sleep came over her before she even realized what was happening.

Snape debated over letting her sleep or waking her up so she could work on her essay. He decided though, to let her sleep. The essay could wait, but her health could not. He sighed while wrapping a blanket around her shoulders, and walking away to work on papers that needed to be read and signed.

Teecie slept all day and all that night. Snape felt it was best to let her catch up with her sleep, and moved her to the sofa after the first couple hours. He knew she'd be upset to lose a day of studying, but sometimes there were more important things than studying.

Teecie was indeed very upset the next morning. "You let me sleep all day! Now I'll be even more behind with my essay and all my homework!" she shouted at him while sitting up on the sofa.

Snape explained to her in a calm voice that it was for her own health that he'd allowed her to sleep. "You already look better," he said. "The circles under your eyes are fading and your skin tone is improving. Now you just need to start eating a healthier diet and you will probably find you retain information better, and will not need to stay up all night long to learn your lessons," he informed her while she stretched out and stood up. As she left to go change into fresh clothes, she hugged Uncle Sev. "You may also find you can ignore Miss Weasley more easily," he added while she ran out the door.

Teecie spent that afternoon, after her session with Professor Boot, where she went over her Charms notes from the previous week, working on her essay for Uncle Sev. She sat at her desk in her dormitory, trying to formulate her thoughts of what she wanted to get out of her education at the school.

When I first started attending Hogwarts, I hated it and everything to do with magic. I have since seen the value of some forms of magic, and am striving to master them. I want to take the knowledge I learn from this school, and use it to make a difference in the world.

It was more difficult to write that essay than she thought it would be. It took a lot more time and thought to fill four parchment papers, but Teecie finally finished, and handed her essay in at dinner that evening.

Paige turned her essay in at the same time. Teecie assumed Uncle Sev must have extended her deadline as well, to be fair. Paige smirked at her while they walked away from the Professor's table. "I suppose you wrote about wanting to take from Hogwarts all your experiences with boys and running away," she sneered.

Teecie threw her head back and was about to retort when she glanced back up at the Professor's table, and made eye contact for a moment with Uncle Sev. She remembered that now she had a better ability to ignore Paige, and chose this path instead. "Paige Weasley, from this moment, henceforth, I shall no longer acknowledge your presence in my dormitory, my school, and my life. You shall be no more than a shadow to me," she said formally, in a cold, harsh voice.

Paige glared at her. "That's hardly a loss. I don't want to associate with troublemakers like you anyway," she remarked in a snide tone.

Teecie turned and stomped away in silence. No matter how much she tried to make a show of not being hurt by Paige's words and attitude, it still did hurt, a lot.

The next day, Teecie stayed after her Defense Against the Dark Arts class to talk to Professor Lupin. She hadn't spoken to him since she'd walked away from him on Saturday, and felt it had been long enough for him to go without hearing from her.

"Professor, I just wanted to let you know that I'm choosing to move past Saturday and what happened. I was just really hurt that you'd have tea with somebody else at our special time, but I'm working through it, and I thought you might feel better to know that I'm harbouring no hard feelings towards you," she informed Lupin while he sat behind his desk.

Remus leaned forward in his chair and raised his eyebrows. "Well, Ticia, I am terribly sorry to have hurt your feelings, and glad to know you are not holding Saturday against me. Perhaps the best thing for all of us is to begin making appointments for teatime, so there are no more problems. Does that work for you?" he replied.

Teecie sighed before nodding her head. "And remember Professor, some day James and I will be married and you'll be my father-in-law, and we'll get to have tea together all the time," she replied, starting to feel better all the time. "What do you think? Should I call you 'Remus' or 'Father' or 'Dad' when I marry James?"

Remus grew pale at the thought. "Why don't we cross that bridge when we come to it," he replied.

Teecie watched as Lupin began rubbing his temples. Why did everybody have such a hard time accepting the idea of James marrying her some day? She left the room feeling discouraged.

James joined her at the Ravenclaw table for dinner that evening. They talked about what she'd spoken to his father of earlier that day.

"He's just upset because I yelled at him for Hogsmeade. I told him I was really pissed off for treating me the way he did in front of you. I told him we were going to get married in a few years and you'd be my wife, and it wouldn't do for him to treat me like that in front of you. He didn't seem to agree with me though," James explained while tucking into his third plate of Shepherd's pie. "My dad's been weird lately. We used to get along just fine, but he's been on my case since the summer holiday. He always wants to know where I'm going when I go anywhere. He also disagrees with me when I tell him it's none of his business."

Teecie frowned and took a bite of her Chef's salad. "My brother's like that _all_ the time. It's so annoying. Why do parents always have the know everything about us?"

James shook his head. "Why don't they just understand that we're old enough to live our own lives?" he fumed. "It's like they want us to stay little kids forever, or something."

Teecie shrugged her shoulders. "Parents are just weird like that sometimes. You think they'd be sick of taking care of us by now," she replied.

"Well, let's make a vow, Ticia," James suggested, remembering to use her full name, "Let's promise ourselves that we'll never be like that to our own kids. We'll be cool parents who remember what it's like to be this age and how mature we really were."

Teecie nodded her head and entwined her arm through his. "Oh James, I love the way you talk about us having children some day. It's so beautiful and romantic," she sighed lovingly. "And of course we'll be the best parents in the world."

"There's no doubt about that," James agreed. "Our kids will think we're the coolest."

"And we'll never tell them who they should fall in love with, or try to make them marry somebody they don't love if they make a mistake," Teecie added thinking about the mistakes she'd made in her own life.

The two spent the rest of the meal planning on how to be the world's-best-parents. When they'd finished pudding, James kissed Teecie before running off to a club meeting. Teecie remained behind and talked to her group members for a while.

They spent most of the time talking about the fight on Saturday and the punishment afterwards. "So I told her that I wouldn't even acknowledge her existence anymore," Teecie said in conclusion as she told them about turning in her essay.

"Good for you, Ticia," Portia crowed, "You told her!"

"It will be difficult to do that when you're in the same dormitory, though," Liss added. The other girls nodded their heads in agreement.

"Especially now when she wants lots of attention," Morgaine added while looking at the Hufflepuff table where Zeren and the rest of the school's Quidditch players were sitting.

"I know it won't help when you're in your room, but if you want, I can act as a mouthpiece for you," Diana volunteered. "You know, act as a go-between for you."

Teecie smiled. "That would be wonderful. You'd really do that for me?"

"Sure, you're my friend," Diana grinned, "And my mum will hate it!"

Teecie laughed. "Thank you so much!" she cried while standing up to give her a hug. "I totally owe you."

"No problem!" Diana replied.

After a while, Teecie slipped away to work on her homework. Now that she had no club meetings to attend, it didn't take her as long to get it done. She was able to get a full night's sleep and woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and ready to face the day ahead of her.

Over the next couple weeks, Teecie's life became more wrapped up in James's life. His first Quidditch match was fast approaching, and he was very apprehensive over it. Teecie seemed to be the only person who could comfort him at this time.

James practiced every day after classes, and Teecie would sit in the stands, with a book propped up on her knees, attempting to study and cheer him on at the same time.

After practice one evening, after he'd showered, and they were walking to the Great Hall for dinner, James confided in her of his worries. "We'll be playing against Slytherin, the best team in the school. And our team had three new players this year. I don't know if we're good enough to beat them," he said gravely.

Teecie squeezed his hand. "But doesn't it matter most that you're having fun and trying your best? Isn't that what sports is really all about?" she asked gently.

James frowned. "I suppose," he admitted grudgingly, "but winning sure makes it even better."

Teecie kissed his cheek. "Well, win or lose, I'll love you just as much as I ever did," she said quietly as they sat down to dinner.

The rest of the week flew past, and before either James or Teecie knew it, it was Friday evening, the night before the first Quidditch match.

Teecie gave James a backrub to help calm him down. "You're going to do just fine. Don't worry so much," she said while massaging a knot out of his shoulder.

"I don't think I'll be able to eat or sleep until the game is over," James told her while leaning his head back to rest it against her chest.

"Try to James. Both of those will help you play better tomorrow."

"I know, but I'm just too nervous."

Teecie wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled his ear. "Don't worry," she whispered.

That night, she could barely sleep from being so nervous for her boyfriend. Poor James's stomach was probably twisting in knots, and he probably felt nauseous. Teecie wanted to hold him in her arms and tell him everything was going to be all right. She wanted to comfort him the way he did for her.

The next morning, Teecie managed to get James to eat a piece of toast and two slices of bacon. He fidgeted nervously through the whole meal, and after a quick kiss for luck from his girlfriend, ran off to join his teammates.

Teecie joined up with Liss and her group members in the Ravenclaw section of the crowd. They'd decided to sit there because they sat at the Ravenclaw table at meal times, so it made sense to sit there for the games.

The rest of the school seemed to have flocked to their respective corners as well. Roxanne's group took over the Slytherin section, and Teecie could see a couple of the older girls sitting close to Draco and flirting with him. Draco appeared less than enthused, but managed to maintain his calm demeanour.

Paige and her worshippers took the Gryffindor section. They had painted signs and were chanting loudly to help spur their team on.

The Hufflepuffs still sat in their own section, for most of them had stayed out of the group-choosing business. The rest of the school Quidditch teams were also sitting there. It was about an even split of Gryffindor and Slytherin supporters in the crowd.

Teecie cheered loudly when James flew onto the pitch. She noticed that Morgaine clapped loudly when Zeren flew onto the pitch. Teecie grinned at her friend. "Well, whatever happens in the game, just remember, we're still friends," she said to her as the game started.

"Of course!" Morgaine replied.

Teecie could see how pale and nervous James looked, and her heart began to pound as the game began. The players flew around the pitch, tossing the quaffle back and forth between them. Teecie didn't care for the game really, and kept her eyes on James, concentrating on his performance.

James circled around the pitch, beneath the other players, searching, waiting for the snitch. Nobody ever knew when it would become visible, and he wanted to be ready. Occasionally, he'd fly up to join the rest of the players, and search from above for the snitch. Forty five minutes passed as both teams scored points, before the snitch was seen for the first time.

Bernard Edwards, the Slytherin seeker, saw it at the same time, and dove after it. James was across the pitch from it, and saw the golden object flying straight up into the air. He angled himself to intercept it and took off after it.

During all of this, Zeren was making some spectacular plays, and helping his team get ahead. He scored four times before anybody noticed the snitch. Teecie glanced over and saw Morgaine, whose eyes shone with joy.

Teecie could tell that James was growing frustrated over not catching the snitch after the first couple attempts, and was beginning to lose concentration. He lost focus of the snitch a few times and had to try even harder to catch up with Bernard.

The crowd was screaming loudly by the time James saw the snitch again, and began flying after it. Unfortunately, Bernard was a little faster, and managed to reach his hand out and grabbed the snitch just moments before James.

The roar coming from the Slytherin section of the crowd was deafening as Bernard and his teammates flew around the pitch, waving their hands and sneering triumphantly.

James looked crushed as he landed on the ground. He stayed just long enough to shake hands as a show of good sportsmanship, before storming off to the Gryffindor locker room.

Teecie's heart broke for him as she watched him, unable to comfort him right then. She patted Morgaine on the shoulder and congratulated her before making her way out of the stands and down to the locker room door.

It was almost an hour before James emerged. Though he'd showered, it hadn't washed away the bitterness he felt. The first thing he did when he saw her there was to throw his arms around her. Teecie wrapped her arms around him, and held him tightly while gently rocking him, like she would a small child.

"James, you played very well. You should be proud of that," she whispered in a soothing tone.

"But I lost, Ticia, I lost the game for our entire team-for our entire house," James moaned into her shoulder. "I'll never be able to live this down."

"There are several more games this year. You'll have more chances at winning," Teecie replied sensibly. When James didn't respond, she leaned in and kissed him passionately.

After a minute, James moved his hands from her waist, up to her chest as he kissed her in return. Sometimes, it seemed, there were more important things than sports. It didn't really take away the sting of losing, but only dulled it temporarily.

After he had somewhat recovered from the disappointment, he took Teecie by the hand, and together, they walked to the Great Hall for lunch.

A/N: Title taken from a line from the David Bowie song Changes.


	69. Why Can't a Man Be More Like a Woman?

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm glad you liked the chapter. I've had this one ready to post, but couldn't think of a title for a while. That's the problem of such a long story, I can't think of good titles anymore! I agree with you that Remus is probably terrified at the idea of being related to Teecie some day. And I love writing for Teecie and James when they're planning for the future. They're just so naïve and idealistic! This chapter leads us up to the Christmas holiday, and I hope you enjoy it!

Dark-child 2007: Paige really is horrible now, isn't she! It's too bad, but there may be hope for her yet…I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the story! I've been busy with work lately and my writing schedule has been off, so chapters aren't coming as easily or quickly anymore, but I am writing and I will finish the story, I promise! Here's the next chapter for you to enjoy!

Why Can't a Man Be More Like a Woman?

After a quiet walk into the school following the Quidditch match, James and Teecie arrived at the Great Hall. They looked around for a few minutes before deciding to sit at the Ravenclaw table with Teecie's friends. They sat next to each while Liss sat next to them and looked consolingly at James. "You'll get the snitch next time," she said while patting him on the arm.

"Thanks," James replied glumly.

During the meal, Teecie could hear Paige and her friends speaking harshly about James and his performance. "He must be blind! Even my gran could have caught that snitch!" she heard Paige shriek while the other girls around her giggled.

"I know, I think he's the worst seeker our school has ever known!" Candace added loudly.

"I totally agree! I bet he only made it because Professor Lupin forced the captain to take him on," Paige smirked.

That was the last straw for Teecie. She was fed up after hearing them talk about her boyfriend like that. "Diana, would you mind going over to the Gryffindor table and telling Paige to stop talking about James?" she asked quietly.

Diana's eyes lit up and a big grin grew on her face. "It would be my greatest pleasure," she replied while jumping up.

"Just tell her to shut up!" she called out after the girl while Diana made her way to the Gryffindor table.

Diana smiled at the thought as she approached her cousin. "Paige, dear, Ticia has kindly requested that you keep your sharp-fanged dog-mouth shut! She can hear you barking all the way across the room," she informed Paige.

Paige gasped while her hand flew to her throat. "How dare she say such things about me? You tell her to come talk to me in person next time, and we'll see what happens," she snapped in response.

Diana shook her head. "I'm afraid I will be speaking for Ticia from now on," she told her.

"Too busy sleeping with James so she has to get you to do her work, no doubt," Paige muttered.

"Actually, I volunteered for the job because she's a nice person and I'm her friend. I think she deserves to be treated nicely after all the crap you've been putting her through. Honestly, I don't know how she stands spending so much time living with a complete bitch like you!" Diana cried harshly.

Paige's eyes grew wide and she gasped again. "How could you call me that? That is so rude! And we're cousins! We're family; you should be in my group."

"Well I would be, if it wasn't for one little thing."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"I don't like you." Since there was nothing else to say, Diana turned around and walked back to James and Teecie. She sat next to Kern, a Gryffindor beater who'd come to console his teammate, and informed Teecie of the exchange.

"Good for you, Diana," Teecie grinned while stabbing at her potato salad. She glanced over at Paige and saw the girl's jaw dropped open, still obviously in shock. "I bet that'll shut her up for a while."

The conversation turned to more pleasant things, like club sessions, afterwards. Teecie listened wistfully, missing the clubs she'd recently left in order to study more and still be able to sleep. It was working well, but she still missed the fun of being in the clubs.

James was telling the others about his recent victory over Rey in their last fencing club meeting. Teecie smiled at this and squeezed his hand lovingly. It was good that he could still see that he was good at athletics. She hoped it would help his bruised ego.

By the end of the meal, James did seem to be in a much better mood. Teecie was able to spend the rest of her day studying, and not worrying for her boyfriend.

A couple days later, Teecie was sitting with her friends at dinner, when Zeren joined them. He sat down next to Morgaine, and began to dish himself up a heaping plate of chicken pot pie. He grinned when Teecie congratulated him on his performance in the game. "Thanks Ticia," he replied.

James was sitting with his teammates when he noticed his girlfriend consorting with the enemy. How could she do such a thing? It was bad enough that the two were friends at all, but treating him nicely after the Slytherin victory? It was a betrayal that cut James to the quick.

It upset him so much that he spent the rest of the day in his room, sulking over it. By the next morning, he'd grown very agitated over it. While the two walked towards their Charms class, James pulled Teecie aside. "Ticia, how can you keep talking to Travers after the game?" he asked angrily.

Teecie frowned. "Zeren is my friend. There's nothing wrong with talking to him," she replied calmly.

"But he's my opponent. From the winning team! You can't be friends with him!" James cried.

"James, I can be friends with whomever I want to. You can't control that."

"So, you're just going to betray me _and_ Gryffindor?"

"Betray? I'm not betraying anything or anybody! James, this game is starting to go to your head a bit. You're getting too focused on it."

"I am not! It's because I wasn't focused _enough_ that I lost the match. I have to devote my life even more to the sport if I want to be any good at it!"

"But you're not going to do this professionally, so why not just do it for the fun of it?"

"Because I have to win! Sirius was a great player. He won most of his games. My dad was always telling him how proud he was of him. He never tells me how good I am at Quidditch. It's because he doesn't think I'm any good!"

"James-" Teecie started, but was interrupted by the bell. "Come on, we have to get to class. We can continue this later, all right?"

"Oh, sure, just run away like you always do," James spat angrily.

Teecie looked at her boyfriend with confusion and hurt showing on her face. She didn't say anything, but turned and walked into their classroom.

During the class, she thought about what James had said to her. He wanted to win in order to make his father proud. He'd also been fighting with his father over the last several months. His new found obsession with Quidditch seemed to be some form of competition with Sirius for attention from his father. It just didn't make any sense. Professor Lupin was always praising his sons, and was very proud of their accomplishments. Maybe James just didn't notice it anymore.

That evening, Teecie avoided James and his temper, and spent time in her room writing a letter to Narcissa.

Dear Mrs. Malfoy,

I've been very busy with school, and so I haven't had a chance to write to you lately. How are you doing? I wanted to let you know that I've been behaving very well lately. And I have many Slytherin friends. Morgaine, you know, the girl I met at the tea party, and Zeren, a boy I met at the party Draco gave me, and Portia, she's a Weasley, are all my Slytherin friends, and we all get along really well.

I've been getting help in Defense Against the Dark Arts from Uncle Sev. He's so nice to give up his free time on Saturday afternoons to help me out. And he's so smart too. I'm such a lucky girl to have such a great man helping me.

I wanted to ask your advice. You're a wise woman and so I know you'd have good ideas. James is very obsessed with winning Quidditch, and he's been really upset ever since our team lost their first match. He seems to think that he's not worth anything if he doesn't win. What can I do to show him how important he is to me and to everybody else? He's so special to me, and I want to make him feel better, but all he wants to do is argue.

Well it's late, and I need to get some sleep, so I'll end this letter for now. I hope I'll hear from you soon!

Sincerely,

Ticia Orendes

Teecie slept soundly afterwards, with the hope that Narcissa would indeed give her good advice.

The next week flew past quickly in a flurry of classes, friends, and homework. James brooded the entire time, barely speaking to her. He seemed quite upset over Teecie's choice to remain friends with Zeren and the other Slytherins. He spent most of his extra time out on the Quidditch pitch, flying after the snitch like a madman. When Teecie had time, she tried to be supportive and cheer him on from the stands, but her duties in the Hospital wing demanded most of her time.

On Saturday morning, when Teecie was playing with Rose on her bed, the response from Narcissa arrived by eagle owl.

After feeding the owl a few of Rose's kibbles, she tore open eagerly into the wax-sealed letter.

Miss Orendes

It is good to hear you are acting more like a proper lady with suitable Slytherin companions, though I would like to hear of you making even more friends from that most prestigious house.

I am pleased to hear that you are receiving the tutelage you need for your classes. You should always remember how grateful you are to the Headmaster, and tell him so, often. He is a very generous time to volunteer his time to you.

I am also flattered that you think me wise. The best advice I could give you in the situation with young Mr. Lupin, is to do whatever he wishes of you. A proper lady should always be willing to submit to the men in her life. And when Mr. Lupin grows angry, be silent, and allow him the space he needs to work through it. That is not only a matter of propriety, but of safety as well.

I hope you find this advice useful, and remember to take it to heart. I have found it helpful on many occasions in my life.

N. Malfoy

Teecie read the letter several times, and thought about it for a while afterwards. It took her several minutes to realize what Narcissa had meant in her message. She thought James was going to hit her. But Teecie knew with every fibre of her being, that James would never raise a hand to her. He loved her too much to ever do that. She trusted him too much to know he'd never hurt her that way. Why didn't Narcissa understand that? Everybody knew that fighting with somebody didn't necessarily mean getting hurt by them.

But when Teecie thought about the letter some more, something else stood out to her. Narcissa had said that being quiet when the men around her were angry had helped her many times in her life. Teecie's stomach twisted in knots as she realized that it had been her father she'd been talking about. Lucius had been one of those men, if not the only man, that Narcissa had needed to protect herself from. Lucius had beaten her enough for her to be permanently afraid of all men, and all males, even teenaged ones. Teecie felt a wave of guilt pass over her while realizing this.

It had been two years since Teecie had found out her father's horrible past. She hadn't had a nightmare in over a year, though. Her father had written a book about his life, but she'd never read it. She'd not had the courage to ask to see it. Did she really want to hear, from her father, of the terrible things he'd done? Was it a good idea to dredge all of that up again? Perhaps it was best to talk with her father about it over the upcoming Christmas holiday.

In the meantime, Teecie decided to ask for more advice about helping James, from other people.

At her tea with Professor Weasley, she ran the question past her during a lull in the conversation.

"Well, one thing to remember, Ticia," Hermione began, "is that this is very common for boys. They have an instinctive need not only to compete, but to win. It doesn't matter if the other person is a friend, family member, or a complete stranger, they still have that desire to defeat their opponent.

"I'd say it's best to find different things to talk to James about. Try to keep him distracted with discussions about homework and OWLS. He should calm down after a while."

Teecie considered this for a moment. Keeping him distracted, or giving into his every whim…neither actually solved the problem. To get a third opinion, Teecie wrote to her mother and told her about the situation. It only took a day to get the response:

Darling-

As much as you wish to be a healer, you will have to get used to the idea that you cannot solve everybody's problems for them. This is something James must take care of himself. He must talk to his father, as well as grow more mature and confident in himself as a young man. James is dealing with becoming a man in his own right, and not wanting to be compared to his brothers, but wanting to receive recognition for his own masculine achievements.

Men are interesting like that. I still have to praise your father for simple things, like doing the farm work, or he gets his feelings hurt. Men just want to feel needed and important. Just make sure to give James plenty of love and attention and he should be fine.

I hope this helps!

Love,

Mum

The way Adriana wrote made it sound like men were just a bunch of big babies that had to be coddled and mollified. Surely this was wrong.

Maybe Kali could help. She was a married woman now, and had always given her good advice before. Yes, Kali was just the one to ask.

She approached her sister one day as Kali was leaving her Defense Against the Dark Arts class. "Paul has had times like that. He always responded best when I just hugged him and told him how much I love him. He also likes to hear about how tall and muscular, and strong he is. That makes him feel better," Kali told her one afternoon as they walked towards the library together. "Mum is right, men need a lot of reassurance, but I suppose that only goes to show you what little confidence in themselves they really have."

For a look on the other side, Teecie asked Master Wilkes for his professional, scientific opinion. Wilkes smile and looked thoughtful. "Well Ticia, it all boils down to the survival of the fittest," he explained carefully. "In the animal world, males need to feel confident that they are the physically strongest and most capable in order to attract the females, who instinctively need to feel protected, not only for herself, but for her young as well. The stronger the male is, the better a provider he will be for her and their young. Females are more apt to mate with the strongest males in order to ensure that the strongest genes are preserved and passed on to the next generation.

"Humans are just the same, only in most cases, they are a bit more intelligent than their animal counterparts. There are always exceptions to this, though, usually these come in the form of teenage boys. It takes time for them to grow out of this, but they do. Just be patient, Ticia, and kind, and show your love for him, and he'll come around, soon enough."

Teecie was thoroughly confused by the time she returned to her room that evening. So, James wanted to be a strong man, and the best way to do that was to treat him like a child? It just didn't make any sense.

She observed her boyfriend carefully over the next several days. He seemed very possessive of her, wanting to know where she'd be whenever they were separated, and demanding that she attend more of his practices. She was disheartened over this, and hoped it was something he'd grow out of, not something that would get worse over time.

One evening, in his carefully charmed bedchambers, James and Teecie enjoyed one another's company. Teecie loved how strong and muscular all the Quidditch practices were making him.

James seemed to pick up on this, and spent a considerable time flexing his muscles, and posing in what he considered "sexy" poses. Teecie made sure to praise him for all of this, which wasn't difficult, seeing as she truly did find him irresistible.

They snogged for an hour on James's bed. Teecie was left breathless and tingling from head to toe. When the two had caught their breaths, they moved onto the next level.

Teecie had just unzipped James's trousers when he smiled. "You can't keep your hands off me, can you?" he said lightly while slipping out of his clothes.

Teecie tried to keep from giggling. "No James, you're just so sexy and virile that I go crazy whenever I'm near you!" she said breathily.

"Yeah, well, you just have to learn to restrain yourself. I mean, I can't be with you like this _all_ the time. I do have to sleep sometime."

"Oh, well, I'll try to keep from dying of need during those times." Teecie replied with a pout.

James grinned and jumped up on his bed, towering over his girlfriend, who thought he'd lost his mind. "I am a sexy beast! I am a shagging machine!" he bellowed.

Teecie grinned. "James, we haven't done that yet…or is there something you're trying to tell me?"

James looked down at Teecie for a minute before answering. "I know, but we will, soon I hope. And when we do, I'll be a lean, mean shagging machine!"

"I have every confidence that you'll be the best lover in the world James," Teecie replied.

James grinned wildly. "Well, I guess you can tell just by looking, I mean, come on, it's pretty impressive," he said while looking down at himself, and pointing.

Teecie shook her head, her face flushing. "Oh, James, stop! I mean, yes, it is very impressive, but really now!" she giggled.

James nodded his head slowly. "Driving my girl crazy for me! Life is good…" he murmured. With that, he sat back down on the bed and leaned in to kiss Teecie.

Teecie snuggled comfortably against James and returned his kisses. After casting a couple of protective spells, just to be on the safe side, the two began to caress one another lovingly.

Teecie loved how intense James got when they were together this way. He broke into a sweat, and gazed into her eyes deeply the entire time. Once they had finished, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly to himself.

"I can't wait for when we can really…you know," he said in a husky voice. "You know, your birthday is only a couple months away. When you think about it, really, a couple of months won't make much difference one way or another…" his voice trailed off while he ran his fingers through Teecie's hair.

Teecie frowned slightly. "But I thought we wanted to wait," she replied quietly.

James frowned as well. "I know, but…" he trailed off.

Teecie sat up and looked at him. "This isn't going to be some weird thing where you start to pressure me into having sex before I really want to, is it? Because that's not really fair, James, we decided together to wait for my birthday," she cried.

James sat up. "No, I can wait, but sometimes it's just so tough. I mean, I want to really badly, but even if I _die_ trying, I'll wait for your birthday like we agreed," he sighed.

Teecie patted his hand. "Isn't what we do now fun? I like it a lot," she said while laying her head on his shoulder.

"It's tons of fun, but I want to try the real thing, you know? All the guys are talking about it and I want to be one of them," James replied.

"You want to brag to all your buddies about shagging me? That's _so_ romantic," she replied sarcastically.

James shrugged. "It's a guy thing I suppose. And I won't actually tell them too much stuff," he replied.

"You'll tell them nothing! What we do together is only _our_ business. It's private, and if I ever hear about you bragging to anybody about it, it'll be the last time we ever sleep together!" Teecie cried.

James groaned. "Ticia, I was kidding. I'm not going to tell anybody about what we do," he said.

Teecie eyed him for a minute. "Well…all right then. I'm glad to hear that." She sighed. "I'd better get back to my room to go to sleep. Paigezilla will probably send the hounds looking for me otherwise." With that, she slowly began to put her clothes back on. She stayed for several more minutes, kissing James goodnight before slipping out of the curtains and leaving the room.

There were only two weeks before the Christmas holiday, and Teecie spent her time attending James's practices, revising for exams, and volunteering with Master Wilkes. She found herself looking forward to the break, for then she could relax for a while. Hopefully it would be a peaceful holiday. Christmases at the property tended to be quite eventful.

Teecie studied furiously for the upcoming exams, choosing to think of them as pre-OWLS. It would give her a good idea of how she was doing in each of her classes when she got the results. Her professors were assuring Teecie that she had nothing to worry about, but she was still nervous.

One afternoon, while sitting in the stands and watching James, an owl arrived for Teecie that made her forget her worries for the rest of the day.

Narcissa had deemed her worthy of sending her a Christmas card. It was a beautiful card, with an evergreen Christmas tree decked in silver ornaments. There were silver snowflakes falling all around the tree, settling on the ground. Inside the card, she'd written: "Happy Christmas-Regards, Narcissa Black"

Along with the card, was a small silver foil-wrapped package, topped with a green bow. Teecie was thrilled to see Narcissa had sent a gift, though she rolled her eyes when she saw what it was. A book, with a dark green cover and silver trimmed pages, entitled, _The Young, Well-Bred Pureblood Girl's Handbook to Life_, by Purity Snootybanks. There was a picture of the author on the front cover. She had blonde hair pulled back in a bun, steely black eyes, and an unsmiling mouth. When she noticed Teecie's reaction, she scowled. "You look like you received this book just in time," she snipped.

"I do try my best to be a proper lady, you know," Teecie replied.

"Well, we'll see if I can't help you improve," Purity said.

Instead of getting into an argument with a picture, Teecie set the book face-down on the bleacher, hoping that would shut her up. She spent the rest of the day cheering James on as he made several spectacular catches. After each one, he'd fly past her, stopping to kiss her.

The week flew past in a whirlwind of activity, and before Teecie knew it, the next weekend had arrived. It was the last chance she had to study.

On Saturday afternoon, instead of watching James, Teecie went to have tea with Uncle Sev and go over her notes one final time.

As she sat in front of his desk, she noticed that he had several Christmas cards on display on his window sill. Quite a few students had sent him holiday wishes, it seemed. One card in particular, caught her eye: a Christmas tree with silver ornaments and snowflakes falling gently around it. It was the same card Narcissa had sent to her. She'd sent Uncle Sev a card as well! Teecie almost choked on her gingerbread man when she realized this. Narcissa _was_ in love with him! All her efforts had finally paid off! And Uncle Sev liked the card enough to put in on display for all to see. He was in love too!

"Ticia, are you all right?" Snape asked in a concerned tone as Teecie tried to stop coughing.

"I'm fine," she rasped. "I just swallowed wrong." She had to know for sure if it was Narcissa's card. It was a pretty distinct design, one she'd probably had made just for her, but Teecie had to know for sure.

"Good, now let us review the signs that one has been put under the Imperious Curse," Snape said, trying to get back to the matter at hand.

The two spent the next hour talking about the Unforgivable Curses. Snape told her only what she needed to know, though he believed it was improper for a young lady to know about such things, though they still must be educated in the basics. As he saw the stormy look on her face, he spoke again in hopes of avoiding an argument. "This is something that no young person, male or female, needs to know too much about. Gender is not an issue here."

"I'll have to learn more about it when I become a healer," Teecie said, practically.

Snape looked at her without speaking for a moment. "There is no need to know too much about those spells. It is a subject best understood in the abstract, not the practical, Ticia. I hope you never have to know too much about them."

Teecie sighed. "I know it's disturbing to think about all of it. But if you don't teach people about it, then they won't know why they should fear them, or know why they shouldn't use them. And besides, Uncle Sev, don't you find the amount of anger and hatred a person has to have in his heart to perform such a curse much more disturbing than anything else? Knowing that these people walk freely in our world is a terrifying thought. If you really want to ensure that the next generation never has a first-hand experience with those curses, either being hit by one, or using one, then that hate and anger is what needs to be addressed, not limiting a person's knowledge." She took a deep breath once she'd finished, and sipped her tea for a minute while Snape took all of that in and formulated his response.

Slowly, Snape shook his head. "You are becoming a remarkable young woman," he said quietly.

Teecie smiled shyly. "Thanks, I have this great Defense Against the Dark Arts tutor. Taught me many things," she replied in an equally quiet voice.

Severus shook his head while smiling. "You never cease to amaze me, Ticia," he murmured.

Teecie grinned and slowly stood up. "Well, I do try my best," she replied while walking over to the window sill. She picked up one of the cards and looked at Uncle Sev. "You're popular this year," she commented.

"I always get greetings from many people. Mostly from colleagues," Snape replied. He could see Teecie moving closer to Narcissa's card and wanted to stop her from seeing it without making her suspicious. "Come Ticia, let us get back to revising," he called out to her.

Teecie had just managed to catch a glimpse of the inside of the card. She'd seen Narcissa's signature, and noticed that his card had a longer inscription than hers had. This was proof enough for her, so she turned and joined Snape to study for the rest of the afternoon.

Teecie had never been more nervous for exams before. The other students were apprehensive as well. James seemed to realize the night before exams that Quidditch practices wouldn't be covered on any of them, and began to panic. He ended up staying up all night, cramming at the last minute.

For Teecie's part, she made sure to get a good night's sleep, and a hearty, well-balanced breakfast the next morning. Her nerves were actually calming down now that the exams were here.

Not everybody was so calm. Paige's hair was in a tangled mess, and she still had her slippers on as she ate a rushed breakfast in front of several open books. Teecie saw this and smirked before sending Diana off to wish the girl the best of luck.

James had pages of notes scattered around his cereal bowl. Teecie felt bad that he hadn't thought to study more instead of devoting his life to sports, but it had been his choice. He did have time before the OWLS to work on anything he needed help in. Maybe it would be the wake-up call he needed to go back to being the normal boy he used to be instead of the sex-crazed sports-addict he'd recently turned into.

The rest of the student body was in various degrees of study-mode during the first morning of the exams. Liss was almost in tears as she looked through her Charms notes. "I'll never be able to do the Levitating charm, and I'll flunk out of school and disgrace father!" she whimpered while entwining her fingers nervously in her periwinkle Pixie's sash.

"Oh, don't worry, darling, you'll be fine!" Teecie reassured her before giving her a quick lesson on the charm she'd always had a knack for. And while Liss wasn't perfect at it by the time breakfast ended, she was no longer hysterical, which, Teecie thought, was the important thing.

Her own stomach fluttered nervously as she walked to her Care of Magical Creatures class.

Charlie had created an exam for them much like the OWLS would be in order to give the students a feel for what was to come at the end of the year. He'd set up a table of items for them to identify as the products eaten by the creatures they'd studied this year. They also had to draw pictures from memory of many of the creatures.

Teecie was quite pleased with how she'd done, and it did wonders to help her confidence with the exams.

The next two days flew by quickly. Teecie had a very good feeling about all her classes by the time exams had ended.

The Gryffindor students held a party to celebrate the end of the term. Somebody, rumour had it that it was Professor Lupin, had provided Butterbeer and sweets for them. He never came to quiet them down, even though the music, dancing, and singing lasted long into the early morning hours. The students didn't have classes the next day, so they could sleep in before taking the train back home for the holidays.

Teecie ended up falling asleep in James's arms on the sofa. She wasn't looking forward to leaving him for the holidays. Could she last that long without seeing him? Maybe he could visit over the holiday before Christmas.

James spent their last breakfast before packing for the train ride home, complaining about the exams. "If I fail my father's exam, I'm gonna yell at him. He'd better not fail his own son," he fumed while stabbing a sausage with his knife.

"Oh James, I'm sure you did just fine. And it's just midterms, you still have time for OWLS. Let's just enjoy the holidays now," Teecie replied while kissing his cheek.

"I know. When I get home I'll be ready for Christmas. I might even get my dad a gift," he replied.

"I think you should get him something. Does he like honey? You could get him some jars of my dad's honey."

"He loves honey. The might work."

The two spent the rest of the morning planning the gifts to get for their families. They wanted to visit Diagon Alley to go shopping in the next few days, as well as visit one another at their houses. Neither of them could wait.

A/N: Chapter title is a play on words from a song from the movie/musical My Fair Lady.


	70. The Barn Dance

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: I had fun writing for the women and their take on how to handle men! And as for the Christmas card from Narcissa…don't be so sure it was merely a friendly gesture…That's all I can say for now, the rest will be revealed in good time! Here's the next chapter, which I had so much fun writing. Enjoy!

Dark-child 2007: Well I meant no offense, but I was thinking it was just a way of looking at it in a more biological way. Paige is going to come around, I can assure you that. By the end of the year things should be a little bit better for Paige and her friends. I'm so excited that people are enjoying this story still. It's so much fun to write, for the most part, and I'm just so grateful to get feedback, so thank you very much! Here's the next chapter for you to read! Enjoy!

The Barn Dance

By the time Teecie got off the train, she'd gotten a wonderful idea. She was going to ask her parents if she could hold a dance in the barn for her Pixie friends. Since she had so much fun with them, but wouldn't be seeing them again until they returned to school, it would be a good way to spend more time with them.

Lucius met his daughters and son-in-law at the train station. He was standing next to Tanith, who was waiting for Liss.

Teecie gave her father a big hug, and kissed his cheek. She gave Tanith a hug as well, while Lucius embraced his granddaughter. Tanith gave both Kali and Paul hugs before they went off to find Paul's parents.

Once everybody had said hello to one another, Teecie and Lucius took their leave and walked arm-in-arm to the car. She asked her father politely about the party she wanted to have. "I need to know if I can so I can send out the invitations," she said in finishing.

Lucius looked thoughtful for a minute. "I don't see why not. That should be a lot of fun for you kids. Your mother and I will be able to chaperone the party so nothing inappropriate happens," he replied with a smile.

Teecie tried to keep a smile on her face even though the idea of her parents chaperoning her party did but a damper on it all.

Once she got home and had greeted her mother, Teecie wrote out a guest list. James, of course, was the first name on the list. All of her Pixie friends were to be invited, as well as Patty and some of her siblings, Mel, Roo, and James's brothers.

The next morning, Teecie sat down with Adriana and planned the decorations and menu. When they'd finished, she wrote up and sent out the invitations.

Teecie was excited to plan her decorations for the barn. She wanted to turn the barn into a winter wonderland. Lucius was going to cut down a tree from the forest on the edge of their property, and take it to the barn for decorating. Teecie was going to buy silver snowflake ornaments, as well as gold balls, tinsel, red garlands, and a big gold star to top the tree with. It was going to be lovely. There would also be holly garlands set up around the barn, as well as candles and snow drifts.

During that afternoon and the next day, acceptance letters poured into the house. Adriana left the kitchen window open to make it easier for all the delivery owls. She also left a bowl of cat food for them to eat from before making their return flights home.

James was the first one to accept, informing Teecie that his brothers and Pamela, Sirius's girlfriend, would also be in attendance.

Patty wrote about how livid Paige was to not be invited while the rest of her siblings had. Oddly enough, Teecie felt a twinge of guilt to hear this, though she quickly brushed it aside in order to continue with the preparations. Everybody who had been invited had accepted. Even Uncle Sev, who Teecie was sure would say no, was coming.

The next day, Teecie flooed to Diagon Alley to meet with James. They spent the day gift shopping and buying supplies for the party.

Teecie bought a pair of ruby and emerald earrings for Adriana. She thought they were perfectly representative of her mother and father, and that it was a great gift to show her love for her mum. For Lucius, she bought a honey cookbook so he could test his honey out in even more culinary ways than he already did.

James bought his mother a hot pink wool cloak to keep her warm in the cold, dark winter months. His father would be getting a sampler of all the flavours of Alcedonia Farms honey available. Teecie was excited to think that Professor Lupin would soon be spreading honey from her farm on his toast for breakfast.

As they went through the shops, Teecie also picked out small gifts for each of her guests. It was Christmas, the time when it was better to give than to receive, so it made sense that she bestowed each of her guests with a present.

Once they'd finished gift shopping, and had found all the decorations she needed, the two flooed back to the property.

James stayed for dinner that evening. He helped set the table while Teecie helped her mother with the cooking.

While the women were in the kitchen, James sat on the sofa, next to Lucius. "Happy holidays, Mr. Malfoy," he said politely.

Lucius looked at James carefully before responding. "Happy holidays to you too, Mr. Lupin," he said before leaning back in his seat. "I hear you made the Gryffindor Quidditch team this year. I hope you are not letting it have a higher priority then your schooling," he said slowly and deliberately.

"It is difficult to balance the two," James admitted.

Lucius's eye twitched. "I would do my best, boy, to find that balance. Success in school will lead to success in your career. I would not permit my daughter to continue a relationship with a boy who has no future at all. I may not be as harsh and exacting as my son, but I do have my moments," he growled menacingly.

James's mouth went dry and he began to stutter while trying to think of what to say.

Lucius took this opportunity to continue his quiet tirade. "That reminds me, you are still treating my daughter respectfully, correct? Because if I ever heard of you trying anything on her, I'd-"

James never heard what Lucius would do to him, for Teecie walked into the room with a smile on her face, and announced that dinner was served.

Lucius eyed James for a moment before standing up and shuffling into the dining room.

James kept an eye on Lucius as the man carved the roast beef. Lucius slowly and deliberately picked up the knife and sharpened it for a minute before looking down to carve the meat. His eyes glinted as he speared the meat and slipped it onto a plate. He held the plate out to James with a slight sneer on his face. "Guests first," he said huskily.

James was trying to not show his fear as he took the plate and waited for everybody to be served before eating.

Teecie thought it was wonderful to see her father and boyfriend acting so nicely towards one another.

James returned to his house soon after dinner. The party was the next evening, and there was a lot to set up. Lucius had cut a tree earlier that day, and now it was ready to be decorated in the barn. Adriana worked in the kitchen, preparing things to be finished the next day.

Kali and Paul would be attending the party, as would Reni, Peter, and Hunter. This left a lot of work for three people to do, but none of them skimped on using magic to help save time and energy. They were even able to get a decent night's sleep that night as well.

The next day passed in a flurry of activity as the food was prepared and the last of the decorations were set up. Teecie chattered nervously to her parents to help calm herself down. This was the biggest party she'd be hosting so far in her entire life. There was a lot of pressure for it to be a success, because she'd be teased mercilessly by Paige and Roxanne if it flopped.

An hour or so before the party, the Blacks arrived. Teecie gave Mel and Roo big hugs. Draco frowned slightly after she hugged him. "Ticia, I have decided I will help chaperone the party. There needs to be more adult supervision," he announced while sitting down in the armchair in the living room.

Teecie tried to hide her dismay. "Oh? You don't really have to, Draco. Mum and dad will be here. And Uncle Sev is coming too," she assured him.

"Your mother will most likely spend her time socializing. No, I will help chaperone the party," Draco replied firmly.

Teecie sighed. It was useless to argue with him. He'd just gather up his children and take them back home to the Manor if she did. Instead, she put a smile on her face and went off to dress for the party.

The dance was informal, so she found a nice black miniskirt and put on a dusty rose halter top. It would be quite warm in the barn, even though it was wintertime. She put on a pair of black slippers and pulled her hair back in a ponytail. The last step was applying makeup and putting on jewelry. She spent a few minutes primping in the mirror before declaring herself perfect.

Lucius's idea of perfection, however, differed slightly from that of his daughter. The halter top had to go, he insisted, so Teecie changed into a pink blouse that her father found more acceptable. Then, he decided that the mid-thigh length skirt was too short, and used his wand to lengthen it down to her knees. But when he looked at her again, he decided that it was too tight, so he loosened the skirt as well.

"But dad…" Teecie trailed off.

Lucius waved her off before going back to work. "Now the shirt is all wrong. It's too tight as well," he muttered while expanding the fabric, so that none of her curves could be seen. "Now it just needs something else…" With that, he pointed his wand at her neck and before Teecie knew it, ruffles and lace were growing out of the collar. It grew all the way to her neck before stopping.

"See? Now you look like a proper young lady," he declared triumphantly.

Teecie frowned. "But dad-" she began before being cut off.

"Don't 'But dad' me, Ticia. If you want to go to this party, you have to abide by my rules," he replied sternly. "You must admit that your mother and I are quite lenient with you, but you also must remember that there are rules you must obey, and this is one of them," he replied.

Teecie bit her lip and glared at her father. How could he be so unfair to her? She was fifteen years old, and he was treating her like a baby! "You just don't want me to grow up!" she cried while putting her hands on her hips.

Lucius looked calmly down at her, though his lips were taut and white with anger. "Don't speak to me so disrespectfully. I am your father and I will not be spoken to in such a fashion. If you act like a child, I will treat you as one," he hissed quietly.

Teecie sighed. Why was everybody trying to control her? It's like Draco, Lucius, and Uncle Sev were all playing tug-of-war with her life. How could she win with all three of them fighting against her?

"You wouldn't treat me like this if I were a boy. You'd be encouraging me to go out and sleep around with as many people as I possibly could. You wouldn't care how I dressed or what I did with my friends. If I was a boy, you'd let me do whatever I wanted!" she said in as calm a voice as possible.

Lucius raised his eyebrows. "Perhaps you are not ready to have a party. Maybe I should go to the barn and tell all the guests who arrive to return to their homes. You attitude is completely inappropriate. Perhaps you will benefit from an evening spent in your room, as well as an extended break from your boyfriend. No doubt you spend too much time with him as it is," he growled.

Teecie bit her lip. How could this be happening? The party would be starting in only a few minutes, and her father was threatening to cancel it. Tears sprung to her eyes as she thought of the injustice of it all. "I try to do what everybody wants me to do. I try to be a lady and I try to be proper, why don't you see that? I'm not a little girl anymore and you don't want to see that! I'm trying my best, but I can never be good enough! You probably want to lock me in my room because I'm a shame to you!" With that, she burst into tears. The party was most likely going to be cancelled, and it broke her heart.

Lucius sighed. Ticia had always been prone to hysterics when it came to being scolded. He'd always been quite careful about punishing her when she'd been younger, and now he saw that this had been a mistake. Ticia was a spoiled brat, and it was not an attractive quality. But canceling the party and humiliating her wouldn't help the situation either. Perhaps the best route was to allow the party to proceed, but have a long talk with her afterwards.

Lucius pulled his daughter into an embrace. "Ticia, I am most certainly not ashamed of you, and you know that. I love you very much and am quite proud of you. Now, we are not finished with this, but in light of the party, and Christmas, I will allow you to have the party. We will continue this discussion tomorrow, though. We have a lot to work out now that you are growing up," he said quietly while kissing the top of her head. It was the first time that he'd ever noticed that he didn't have to bend down as far as he used to. When had his baby grown so tall?

He hugged her one more time before letting her go. "All right, now, let's enjoy the party tonight," he said while wiping his daughter's tears away. Teecie sniffled and started walking towards the back door. By the time she reached the barn, she had a smile back on her face, and a twinkle in her eye.

James was the first to arrive. He was going to kiss her when he caught Lucius's glare, and gave her a peck on the cheek instead. Severus kissed her cheek as well upon arrival. He held out a bottle of sparkling cider to her. "It is customary to present the hostess with a bottle of wine," he explained, "or in your case, cider."

Teecie grinned. "Thanks Uncle Sev! You have to promise to dance with me tonight," she cried excitedly. Before Snape could respond, more guests arrived, and Teecie ran off to greet them.

The Weasleys had come with their significant others. Patty and Daniel smiled at Teecie as they looked around the barn. Patty had visited the property before, but it was the first time for almost everybody else. Portia was clearly impressed with the amount of land Adriana owned. "Miss Orendes, this property must be worth a fortune!" she said with a grin.

Adriana smiled. "I'm glad you approve. And please, call me Adriana," she insisted while leading the kids to a bale of hay to set their coats and purses.

"Addie, can I show them the hayloft?" Roo cried excitedly.

Lucius put his hand on his grandson's shoulder. "I'm afraid the hayloft is off limits tonight," he replied, "but you'll still have plenty of fun anyway."

Roo sighed before wandering off to find somebody to talk to.

Zeren kissed Teecie's hand when he arrived, which made James storm over to them and put his arm over her shoulders. "Travers," he said in a terse greeting.

Zeren nodded his head. "Lupin," he said in an equally intense voice.

The two boys stared at one another for a minute before Morgaine arrived and took Zeren by the arm. "Come Zeren," she said quietly, "let's get some punch." With that, she gently led Zeren over to the refreshment table.

James scowled for a moment before kissing Teecie on the mouth and going off to find Daniel. Teecie sighed. It looked like it was going to be an interesting night. Before she had too much time to worry, Roo asked her to dance. She smiled and eagerly accepted his outstretched hand.

Roo had only been trained in classical forms of dancing, though, and wasn't sure how to dance to the rock music blaring from the speakers. Teecie showed him several moves, and he soon caught on.

The two were having a great time when Portia approached them. "Ticia, your nephew is adorable! May I dance with him next?" she asked politely.

Roo had never met Portia, and was not comfortable with the idea of dancing with a strange girl. He moved closer to Teecie and wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning his head on her shoulder.

Teecie noticed this, and unwrapped Roo from herself gently. She introduced the two to one another. "Portia is a Slytherin, maybe even the only one in her family," she informed her nephew.

Roo's eyes grew big, and he grinned widely as he suavely kissed Portia's hand. "Well, how can I deny a fellow Slytherin the pleasure of dancing with me?" he asked while taking Portia by the arm and starting to dance with her.

Teecie tried not to laugh at this, but found it nearly impossible not to. She was close enough to the refreshment table that she was able to distract herself with a glass of punch.

Lucius was in charge of the table, and Teecie couldn't help but notice a few of the younger, unattached girls milling aimlessly about the table, trying to catch a glimpse of her father. Teecie wasn't sure why they all thought he was so attractive. He was her father, after all! And he had grandchildren too!

Lucius didn't seem to notice the small band of fans at the table, but made polite conversation with one or two of them on occasion. A couple girls asked him to dance, but he politely declined, stating that he was not up to the task.

Teecie also noticed a couple brave girls following Draco around as well. Every few minutes he'd turn around and try to shoo them away, but they always seemed to wander back to him.

Once Teecie grew tired of this, she went off in search of James, and found him talking Quidditch with Patty and Daniel. When James saw Teecie, though, he wrapped up his conversation, and asked her to dance. They spent quite a while dancing together after that.

After the fourth dance together, Roo wandered over to the happy couple. "It's my turn to dance with _my_ aunt," he demanded harshly.

James looked down at Roo. "You'll get your turn soon enough; let us finish the song at least," he replied lightly.

Roo was not impressed. "Why don't you go get Ticia a drink? She must be parched after all this dancing," he growled.

James looked at Teecie, who nodded her head in agreement. He sighed before walking off to get her a drink.

Roo grinned before walking up to Teecie and grabbing her hands. "Come on, Auntie!" he cried while beginning to dance. Within seconds, the two were dancing wildly together. "I could dance like this forever!" Roo exclaimed at one point. "I can tell my father hates it!"

Teecie had noticed Draco's attitude that evening as well. He'd made it his mission to make sure none of the kids danced too closely to one another, or too wildly. She wished he'd just relax and have fun, but knew that would never happen.

Just as Roo was about to slow dance for the second time with Teecie, James tried to cut in. Roo decided at that moment that he hated that boy, and didn't want him anywhere near his beloved aunt. "I'm not done dancing with her yet," he growled, "why don't you go find some nice Hufflepuff girl to dance with?" With that, he tried to pull Teecie further onto the dance floor, and away from James.

Teecie was growing frustrated. "Roo, I wanted to dance with James!" she cried.

Roo frowned. "You don't need him. Why don't you let my father find a good boy for you? Somebody who's worthy of you," he replied.

"James is a good boy. He is worthy of me," Teecie declared. "What do you have against him?"

Roo sniffed before glancing over Teecie's shoulder. "My father says his father's a werewolf. And besides, I don't like the way he looks at you. He's very possessive too, you know," he explained calmly.

Teecie was furious. "How dare you say such things about him? James loves me very much, and I love him too! You're only repeating the things Draco's said about him. You don't even know him!" she yelled before tearing herself away from her nephew.

Teecie was so angry she didn't even want to see James at the moment. She ran out of the barn and into the freezing night air to calm herself down.

Roo had never been spoken to in such a fashion before, and could only assume it came from hanging out with the wrong sort of people for too long. Ticia was normally so kind to him, that this seemed quite out of character for her. He turned and glared at James before marching over to him.

"I want you to keep your filthy wolf-paws off my Auntie," he demanded angrily.

The mention of the word "wolf" seemed to have a different response than Roo had anticipated. Two other boys, both older than him, turned to glare down at him. Roo realized that they must be related. His mouth went dry as he saw them looking at him with such anger in their eyes. "Wolf-paws?" the oldest of the three boys murmured while cracking his knuckles ominously.

As Roo took a step back, he ran into somebody. Looking up, he felt a wave of relief as he saw Draco staring the other boys down. Almost before Roo could blink, Snape and Lucius had arrived at his father's side. He couldn't help but feel safe and protected at this point in time. He smirked at the boys. They wouldn't do anything to him now.

"What seems to be the trouble?" Draco asked with barely concealed fury.

Sirius put his arms around his brother's shoulders. "Nothing, sir. It was just a misunderstanding," he replied coolly.

Draco didn't seem satisfied with that response. "A misunderstanding caused you to threaten my child?" he asked in a dangerously quiet voice.

James took a deep breath and spoke up. He'd not even been the one threatening Roo at all, but he still felt responsible for it. "Professor Black, he insulted our father! He insulted me too, and he's been acting like a right snot towards me whenever I want to dance with Ticia," he explained calmly.

"So you feel it is appropriate to threaten a boy six years younger than you, and obviously less physically capable of standing up for himself?" Draco snarled. "Perhaps you should grow a thicker hide, Mr. Lupin. If you allow a young child to anger you so much, I can only imagine the problems you will have as you deal with more mature issues in life."

As the men continued to banter back and forth, Teecie reentered the barn. When she saw the scene before her, she ran over to James. "What's going on here?" she demanded angrily.

"This doesn't concern you, Ticia. Why don't you return to the dance?" Draco replied curtly.

"Anything that concerns James, concerns me too," she replied while placing her hands firmly on her hips and glaring up at her brother.

"Ticia, we're just trying to settle a scuffle between James and Rouvin, that is all," Lucius jumped in. He knew his grandson well enough to know he was far from innocent in all this mess. He wanted to make sure Draco didn't get too far out of hand towards James.

Teecie turned her glare towards Roo. "What did you do now?" she cried. "You've been a complete brat this whole evening!"

Roo put his hands on his hips and threw his head back defiantly. "I can't help it if I want to protect you from that boy! It's a good thing too from the way he treated me," Roo replied.

"And I'm sure you did nothing to provoke it," Teecie snapped. Next she returned her look up to Draco and Lucius. "Look, this is over. Draco, why don't you take Roo over to get a drink? Dad, go with them," she demanded before turning around and taking James by the hand. "Come on James, let's dance again," she continued. With that, Teecie and James walked away from the scene and back onto the dance floor.

Teecie was livid by the time James finished explaining to her what had happened. She looked over at the refreshment table to see Roo standing closely to his father. "I'm going to have a little talk with my nephew later on," she growled.

James frowned. "I can understand that he wants to protect you. I just wish I could show him I'm not a bad person," he said in a quiet voice.

"He just needs to grow up," Teecie snapped. "He's just repeating what his father has said, without thinking about it. And as much as I love my brother, I have to admit that he's a little shallow. He sees a person's worth by how big their Gringott's account is. That's the only reason he disapproves of you. He doesn't see the qualities that make you so special," she explained.

James sighed. He knew Draco wished for a wealthier suitor for Teecie. He worried about being able to support her and their children in the future. Even though Teecie had more than enough, he wanted to earn enough to provide for his own family. It was part of his duties as husband and father, and it wounded his male pride to think he might not be able to lavish Teecie in the gold and jewels she deserved.

"I mean, I just don't get it. It's just money. All it does is buy stuff with it. Most rich people aren't even that happy. I wouldn't wish that on my greatest enemy," Teecie declared. This made James feel somewhat relieved. After all, aurors weren't paid too poorly. Though, he'd work 24 hours a day without complaint if he had to, to keep Teecie happy and comfortable.

The two danced for over an hour together, forgetting the earlier troubles. After a while, they split up to go see their friends.

James was off talking to Daniel while Teecie and Patty were chatting together about Paige. "She was whinging something fierce tonight while we were all getting ready," Patty grinned.

Teecie felt her conscience stab at her stomach once again. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad to invite Paige.

Before she had a chance to express her concerns, Zeren approached and asked her for a dance. She smiled and eagerly took his hand while they walked onto the dance floor. Zeren smiled as they danced merrily together. "You always were a good dancer," he commented while she twirled around and threw her arms up in the air.

Teecie grinned as she listened to the music. "I wanna rock and roll all night, and party every day…" She looked around for a minute. Kiss could only mean one thing: Reni had arrived. Sure enough, in the middle of the dance floor, Reni and Peter were dancing to their heart's content. Teecie looked around some more and saw Adriana holding Hunter in her arms and bouncing him happily. He looked as though he was having the time of his life as Lucius walked over to them. He kissed his grandson on the cheek and tousled his hair lovingly.

Teecie smiled as she looked at Zeren. "It's so nice to see my whole family here having fun for once. If only for a little while," she said while glancing at Paul and Kali who were standing under the mistletoe and sharing a quick kiss while they thought nobody was watching them.

Zeren laughed quietly while gazing down at Teecie. "You know, sometimes I think it's a shame our date when you met my parents didn't go better. We could have been good together," he grinned. With that, he drew her into a tight embrace.

Teecie hadn't expected that, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders in return. "Zeren, that is so sweet," she replied, "but James and I are doing really well, so don't get your hopes up."

Zeren nodded his head. "Don't worry, I'm all right being just friends with you, Ticia. Besides, Morgaine and I…" he trailed off while glancing over his shoulder.

"Oh Zeren, that's wonderful!" Teecie squealed. "I knew she liked you but I wasn't sure if you liked her."

Before Zeren could reply, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see James glaring at him. "Can I dance with _my_ girlfriend?" he demanded aggressively while stepping closely up to Zeren.

Zeren smirked. "Of course you _can_, Lupin, and you may as well," he replied before kissing Teecie's cheek and walking off to find Morgaine.

James continued to glare for a few minutes while holding onto Teecie in a possessive manner. "You let Travers go too far with you, Ticia! He was hugging you," he snarled.

"He was just being friendly. There's nothing wrong with it! James, you're really starting to annoy me with this. I love you and I am not going to do anything to hurt you or that might ruin our relationship, but you need to learn to trust me. It isn't fair for me to not have friends or not do anything fun because you think I'll leave you or cheat on you," Teecie cried while moving away from James and folding her arms.

James folded his arms as well. "Ticia, I trust you! It's the other guys I don't trust. I can see it that they want to have you, and would take you from me in a second if they had the chance! It's like my mum says, 'Constant vigilance!' I always have to be looking out to make sure nobody tries anything with you," he explained.

Teecie shook her head. "James, not every guy in the world is in love with me, you know. Take Zeren, for instance. He's just a friend, and that's all he wants to be. He wouldn't steal me," she replied.

James snorted. "Please, if he had the chance, he'd shag you in a second. Any guy would. It's just how they are. They see a pretty face, and a hot body, and that's all there is to it. You're so friendly it would make any guy think they had a chance at you. That's why you have to have less guy friends, Ticia," he continued.

"But James, that's not fair. You don't see me getting jealous when you hang out with Patty. It's exactly the same thing."

"That's not the same at all. You know Patty doesn't have any interest in me in that way. She's just a friend. I know Travers liked you. You two went out a few times. He'll, you probably even kissed. And I know your brother approves of him. Travers is rich and comes from a powerful family. He could have whatever he wants in this world. I don't want him to start thinking he can have you."

"James, I love you and want to be with you, but you don't own me!" Teecie growled. "I'm not going to be your meek little housewife, so start getting used to it!"

"I don't want you to be a meek housewife! But I do want you to be _my_ wife!" James was shouting over the music now.

"Of course I'm going to be your wife!" Teecie shouted at the top of her lungs just as the music ended and the barn grew much quieter. She froze after realizing what she'd just done. She looked around to see if anybody had heard her.

Most of the guests weren't paying attention, but there was one person who had heard it: her father. Lucius was glaring at the two from the refreshment table, and began to walk over to them. Teecie felt like running away, but knew she'd only get into more trouble for doing so. She did the next best thing though, by turning to James. "My dad heard us! Get out of here before he kills you!" she whispered furiously while giving him a push.

James looked confused for a moment before catching a glimpse of the angry man marching towards them. He yelped and tried to think of the best course of action. It wouldn't do to abandon Ticia at this time. He must be a brave man, and stand up to her father.

James moved in front of Teecie just as Lucius approached them. "Lupin, I believe you've overstayed your welcome. It is time you left," he hissed in a dangerously low voice.

Next, Lucius turned to his daughter. "Ticia, go to your room this instant."

Teecie tried not to flinch. "But dad, the party isn't over yet," she croaked.

"It is for you, now go. Do not make me say it again."

Teecie had never seen her father so furious before. Silently, she walked around James, and towards the barn door. She couldn't believe this was happening. She'd been banished from her own party.

She shivered with cold and terror as she trudged through the snow, and back to the house. She hoped James made it home safely as well.

After what felt like an eternity, Teecie heard the back door slam. A minute later, there was a thunderous pounding on her door. "Ticia Enora Orendes, you open this door this instant!" a voice called out to her. Teecie was startled to hear her mother's voice. She quickly jumped up from her bed and unlocked the door.

"Ticia, what are you thinking, being so serious with a boy at your age? What is it with all three of you girls? You have a long time to live your life before getting married. And it doesn't mean that you have to marry James. Is he pressuring you into doing things you don't want? Is that why he says he wants to marry you? So you'll go further with him?" Adriana was speaking rapidly while standing in front of her daughter. She had folded her arms and was tapping her foot impatiently on the floor.

Teecie sighed. "No mum, he isn't pressuring me at all. We're in love, that's all. We want to be together forever. Is that so wrong?" she asked quietly.

Adriana shook her head. "But you're so young, Ticia. How can you really know what you want out of life?"

"You don't have a problem with me already knowing I want to be a healer. You and dad don't try to stop me from learning all I can to help me when I leave Hogwarts," Teecie replied quietly.

"That is a completely different matter, Ticia. Don't change the subject," Adriana snapped. "Marriage is one of the most important decisions you will ever make in your entire life. You are too young to know if James is really who you want to marry."

"But mother, James and I aren't going to be like Paul and Kali. We aren't going to elope, we're going to wait until we leave Hogwarts, and have a real wedding. And I'm also not going to be like Reni and get myself pregnant and drop out of school," Teecie declared.

Adriana dropped her arms to her sides and sat down on the bed next to Teecie. "Ticia, I understand that you love James. But marriage is a huge step. It took your father and I many years before we were ready to live together permanently," Adriana said in a rushed voice. "You must give yourself more time to decide what you want out of life."

Teecie couldn't understand why her parents weren't proud of the fact that she and James would be waiting until they left school to marry. That was a definite improvement over her sisters.

"I am not going to forbid you from seeing James, for nothing good ever comes of that. You two would run off to elope the minute I did that," Adriana said while rubbing her throbbing temples.

"Are you going to ground me?" Teecie asked in a quiet voice.

Adriana shook her head. "No, Ticia," she said in a calm voice, "You didn't do anything to be punished for. Your feelings are just so new and strong right now that love and the idea of marriage are exciting and enticing. But darling, a long term relationship like a marriage takes a lot of time and effort. It takes maturity, and patience, and a lot of sacrifice. It's something you are far too young to even think about. Enjoy being young and unattached while you still can. Have fun with your friends and James, but don't take it all so seriously." Adriana had begun to play with Teecie's curls at this time, and smiled when Teecie laid her head on Adriana's shoulder.

"But I love him so much, mum," Teecie whispered.

"I know you do. But use this as a lesson in patience," Adriana advised while kissing her daughter's forehead. "You're already growing up so quickly. I remember when I could hold you in my arms, and the only man you loved was your father. I'm very proud of the woman you are becoming, and think that James will be a wonderful husband to you. But when you two are older, and have been out of school for several years. You'll both be working hard on your careers anyway, and will need to focus on that."

Teecie sat in silence for a few minutes. She wrapped her arms around her mother's waist, and snuggled closely against her. "James and I were fighting, mum," she confessed. "He thinks every guy is going to want to be with me. He's still upset that I'm friends with Zeren."

Adriana chuckled. "It took your father years to get comfortable with my friendship to Severus. He was sure something was going to happen between us," she laughed.

Teecie furrowed her brow. "Did anything ever happen between you two, mum? I've always wondered."

Adriana looked down at Teecie and smiled sadly. "No, we were only ever good friends," she replied. "Your father and Severus aren't the best of friends, but they are civil to one another, and that is the important thing."

Teecie felt hopeful that James would grow out of his jealousy. She was just going to say so, when the back door slammed shut once more. The two women heard Lucius bellowing as he walked closer to the bedroom.

"Don't worry, dear, I'll take care of your father. You just stay here," Adriana said before hugging Teecie and walking to the door.

Teecie couldn't hear what her father was saying, except when her mother opened the door. Lucius was almost frothing at the mouth in fury. "It's either the convent or a chastity belt, girl, one of the two!" Adriana closed the door before Lucius could say anything else.

Teecie shivered slightly at the thought of being sent to a convent. She shuddered at the idea of a chastity belt. She and James would never be able to have any kind of fun again if she had to wear one of those.

She didn't sleep much that night. She sent a letter off to James to see if he'd gotten home safely. Once she finished that, she wrote in her journal to express her feelings. Teecie was humiliated over what had happened, and upset that she and James might get into trouble.

There were no sounds that she could hear coming from her parent's room. They must have put several silencing charms up around the walls, for she had no doubt that they were just as sleepless as she was.

When there was nothing else to do, Teecie sat upon her bed in silence, waiting for what her parents would decide to do. She looked out the window, watching the snow falling gently outside, while inside the house, Teecie felt like a convicted criminal awaiting her sentence while the jury was deliberating.


	71. Christmas and Compromises

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: There really are quite a few possessive males in Teecie's life, aren't there! At least the madness of the party will have died down by Christmas, in this new chapter. This one was fun to write, I always love the interactions of these people! Also, on a different note, we've posted the next cookie at our club and would love to hear what you think of it! Go check it out when you've finished reading this! Enjoy!

Dark-child 2007: I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! This next one is a lot of fun to read as well. Happy reading!

Bright Eyes: I'm so glad to hear you're enjoying our stories! Unfortunately, Dragon's Tears is completely finished, however there are two short sequels to it. One is called After the Tears Fell, which can be found on my bio page, and the other is called Letters which was co-written by ElfFlame and myself, and can be found on her bio page. Go check them out, they're both really interesting. And here's the next chapter of this story to enjoy!

Christmas and Compromises

By the time it had grown lighter, Teecie's stomach began to grumble so loudly that she couldn't ignore it anymore. She walked quietly into the kitchen, and began taking items out of the refrigerator to make omelets for her family. She had just finished chopping up the spring onions when her father walked into the room.

Lucius frowned and sat down at the table, in front of the ingredients Teecie had already prepared. He watched as she continued chopping. All of a sudden, he grabbed his daughter's hand and pulled her towards him. He hugged her tightly. "Whatever happened to the little girl who wanted to live at home with her mum and dad forever? The little girl who didn't want to go to school?" he whispered sadly.

Teecie hugged her father back. "She grew up," she whispered in return. "I never thought she would either, and she tried to hold out for as long as possible, but it happened anyway."

She slowly let go of her father and went back to making breakfast for her family. As she whipped the eggs, she looked at Lucius carefully. "Dad, you didn't kill James last night, did you?"

Lucius shook his head. "No I didn't kill James. I just told him that on no uncertain terms would you two even be allowed to think about marriage, let alone do so at such a young age," he replied in an even voice. He was having a difficult time through all of this. He liked James, and approved of him as a match for his daughter, but didn't want things progressing so rapidly. The best deterrent to this, in his opinion, was to come down harshly on James, and make him fear going too far with Ticia. And goodness knows what ideas Ticia had gotten into her head after seeing her older sisters make such poor choices of their lives.

Adriana came into the room and sat down next to Lucius. He wrapped his hand around hers, and squeezed it lovingly. She had talked to him for hours the night before, calming him down and making him see things more rationally. She planned on meeting Tonks in London that afternoon for some shopping and so they could discuss the issue.

Teecie hummed a Christmas carol while making omelets. Within minutes, three delicious omelets were on the table, ready to be eaten. The three sat in silence and ate.

After a while though, Teecie couldn't take the silence anymore. "Look, I'm sorry that I love James and want to marry him. I'll try to pretend I don't if that will make you two happy," she said while looking at her parents. "I will be marrying him one day though."

Lucius patted Teecie's hand. "We understand that you are in love, but after what your sisters have done, it came as a shock to us. We weren't expecting you to want this so soon for your life. We had hoped that you'd wait until after your training had ended and you had found a steady job," he said in a kind voice. "In fact, I thought it might be a good idea for you to wait and open your own private practice somewhere. Your mother and I would be willing to help you if you decided to do that. My memoirs are going to be published very soon, and the honey business is going well. If you chose to finish school first before marrying, we would be more than happy to pay for your new practice." Lucius smiled, obviously pleased that he'd thought of what could be the solution to the problem.

Teecie ate her breakfast while taking all of this in. "But that's bribery, dad," she exclaimed. "And besides, you said all the money from the memoir was going to go to charity."

"I'm not saying you aren't allowed to marry James, I'm just saying, marry him later. There's nothing wrong with that," Lucius replied with a smile.

"But saying that you'll give me something if I do, is a bribe! You're not going to pay for my own practice if I marry James right after school, are you?"

"Now Ticia, you're blowing this out of proportion. An incentive is not the same thing as a bribe. I would never bribe one of my children," Lucius replied smoothly.

Adriana was shaking her head and frowning at Lucius as if to say, I told you so, which is exactly what he heard in his mind at that moment.

"I don't think that's right dad. James and I want to get married right after we leave Hogwarts. That way we'll be able to support one another through training," Teecie explained.

Lucius sighed. "I see I cannot compare to what James has to offer you. I just hope you use good judgment in the choices you make in your life."

Now it was Teecie's turn to frown. "Dad, that's not fair, making it sound like I have to choose between you two. I love both of you in different ways. Why are you being so difficult?" she cried in a shrill voice.

Lucius was fuming. "Don't you dare speak to me so disrespectfully. You are a child and I will not allow you to speak to an adult in that manner," he hissed.

Teecie folded her arms. "You're being so unfair!" she cried.

Lucius leaned forward in his seat. "I'm your father, I don't have to be," he growled.

Teecie slammed her hands down on the table while standing up. "I should have stayed at school this holiday!" she screamed while running to her room and locking the door. Within seconds, she was lying face down on her bed, sobbing into her pillow.

Why was everything going so wrong all of a sudden? Here it was, her OWL year, the year that she needed as much support as she could get, and all the men in her life were being compete pains in her arse! It's like they all wanted complete control of her life, and wouldn't be happy until they got it. Why didn't any of them think she could make up her own mind about her life? Even Roo thought he knew better than she what was best for her life.

Once she'd calmed down and was sitting up on her bed, a soft knock came from the door. "Ticia? May I come in please?" Lucius called out to her in a gentle voice.

Teecie remained silent for a minute before standing up and walking over to the door and unlocking it. Lucius stepped inside and leaned against her writing desk.

"I came to apologize for being so harsh with you. I had a very long night last night, and shouldn't have taken it out on you. Why don't we put this behind us, and have a pleasant holiday? Your mum is going shopping this afternoon. Why don't we bake biscuits while she's gone? You used to love doing that," he said in a hopeful tone.

Teecie nodded her head. "All right, but I need you to promise that you'll lighten up with James. It hurts me to see him so scared of you. He's too good a person to deserve such treatment," she replied while folding her arms and looking directly into her father's eyes.

Lucius nodded his head without speaking. There was no point in continuing to be so harsh towards James. It would only cause Ticia to defend him even more. "All right," he agreed while nodding his head.

Teecie grinned and gave her father a hug. "I think we should make shortbread biscuits and gingerbread men," she informed her father.

Lucius smiled and returned the hug. "Anything you want," he replied. A few minutes later, they left to feed the chickens and cows in the barn while Adriana prepared for her shopping trip. Teecie chattered incessantly about James, and school. She told him about her end of term examinations and how she thought she'd done.

"I'm sure I got at least an O on my Potions exam, and I know I probably got an A in Transfiguration. That's always been my hardest subject. I probably got an E in Runes. Professor Creevey and I studied for hours. She is the coolest teacher at the school. Do you know what she did to help me? She wrote out articles from the Quibbler into runes for me to translate! Isn't that the best idea ever?"

After feeding and watering the animals in the barn, the two returned to the house and washed up in order to bake biscuits. Teecie talked without stopping once for two hours before James's owl arrived with a letter for her. Lucius sighed while she stopped to read. It was times like this that really made him appreciate the quietness when his children were off at school.

Teecie ran to her room to read James's letter in private. She was relieved to see his handwriting and know that he was safe.

Dear Ticia,

Your father sure was angry. Don't worry though, he didn't do anything to me. Your brother and the Headmaster glared at me until I left. Roo looked like he wanted to kick my arse.

My father isn't very happy either. He says we're too young to think about marriage, and that's final.

I have great news though. After the party, Sirius and Pamela went off to London for a while. This morning they announced their engagement to us! Mum and dad are so happy for them. I think they're being hypocritical. They didn't congratulate me at all!

Well, anyway, how do you think you did on the exams? I'm sure I passed them all, and that's the important thing. I don't have to do really well until our OWLS.

I have to start thinking about the next Quidditch match. I have to win! I want my dad to be proud of me for it.

Maybe our parents will calm down enough for us to get together before we go back to the school. I'd love to give your Christmas present in person.

My mum says she's going shopping today with your mum. I'll bet all they talk about is us. Don't you think it's silly that they were pairing us off together back in our first year, and now that we are together, they're upset by it? Parents just don't make any sense. Let's remember this time for when our own children fall in love and want to get married. We'll always be reasonable and know that they really do know what they want for their lives. We're gonna be the coolest parents ever!

Well, I'd better stop now, my dad's calling me. He says we need to spend more quality time together. I heard him talking to mum last night. He thinks I'm doing this to get attention because I'm the middle child and Sirius is so stuck on Pamela that he never spends any time with me anymore. He says that if we spend more time together that I'll grow out of it. That just goes to show what he knows. He's so wrong! Anyway, I hope you write back soon, and I can't wait to see you again!

Love Forever,

Your Fiancé,

James Lupin

Teecie sighed and read the letter three times before slipping it under her pillow. She was practically floating by the time she returned to the kitchen.

"Good letter?" Lucius asked while watching as Teecie tripped over a kitchen chair.

She sighed while straightening up again. "The best, I love him so much!" she gushed.

Lucius could handle the silly love sick girl routine. He'd lived through it with all his daughters, and secretly found it horribly amusing. If only that was where it ended. Why couldn't teenagers control themselves better? He thought of his own experiences while at Hogwarts, and paled at the thought. He hoped that Ticia never had an experience with a boy like he'd been. Though, from what he'd heard of that Owen boy…Lucius couldn't help but think about the thrashing he'd give that boy if he ever met him.

James was far more desirable as a match to Ticia than Owen. Though, he seemed a little too devoted to her at times, and too eager to be with her. He needed to learn patience and self-control.

Ticia was too eager to be with James as well. He hoped she didn't make it too easy for James. He hoped she had some self-control as well. Then Lucius frowned. They might have been intimate already. Maybe that's why they were so eager for marriage.

Lucius looked at his starry-eyed daughter, and fought back the temptation to ask her about it. Ticia was older now, even if she had done anything with James, she probably wouldn't admit to it.

He stood back and watched as she mindlessly poured cups of flour into a bowl and then pick up a wooden spoon. She began to stir the flour while lost in thought. Lucius couldn't help but be a little fearful of the idea that she was a future healer and would help to save people's lives.

Finally, he couldn't take it any longer. "Ticia, watch what you're doing!" he called out to her.

Teecie jumped and turned to look at her father with wide eyes. "I was thinking about James's letter," she explained.

"Well, why don't you pay a little more attention to the baking instead?" Lucius replied with a slight smile.

Teecie sighed, looked at the bowl of flour, and rolled her eyes. She took out another bowl and began to measure the ingredients properly.

Lucius shook his head and went back to cutting out gingerbread men, and placing them on baking sheets.

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly, and once the last batch of biscuits had been taken out of the oven, Adriana returned from her shopping trip to London. She had several bags on each arm, and both Lucius and Teecie rushed to help her bring them all inside.

"The house smells wonderful!" she said with a smile on her face.

Once all the bags had been stowed in Adriana's bedroom, she and Teecie sat down on the sofa for a talk while Lucius cleaned up the kitchen.

"Mum, you and James's mother talked about us, didn't you?" Teecie asked quietly.

Adriana smiled at her daughter. "Yes, we did spend quite some time discussing you two," she replied. "Tonks and I feel that you two should enjoy being teenagers for as long as you can, and not worry about being a married couple for a long time. This is the time in your life to have fun and enjoy your youth. You'll have a lifetime to be James's wife, so just keep having fun being his girlfriend," she said in a quiet voice.

"But mum, that's what we _are_ doing," Teecie replied. "We are enjoying being boyfriend and girlfriend, but we just already know that we want to get married. That's all."

"That's good to know, but just keep in mind the fact that the both of you are too young to be married," Adriana reminded her daughter.

Lucius joined the women with a tray of biscuits to share with them. "I thought this might be a good time to discuss what we talked about before the party, Ticia. You are no longer a child, but you are also not yet an adult. We need to decide as a family how that will work," he said while handing Teecie a gingerbread man.

Teecie thought for a moment while munching on her biscuit. "I really think I should be allowed to wear the clothes I like to wear. Last night you changed my outfit without even asking my permission," she said in a calm voice.

Lucius considered this for a minute. "I should have asked you to change your clothes instead of making the decision for you, but there are some clothes that you own that are not appropriate to be worn to a party. And until you can see the difference between the clothes that are acceptable to be worn in public, and those that are not, your mother and I must make those decisions for you. You do have a choice in all of this. When you put together an outfit, ask yourself if it looks like something we would approve of, because you don't want people to get the wrong impression about you. What you wear tells people what kind of a person you are. You don't want to have a bad reputation at school, do you?" he asked in an equally calm voice.

Teecie bit her lip. She didn't want a bad reputation, but she did like her clothes! "There's nothing wrong with my clothes!" she pouted.

Lucius raised his eyebrows. "Your outfit last night showed off far too much skin than any proper young lady should show in public," he replied firmly.

Teecie looked to her mother for support.

"Darling, you might do better to dress more appropriately for your age. It's like we talked about earlier, just enjoy being your age for now," Adriana said in support of Lucius.

Teecie frowned and folded her arms. "But all the girls my age dress like that. It's no big deal," she sulked.

Lucius said nothing, but gave her a warning look that made her stop and think. Her parents did control if she saw James and her other friends, or not. Perhaps it was best to give in to their wishes until she came of age, and could make those decisions for herself. "Fine, "I'll try to do better with my clothes," she agreed sullenly.

"I'm glad to hear that," her father replied, "And now I'm sure the rest of the holiday will be pleasant. The entire family will be here tomorrow, and it will be nice for things to go smoothly for once."

Adriana nodded her head in agreement. "And I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. I'm too tired to clean the house. Why don't we all get a good night's sleep, and get up early in the morning to clean?" she asked while yawning and stretching her arms.

Teecie yawned as well, and stood up to go to her room. She was exhausted as well, and didn't even have time to change into her nightgown before falling asleep.

She awoke the next morning to the smell of bacon and coffee. After stretching, she walked into the kitchen, where her parents were talking quietly. "Happy Christmas!" she cried.

"Happy Christmas to you," Adriana said with a grin.

Lucius kissed the top of Teecie's head while she stood next to him at the stove, looking at the hash browns he was frying. "So, did Father Christmas remember to come last night?" he asked casually.

Teecie rolled her eyes, but ran into the living room to look at the Christmas tree and the stockings set above the fireplace. They were stuffed to the brim with presents. "He came, and he sure left a lot of stuff!" she called out while peeking at a few gifts under the tree that had her name on them.

After getting ready for the day ahead, Teecie joined her parents for a quick breakfast before a morning of cooking and cleaning. The rest of the family would be arriving to open presents in a couple hours before lunch, so there was no time to lose.

Teecie helped put the lamb in the oven before grabbing her wand and cleaning the living room. Lucius was busy taking care of the barn, and Adriana was taking care of the food, so she helped with all the cleaning.

After what seemed like only a few minutes, the first guests arrived. Paul and Kali flooed over from Paul's house. It was, technically, their second Christmas together after being married, but they seemed just as eager and excited as the year before. Teecie was happy to see that Kali wasn't locked in her room this year.

A short time later, Peter, Reni, and Hunter arrived. Hunter was now a boisterous boy of three, full of life, and excited over everything. "Hi Kali! Hi Teecie! Hi Paul!" he cried. "Guess what! I got a train today!"

Paul knelt down and engaged his nephew in a discussion about the train. Peter wandered off to help Adriana in the kitchen, leaving the three sisters alone, in an awkward silence.

Reni had never been very close to her sisters, and was reluctant to start now. After a minute, she turned and walked off to the kitchen to be with her husband.

Kali and Teecie started to chatter about school and exams. Once the two girls had gotten caught up, Draco, Tanith, and their kids arrived.

Roo tore through the house, and over to Hunter to show off the new broom his father had given him. Hunter grinned and hopped up and down excitedly. "Can I try it?" he asked while reaching out to touch it.

Roo grabbed the broom and held it away from him. "No Hunter, you're too little. Father says only boys my age or older can ride brooms," he informed Hunter.

Hunter screwed up his face and stepped closer to Roo. "I can ride it!" he declared.

"No!" Roo cried before turning to walk away.

Hunter's face grew stormier as he looked around for somebody to help him. "Mummy!" he called out while trotting over to where Reni had just sat down next to Draco. "Mummy, Roo won't let me on his broom!" He made sure to glare at Draco for a moment before turning back to his mother.

Reni looked down at her son for a moment before turning in her seat, folding her arms, and looking expectantly at her brother. Draco frowned. "Renata…Hunter is too young to be on a broom, especially a real broom," he replied.

Reni glared at Draco before picking Hunter up and putting him on her lap. "Don't worry darling, mummy will go out and buy you the best practice broom in the entire world tomorrow. Would you like that?" she asked.

Hunter grinned. "Yes! Thank you mummy!" he cried. He looked at Draco and tilted his head. "I get my own broom!" he said in a taunting voice.

Before Draco had a chance to respond, people started gathering in the living room to open presents. The younger children were very excited, and sat down on the floor in front of the Christmas tree, waiting for their presents to be handed out to them.

Teecie sat down next to her father, and opened her own presents. She received plenty of new, tasteful clothes from her parents and brother, as well as books about healing. But none of them surpassed her favourite gift. Uncle Sev had brought his presents to the house on the night of the party, so his book on healing potions had been opened that morning. She clutched it tightly now with a big smile on her face, as she watched the rest of the people in the room open their gifts.

"Wow, thank you granddad, thank you Adriana," Mel thanked her grandparents while running her fingers carefully over the green broom with her name engraved on the side. She also received a matching set of riding robes.

Liss squealed at the set of silver and amethyst earrings she received. There was also a matching necklace and bracelet as well. "Oh thank you so much granddad, Adriana," she cried while jumping up and hugging them. Liss put her new jewelry and paraded around the room with it.

Tanith smiled at Adriana. "They're just beautiful; you have great taste!" she exclaimed.

Adriana returned the smile. "Thank you, but Lucius is the one who purchased them," she replied.

Liss ran over and gave her grandfather another hug, and a kiss. Lucius held his granddaughter closely to him for a minute before letting her go.

Roo took his time opening his gift from Lucius and Adriana. He was very excited to see the pile of small framed pictures that were inside the silver foil-wrapped box. "Wow! Fantastic Romeo Bros. one, two, and three! Oh, and The Myth of Vanda! I've wanted these forever!" he cried happily. He showed his parents the gifts. Each frame contained an enchanted picture that moved and changed scenes. There were buttons on the sides that he could press to control the character as he went about his adventures.

Once everybody had seen the toys, Roo sat back down next to Draco, and started to play with one of them.

Hunter's gift excited him almost as much as Roo's had excited him. Peter and Reni had recently moved him into his own larger bedroom. They'd painted a magical mural of a train that moved around all four walls, emitting puffs of smoke every once in a while. Lucius and Adriana had gotten Hunter a train conductor's uniform, in exactly his size. One top of his conductor's hat was a sign that said, "Hogwarts Express."

Hunter squealed and began to hop around the room. "Choo choo! I'm a train! I'm a train!" he cried excitedly.

Adriana laughed and knelt down to help her grandson into the outfit. "There, now you are a proper conductor," she said.

"Choo choo!" he replied before shuffling around the room, trying to simulate the movement of a train with his legs and arms.

Peter and Reni smiled and thanked their parents for the gifts. "Hunter's obsessed with trains now. My grandfather wants to take him on a train trip somewhere," Peter said while laughing lightly at the sight his son was creating.

Roo pointed and laughed at Hunter's excitement until Draco tapped him on the shoulder and shushed him.

Everybody loved their gifts. Paul and Kali received a lot of things for their life together. They received a set of blue and bronze-coloured china that had a raven painted onto each one, from Lucius and Adriana.

Draco and Tanith gave them a set of pure silverware embossed with gold leaves. Kali had never gotten along well with Draco, she'd never had any problems with Tanith. "Thank you Tanith," Kali breathed softly. Paul stood up, kissed Tanith's cheek, and shook Draco's hand, thanking them both for the wonderful gift. Draco smile politely and nodded his head. He still didn't approve of their decision to elope last year, but didn't want to cause a scene.

Teecie kept thinking about James during this time. He was probably sitting with his family and opening gifts as well. She wondered if he'd gotten anything as cool as she had, or not. She couldn't help but feel warm and happy at the thought that in just a few years' time, they'd be spending their own first Christmas together as husband and wife.

In the middle of gift giving, she couldn't help but fantasize about that first Christmas together. She'd go out and guy gifts for James, and wrap them in secret so he wouldn't know what they were. On Christmas Eve, she'd slip the smaller gifts into his stocking, and the larger ones under the tree. And of course James would do the same for her. Then on Christmas morning, they'd get up, and after a lovely breakfast, they'd sit on the sofa, in front of the tree, and take turns opening presents. James would love whatever she bought for him, and she'd adore anything he bought for her.

Teecie was just trying to solve the dilemma of whose family they'd see on Christmas Eve, and whose family they'd visit Christmas day, when Roo sat down next to her. "Do you want to play Fantastic Romeo Bros. with me?" he asked sweetly.

Teecie was annoyed at having her fantasy interrupted and frowned while looking down at Roo. And she still had unfinished business with him too. "Roo, you were so rude to James the other night. Don't you even care that it hurt my feelings?" she asked as quietly as she could so she wouldn't draw attention to them.

Roo's smile disappeared and his toy slipped out of his hands and onto his lap. "I care a lot about you, auntie! That's why I was just trying to protect you. You deserve better than him. My father says he's plebeian, and I don't know what that it, but I don't want you to catch it too!" With that, Roo threw his arms around Teecie.

Teecie sighed, but didn't return the hug. "Roo, I'm tired of everybody in my life thinking they know what's best for me. I have to do what my parents tell me to do, and what your father and Uncle Sev tell me to do, and I will not let _you_ boss me around! You're just a little kid!" she exclaimed.

Roo sat back up and glared at Teecie. "I'm not trying to boss you around; I'm trying to protect you! It's my duty! Father says so. He says it's a man's job to protect the women he loves. And I love you, so I have to protect you," he explained carefully.

Teecie rolled her eyes. Leave it to Draco to teach him such rubbish, she thought to herself. "Look Roo, I appreciate that you care about me so much, but you need to leave me alone. James and I are in love, and we want to be together, and that's final," she said sternly. "Now, you may be the man, and all that, but I am your elder, and I'm sure your father also taught you to respect your elders too."

Roo bit his lip and looked up at his beloved aunt. He hated the thought of her being angry with him, but he wanted her to be protected from that terrible son of a werewolf. His sense of duty to protect her, and his duty to respect his elders, conflicted with one another. In the end, his need to protect her won out. Ticia might be upset with him for a while, but at least she'd be safe. And she'd get over it as soon as his father found her a better suitor. He met the Travers boy at the party. His father had always spoken very highly of him, and thoroughly approved of him. He seemed like the perfect gentleman for his auntie.

Roo patted Teecie on the hand. "I love you, auntie!" he said before standing up, kissing her cheek, and wandering off to find somebody else to play with. Teecie was glad he'd left, for she would have strangled him if he's still been there. The nerve of that brat!

Soon enough, all the presents had been opened, and the younger children were contentedly playing with their new treasures. Teecie joined Tanith and her mother in the kitchen to help with dinner, while Lucius, Draco, Peter, and Paul talked in the living room.

Severus arrived during this time, and after kissing Adriana on the cheek, he went to the living room and joined the men in their important discussion about Quidditch.

When the food was ready, everybody gathered around the table. Lucius carved the roast, as was the tradition in the Orendes household, and passed plates out to the children first before serving the adults.

It was a lovely meal. People talked and ate, and enjoyed one another's company. The food was even more delicious than Teecie remembered it being before. She ate two helpings of everything, including the pumpkin pie for pudding.

Once everybody had gorged themselves on all the food they could physically eat, they returned to the living room to rest. Adriana decided to let the kitchen wait for later, and joined her family as well. She leaned against Lucius on the sofa until he asked her to move, for she was making his stomach hurt by leaning against it.

Hunter had fallen asleep in Peter's arms, and Mel was curled up against her father. Roo leaned his head on Adriana's lap and played with his new Myth of Vanda game. Teecie looked around and tried to find a good place to sit. Uncle Sev was sitting by himself in the corner of the room, by the bookshelf. Teecie walked over there, and sat down next to him. "Have you had a happy Christmas so far?" she asked quietly.

Severus looked down at her for a moment before nodding his head. "Yes, it has been more pleasant than I can recall of recent years," he replied.

Teecie smiled. "I think so too. And I wanted to thank you for the book on healing potions. I know I'll need to use them someday," she said happily.

Severus smiled slightly. "Let us hope, that you never use them on yourself, though…" he trailed off.

Teecie rolled her eyes. "I haven't done that in over a year! I know better than to do that again," she assured him.

"That is good to hear," Severus replied quietly.

Teecie leaned back in her seat, and opened up her book to read. Soon she was lost in the fascinating world of potions, ingredients, and healing properties.

Later in the afternoon, once people were moving around more, Teecie approached Draco and asked if he'd marked her potions exam yet.

Draco frowned and set his wine glass down. "Yes Ticia, I did. I must say I was a little disappointed in how you did. There were several answers you missed that were quite basic, and you should have known very well by now. I'm afraid I had to give you an 'A,'" he replied in a serious voice.

Teecie gasped and clutched at her chest. "An 'A'? How could I get just an 'A'? I tried so hard!" she exclaimed.

Draco shook his head slowly. "Maybe you did try hard and revised, but you had more than enough time to spend with your boyfriend," he suggested. "Perhaps if you'd spent a bit less time with him and more on your studies your marks would improve. You still have several months before the OWLS to improve."

Teecie was shocked. She had studied harder than she could remember for this exam. There had to be a mistake. "But Draco, I don't understand how this could happen. I studied for hours for the exam," she said in a bewildered voice.

Draco patted her on the shoulder. "Just think of this as a warning, Ticia. Now you know you just need to spend more time studying, and less time socializing," he said in a reassuring voice. "I'm sure if you do that, you'll do fine on your OWLS."

Teecie bit her lip and nodded her head before walking away. She went to her room, locked the door, and spent the next hour writing a long letter to James, pouring out her worries to him. Once that was finished and had been sent off to him, she sat on her bed and fretted over her marks. Adriana made her join the family again after a while though.

It took a while, but Teecie cheered up again, and had fun for the rest of the day as the younger people went outside to play in the snow. She chattered with Liss on the back porch while watching Peter, Paul, Mel, and Roo have a sledding contest.

Hunter was very upset over not being allowed on the sled, and Teecie watched as Kali took him aside to make a snow man. He quickly got over his disappointment, and became very excited over getting to do something special with his "Auntie Kali".

Adriana joined the others after a while, with a tray of mugs filled with hot chocolate. The tray was quickly emptied as everybody ran to get some. Adriana set the tray down, and joined Kali and Hunter with the snowman.

Teecie and Liss giggled as Hunter threw a small snowball at Adriana while her back was turned. "Got you yiayia!" he cried before laughing and running away. Adriana laughed as well, and ran after her grandson. Soon, the two of them were embroiled in a fierce snowball fight. Within minutes everybody else, including Teecie and Liss, ran to join the fight. Peter stood in front of his son, so none of the snowballs that were thrown too hard, would hit Hunter. Hunter, in the mean time, built snowballs and passed them up to his father to throw at the others.

At one point in time, Severus walked out to the porch, and looked at all the people playing in the snow. Adriana noticed him, and threw a snowball at him, hitting him squarely in the chest. She smiled and waved at him before turning back to the game.

A few minutes later, everybody noticed that there were a lot of snowballs coming from Adriana's direction. She was pelting them with snowballs mercilessly. She seemed to be throwing them faster, and harder than ever before. What they didn't notice, was that Severus was on the porch with his wand discretely concealed, and casting a spell on the snow just behind her to form into balls and fly after people. After a few minutes, though, everybody stopped throwing at each other, and turned on her. Adriana screamed and laughed as she was buried under a mound of snow. And as soon as it had started, it was over. Teecie and her family moved back to throwing snowballs at each other, leaving the laughing Adriana to crawl back out of the mound she'd been left in. Everybody else was playing so hard that they didn't see Snape walk over to her, hold out his hand, and help her to her feet. Adriana wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek before walking back into the house with him.

The children played like this for an hour before it grew too dark, and too cold to play any longer. By the time they got back inside, it was time for them to go home.

Teecie hugged all her nieces and nephews, including Roo, goodbye. Draco pulled her aside before flooing home. "Don't worry about your marks too much. You'll do fine on your OWLS if you just study a little more," he reassured her before giving her a comforting hug.

Teecie went to bed that night with a new resolve to do better in all her classes. She'd find a way to study and have fun with her friends, and James. It was just a matter of managing her time better. Before falling asleep that night though, she recalled what a wonderful day it had been. It had been the best Christmas in many years that Teecie could remember.


	72. The New Term Begins

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm glad you enjoyed the functional Christmas! It does seem sad that it's one of the only ones she can remember being so good! Hunter is too cute, and his love of trains will get him into trouble in the future…but don't worry, everything will be just fine with him. I've been so busy with work lately I haven't been able to write as much as I'd normally be able to, but I am still writing, it's just taking longer to post each new chapter. I haven't given up though. I'm also busy working on those cookies ElfFlame and I have been posting at our club. We have four of them posted now! Anyway, here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy it!

Midnight Alpha: I'm glad you liked the chapter. I really like Roo as well, he's a lot of fun to write. He's going to continue to be a lot of fun too, as the current chapter I'm writing now shows…Anyway, here's the next installment for you to read. Enjoy!

Bright Eyes: Thank you for your kind words, that reviewer was out of line, unfortunately, they signed in so I can't delete it! And I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, and all the Draco parts. Here's the next chapter for you to enjoy!

The New Term Begins

A/N: This chapter does contain sexual content. Nothing too explicit, but you have been warned. I do not condone underage premarital sex, but feel this is keeping in the nature of the story and the characters.

Teecie was now busier than she could remember being for quite some time. Several weeks had flown past since Christmas, but to her, it felt like days.

She and James had never found the chance to meet over the holiday in order to exchange gifts, so they had given them to one another on the train ride back to school. Teecie had loved the hardback set of Anne of Green Gables books that he'd given her, and he'd loved the rest of the ElfQuest comic books she'd gotten for him. He'd loved the first book about the tribe of elves who descended from wolves so much, that she'd gotten him the rest of the series.

Once they'd returned to the school, Teecie had thrown herself into her studies again, while James focused on his next Quidditch match. Teecie didn't have to try to spend time apart from James-it was happening on its own. She only got to see him in class, and for a short while each evening. James didn't seem to notice this, for he was so focused on Quidditch that not much else mattered to him.

The end of term exams had given all the students something to think about. It had shown them where to focus for the next term. Teecie had done every well on all her exams, with the exceptions of the "A" in Potions, and the "P" in History of Magic. This had scared her into spending even more time then she already was, studying.

Teecie spent just as much time volunteering in the Hospital wing as well. In order to do all of that, she had to cut back the time she spent with her other Pixies to only at meal times. This helped cut down on unpleasant run-ins with Paige and her minions.

There hadn't been many incidents between Teecie and Paige since the last fight they'd gotten into, but by the amount of communicating to one another the mouthpieces had been doing lately, it was easy to see that trouble was brewing.

It was on one such occasion, on a seemingly pleasant Saturday afternoon in January, that trouble erupted.

Teecie and her friends were eating a lovely breakfast of sausages and porridge, when Paige and her friends walked into the Great Hall and made their way over to the Gryffindor table, by way of the Ravenclaw table. Paige was wearing an identical outfit to the one Teecie was wearing. Both had unknowingly chosen to wear blue miniskirts and red jumpers, as well as having tied back their hair in the same style of ponytail. The two girls glared at each other for a minute before Paige walked off to her table.

Several minutes later, Candace approached the table again. "Paige kindly requests that you change your clothes so you won't look like her anymore. She also says it is rather pathetic of you to try and copy her like that," she sneered at Teecie.

Teecie's eyes narrowed, and she felt adrenaline start to pump through her veins. Copy Paige? As if! But before she could say anything, Diana, her appointed speaker, stood up and faced off with Candace.

"How dare you say something like that! You know it was Paige that copied Ticia! Talk about pathetic!" she growled.

Candace put her hands on her hips. "So she won't change her clothes?"

Diana shook her head. "Why should she?"

"Because Ticia is just a thief. She stole my boyfriend, and now she's trying to steal Paige's style!"

"That is so not true! You broke up with James. She didn't steal him. You're just bitter and need to get over it!"

Teecie couldn't believe how angry the girls seemed to be as they screamed at one another. Nobody else was getting themselves involved, though, knowing it wasn't their fight.

The girls were still screaming at each other when Professor Weasley came over and intervened. She took each girl by a shoulder, and dragged them out of the Great Hall. "My own daughter…" Teecie could hear her mutter as they left. She couldn't help but feel bad over what had happened. It was partly her fault, after all.

Teecie didn't find out for an hour or so of what had happened to Diana. Diana walked into the library, with her head held high, and her shoulders thrown back proudly. She sat down next to where Teecie was studying, and smiled slightly.

"What happened to you? Are you OK?" Teecie asked quickly, tossing her books aside.

Diana smiled again. "Mum grounded me for a month, and took fifteen points from our house! She gave Howe two weeks of detention and took fifteen points from Ravenclaw," she replied.

"Grounded for a month! That's horrible," Teecie cried. "I feel so bad; this wouldn't have happened if you weren't doing my dirty work."

Diana laughed and waved it off. "Don't worry, Ticia. I wouldn't have volunteered if I hadn't really wanted to do it. And besides, Uncle Fred told me that whenever my mum grounds me, to let him know, and he'll send me a free joke. I'm going to go owl him now," she grinned before standing up and running off to owl her uncle.

Teecie shook her head in wonderment before returning to her schoolwork. After a half hour or so, she left for the Gryffindor common room, where she found James sitting on a sofa. She joined him, and they cuddled on the sofa together while studying for their Charms quiz on Monday.

James was too excited to think about school, though. "I caught the snitch on the first try five times during practice today," he gushed. "Oh, and dad says he's going to take me to see the Holyhead Harpies play the Wimbourne Wasps this summer holiday. He says since he took Sirius to a big game when he turned sixteen, it was only fair for him to take me to one too."

"That will be fun for you. I went to a Quidditch match once a few years ago. I got sunstroke and fainted. I didn't like it that much. But I'm sure you'll have a great time!" Teecie replied.

"I sure hope so. It will be nice to spend time with my dad, just the two of us…" James trailed off.

The conversation grew heavier over the next couple hours. Soon, the rest of the students left for dinner, and the two of them were alone in the common room. "Ticia," James said quietly, "I turn sixteen next week, and that means you turn sixteen next month…"

Teecie smiled at James and kissed him. "I know, James," she replied.

"We said that we were going to…you know…on your birthday," James murmured while running his fingers through her hair.

"I know James, I remember," Teecie said while cuddling against him. "And I want to, I really do, it's just…I don't know if I want to do it in your room, with the guys just outside the curtains," she admitted quietly.

James leaned down and kissed her. "Well, if we chose a time when nobody else was there, we wouldn't have to worry about it," he suggested.

"Yes, but when? There's almost always at least one of them there all the time."

"They're all downstairs now," James replied, "Maybe we can plan for some dinnertime. And on a night like tonight, they'll stay out for a couple hours, eating and hanging out with their other friends."

Teecie grinned and smiled at James. "I think that's a wonderful idea!" she said before quieting down for a minute. "You know James, we're all alone now…All the guys are down at dinner. We could go up to your room…" she trailed off while running her hand up and down his leg.

James leaned down and kissed her again. "But I thought you wanted to wait," he said gruffly. He didn't want to get his hopes up only to have Teecie change her mind.

"Well, it could be your birthday present," Teecie replied while wrapping her arms around him.

James smiled and kissed her. "All right, let's go to my room," he said while standing up and taking Teecie by the hand. They walked in silence up to his room.

Once there, the two snogged for a long time on his bed. Both Teecie and James had been taught contraceptive spells, and cast them before going any further. Once they were completely safe, they closed the curtains and put a locking spell on them.

About ten minutes later, James rested comfortably in Teecie's arms. He was still trying to regain his breath after what they'd finally done after so many years of fantasizing about it. "Oh-wow-that was-amazing," he panted before kissing her.

Teecie smiled and returned the kiss. It certainly had been amazing. Even though it had hurt almost as much as her first time, for it had been two years since then, it only took a minute for the pain to stop. James had been nervous, but with her help, he'd figured out what to do, and tried to hold out as long as he could. When he'd finally let himself go, Teecie looked to see the unmistakable look of pleasure on his face. She hadn't been able to reach her peak, but she'd read enough medical books to know this would come with time and practice, and she looked forward to all the practice it would take to make perfect.

"Oh James," she sighed contentedly, "I'm so glad we finally did this. But I'm glad we waited until we knew we wanted to marry each other. It makes it so much more special and romantic that way."

James wrapped his arms around her and listened to the pounding of her heart for a minute before responding. "I know I could never do this with any other girl but you, Ticia," he said in barely more than a whisper.

Teecie and James "practiced" a few more times that evening, using protective spells each time. She even managed to reach her peak one of the times, and James looked like the proudest male on earth for having been able to do that for her.

The two were thoroughly exhausted by the time the other roommates were returning, and soon Teecie went off to her own dormitory, where she slept soundly that night. The next morning, James and Teecie ate their breakfast together at the front end of the Hufflepuff table, away from anybody else.

Draco couldn't help but notice this, and thought it was unusual for them. They normally sat with their own sets of friends at different tables. He wondered what it meant. He could see the two playing footsies under the table, and tried to hold himself back from stopping them.

It was during this time that Draco realized he hadn't seen either of them at dinner the previous night. He couldn't help but jump to conclusions, and assume they'd been off doing things they shouldn't have been doing. He scowled and hoped they'd at least had the sense enough to use protection.

Later in the afternoon, Teecie and Patty talked and giggled together over their experiences. When Paige walked into the dormitory, though, they stopped. She grew angry over this, and stormed over to Patty's bed. "How can you betray me like this? My own twin?" she cried.

Patty shrugged her shoulders. "Teecie isn't a snob-you are, that's all," she replied simply. Paige turned red and glared at the other two girls before turning around and walking back out the door again.

Patty sighed and looked sad. After a few seconds though, she began to punch her pillow with great vehemence. "I miss the nice Paige," she gasped in between punches. "She is my twin, and we used to be the best friends in the world, but now…"

Teecie could see tears glinting in Patty's eyes, and reached out to give her a hug, and started to cry. "I miss her too," she admitted quietly. "And I wish we could get her to come back, but I don't know if we can."

Once they'd calmed down, the two girls spent the afternoon working on homework. The rest of the day passed quickly, and soon, the next week had begun.

During the week, Teecie made more of an effort to spend time with James. She had been more affected by their experience than she thought she'd be at first. Even though it hadn't been her first time, this was what she'd remember for the rest of her life as her "true" first time. James had been so tender with her afterwards, and it truly made her love him even more. It seemed the least she could do to support him during his Quidditch practices.

James, for his part, was enjoying the feeling of being what he thought was a true man. He could never have imagined how utterly amazing being with Teecie in that way would be. Aside from the physical ecstasy it had been, he felt emotionally closer to her as well. There was something so special about only having done this with the one he was someday going to marry, that he felt gladder than ever that he'd never pushed Candace, his old girlfriend, into trying it.

As James sat on his broom, floating in midair, waiting for a glimpse of the snitch, he gazed over at Teecie, and looked at her for several minutes. At that moment, he wished more than anything, that he was sitting next to her, holding her hand. As he looked at Teecie bent over a book, reading furiously, he saw his whole life unfolding before him. When they left school, they would marry, and Teecie would go into training for many years. He was going to be an auror, in order to provide her with a good home, the best clothes, and the most delicious food he could buy. He looked over and saw the snitch in front of his eyes for several seconds before it darted away. Instead of flying after it, James thought about the snitch. Quidditch was fun, but it was only a game. It wasn't a part of his future. Instead of concentrating so much on the sport, he needed to focus on school, so his OWLS were high enough to become an auror, like he wanted. It was his duty to Teecie and the future family they would have together. A thought fluttered through his mind for a moment: Winning a Quidditch match wouldn't make him a man. Doing what was right for those he loved, was what made a man what he was. There was honour to be found in that duty.

As James slowly took off after the snitch, a calmness coursed through his veins. This was a game, and he wouldn't forget that anymore. He decided that once he was done with practice, he'd get started on his homework, and then maybe he'd go have a talk with his father. It was time he made up with him as well.

Teecie had no idea James was going through such an epiphany, for she was trying to memorize three chapters in her history book. Binns was such a dull professor; he could make the most interesting event sound like the most boring thing in the world. He made it very difficult to concentrate, and want to learn the subject. But she was doing her best. She'd even started talking to Professor Weasley about it in order to understand it better. She was more than willing to help out. Teecie had gone to Professor Binns himself at first to ask for help, but he kept calling her Teresa, and floating away from her, unable to pay attention to her, so she knew he'd be no help. Her latest history exam had been slightly better, and that raised her confidence a bit more than it had been a few weeks ago.

When Quidditch practice ended, James and Teecie walked to the school for lunch. After a leisurely meal, the two parted ways and went off to work on homework.

Many hours passed, and by the time the two met up for dinner, Teecie had finished her schoolwork, and James was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"What is it?" Teecie asked after James had kissed her cheek.

"I had a long talk with my dad just now. We're cool again," he replied.

Teecie smiled. "Oh James, that's wonderful news! We should celebrate," she declared.

James's eyes glinted. "You think so? We could go up to my room and…celebrate during dinner if you'd like," he replied while wriggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Teecie blushed. "James, I'd love to, really I would, it's just that I do need to eat and work on some homework for tomorrow," she replied.

James sighed and looked thoroughly disappointed. "I guess I can manage to live without it for a while longer," he replied grudgingly.

Teecie grinned. "Just be glad you aren't planning on becoming a priest, or you'd have to live forever without it!"

James shuddered at the thought. "No thanks, that's not for me," he said. "Shall we go down to dinner then?"

The two walked down the stairs, arm-in-arm, to the Great Hall, and sat together at the Ravenclaw table with all of Teecie's Pixie friends.

Zeren was there as well, and he made sure to be very friendly towards Teecie. "Ticia, do you remember the date we went on to the Hogsmeade fair? We'll have to go again over the summer holiday, you know, to relive the wonderful memories. I know I had a great time with you that day," he said while glancing at James occasionally. "You sure know how to show a guy a good time," he said while winking at Teecie.

James looked back and forth at Teecie and Zeren. The look on his face grew more and more stormy as Zeren kept talking. He wanted to smash the guy's face in.

Teecie was trying to remain calm during the situation. She could tell Zeren was trying to annoy James, and she didn't appreciate it. Would it be right to take control of the situation and tell Zeren to stop? Or would that be an insult to James, like he wasn't man enough to handle it himself? She decided to let him take care of it and only step in if she had to.

James's face was red with fury, and he slowly stood up. "Why don't you shut your mouth, Travers," he growled menacingly.

Zeren's eyebrows rose as he looked up at James with amusement. "What's the matter, Lupin? Don't like to hear about your girlfriend's past love affairs? Did she ever tell you how we danced together at the party Professor Black threw for her? Did she tell you how I won her all sorts of prizes for her at the fair?" Zeren asked in a taunting voice.

"Shut it Travers! If you say one more word, I'll kick your arse!" James threatened.

"You couldn't kick my arse if I waved it right in front of your face," Zeren retorted calmly.

James's eye twitched, and before anybody spoke again, his wand was out and ready to be used. Zeren folded his arms and looked expectantly up at James before glancing over at the professor's table. Both Draco and Professor Lupin were standing up and moving towards the stairs. "Looks like your daddy's coming to take you home," Zeren teased.

James quickly slipped his wand back in his robes, and sat back down just as the two men approached the table.

"Is there a problem here?" Draco asked quietly.

Zeren looked up at his head of house. "Lupin and I were just talking and he suddenly became angry," he explained calmly.

James fumed. "He was talking about how much he loved his dates with Ticia! He implied things that were inappropriate, and I felt I had to defend her honour," he spat.

Remus looked down at Teecie. "Ticia, is this true? Was Mr. Travers saying rude things about you?" he asked carefully.

Teecie sighed. Why did boys have to get so out of control? "Look, can I just deal with this myself? I just need to talk to Zeren alone for a few minutes," she replied angrily.

Both Draco and Lupin looked skeptical for a moment, but relented in the end. Teecie and Zeren stood up and walked out of the Great Hall together. Teecie paced around for a minute before speaking.

"Zeren, how dare you!" she shrieked. "Why are you doing this to me? I thought we were friends. Torturing my boyfriend like that only makes him angry at me. And I don't feel I deserve that." Teecie's voice had quieted down a lot, but she couldn't disguise the hurt. "I love James, Zeren, so why would you want to hurt me by being cruel to him?"

Zeren frowned and folded his arms. He was silent for an entire minute before responding. "I apologize for hurting you, Ticia. I was just amused over how possessive Lupin gets over you. I didn't mean anything by it. I'll just ignore him from now on," he said in a grudging voice.

Teecie sighed and sat down on one of the marble steps. "Why do all of you have such a problem with James? He's a good person. Draco, my father, Uncle Sev, Roo, and you…None of you can stand him. You have no idea how much that breaks my heart," Teecie said while trying to hold back the tears that were forming in her eyes.

Zeren frowned again, then sat down next to her. "It's just that he's so…Gryffindor," he replied while wrinkling his nose.

"But I'm in Gryffindor too," Teecie said with a look of confusion.

Zeren waved this off. "Yes, but that's different. You have potential. You have a definite Slytherin side to your personality. Lupin is all Gryffindor, and nothing else," he explained.

Teecie rolled her eyes. "Is that all? Why do you Slytherins have such big heads about being Slytherins?"

Zeren smiled slightly. "It's the best house there is," he replied lightly before standing up again. He held his hand out to help Teecie to her feet. "Come on, let's go back inside," he suggested.

Teecie walked in silence next to him as they made their way back over to the Ravenclaw table. Once there, she sat back down next to the brooding James, and took his hand.

Professors Black and Lupin were still standing over the students, trying to make sure things didn't turn violent. Teecie looked up at them and smiled weakly. "Everything is fine. You can go now," she informed them. The two men stood around for several more seconds before turning and walking back to their table.

Zeren turned in his seat and started a conversation with Rey rather than start trouble again. James glared at him for a minute before going back to his dinner. Teecie lost her appetite after that, and tried to engage James in a conversation, but he wasn't interested.

"James, please speak to me," she pleaded while he stuffed his mouth with a large bite of roast beef. "James, you know nothing happened between Zeren and me. He was just teasing you."

James continued to eat in silence. He stabbed at his roast beef with his fork several times before pushing his plate away and standing up. Without a word, he walked out of the Great Hall and up the marble stairs, out of Teecie's sight.

Teecie leaned over the table, with her hand on her forehead, holding herself up by the elbow, and began to cry softly. She hated when James was angry with her, and hoped he'd get over it quickly.

Diana, who'd been talking to a friend, turned and saw Teecie. She walked over and wrapped her arms around Teecie's shoulders. "Don't worry, Ticia. Everything will be all right," she said in a soothing tone.

Kern, who was sitting across from them, tried to help as well. "Yeah, Teecie, you know James, it'll all blow over in a day or two. James is a good bloke, but he's so sensitive about other people trying to help him out with stuff," he said while punching her jovially on the arm.

Diana frowned. "Kern, don't just punch her like that. This is serious and you're making a joke of it," she chided him before turning back to Teecie and wiping the tears off her cheeks. "There, there, Ticia. You just cry your heart out."

Kern frowned. "I wasn't making a joke, I was trying to help," he explained.

"Don't argue, Kern," Diana chided.

Kern scowled before standing up and leaving the room. Diana watched as he left. "Boys," she sniffed while shaking her head.

During this time, Liss saw how upset Teecie was, and raced over to her. "Don't be sad, Auntie," she cried while giving her a hug.

Teecie sat and allowed the two girls to comfort her. After a couple minutes, the tears ebbed, and she calmed down again.

Teecie knew it would be useless to go to James after tonight. He was too upset right now to see reason, but might be more approachable in the morning.

She spent the rest of the night in her room, fretting. Paige didn't make things any better though. She took the opportunity to add her comments and advice throughout the night while Teecie tried to read her Care of Magical Creatures book.

"That's what comes of being so loose and flirtatious, Ticia. You get nothing but heartache," she said haughtily while looking in the mirror and primping her hair.

Before Teecie could respond, the mirror spoke to Paige. "Now, now dearie, big heads aren't very fashionable. You'd do best to keep your opinions to yourself."

Paige sniffed and glared at the mirror. It did keep her from talking again for a while, as she continued to work on her hair.

While she sat down at her desk to work on her Charms essay, she smiled over at Teecie. "I hope my telling you the error of your ways doesn't bother you, Ticia. It's just that as a prefect, I feel it is my duty to help the wayward and misguided members of our house. I am only trying to help because I care," she simpered.

Teecie wanted to slap Paige, and curse at her, but held herself back, remembering her vow to ignore her, no matter what. It was a very difficult urge to overcome, but somehow, she managed to. She drew the curtains around her bed, and studied in silence for the rest of the night.

The next morning, James sat next to Teecie at breakfast. He took her hand and nuzzled her ear. "I'm sorry about last night. I was a right jerk about it all," he whispered.

Teecie smiled and kissed James. "Oh, I hate it when we fight, James. Why don't we promise that we'll never fight? If we have a problem, we'll just talk about it. What do you think?" she asked while leaning her head on his shoulder.

James nodded his head and wrapped his hand around hers. "I think that's a great idea," he replied enthusiastically.

The two shared a nice breakfast together, giggling, whispering, and holding hands under the table.

Teecie was just whispering in James's ear about how they should celebrate his birthday in the Room of Requirement, when Liss interrupted them. She was struggling to open a jar of marmalade.

"James, will you help me, please?" she asked politely. "This jar won't open, and you're the strongest boy I know. Will you open it for me?"

James stood up and took the jar in his hands. He worked on it for several seconds before the lid popped off. He grinned while handing it back to her. "There you go, no problem," he said.

Liss beamed up at him. "Thank you," she replied before turning to her aunt. "Wow, Ticia, strong _and_ handsome, you sure picked a great guy!"

James puffed out his chest with pride. Teecie smiled at this, and took James's hand again. "Thank you, Liss," she said before the younger girl went back to her breakfast.

James was extra affectionate towards Teecie after that. He held her books in between each of their classes, and held her hand at lunch. He stopped in the middle of the Quidditch practice twice to snog her before being called back to the team captain.

That evening, after classes ended and all the others had gone downstairs for dinner, there was no question in Teecie's mind as to what James wanted for his dinner that night. He could barely keep his hands off of her while they stumbled up the stairs to his room.

Once it was all over, Teecie lay in James's arms, breathless and exhausted from their experience. She couldn't help but feel in awe over his passion and enthusiasm. He'd shown marked improvement from their first time, and she thought of herself as the luckiest girl in the world, for she would get to be with him in this way for the rest of their lives. It was a very happy thought.

Teecie found her thoughts returning to Owen once again. She couldn't get over how much better James was than Owen. Owen, now that she looked back on it, had been a show-off. He'd dazzled Teecie with his abilities, but there had not been anything else to it. Because James meant so much to her, the acts of love-making felt that much more incredible, and for the first time ever: meaningful. She wanted to take her time, and savour every new experience, or experience tried for the first time with him.

As she ran her fingertips up and down James's arms, she thought about how James wanted to try out on her what she'd done to him several months ago. She wasn't ready for him to do that just yet. Owen had done that to her, and it had left her feeling uncomfortable. It had been too much too soon, and she wanted to wait until she was thoroughly ready. Of course, she couldn't tell James why she didn't want to.

For the moment, though, she just enjoyed the silent time spent in James's arms. His arms were strong and protective, yet warm and loving at the same time. She ran her hands across his bare chest, enjoying the feel and sight of how muscular he was.

She hated to leave him that evening, but she had to study for her Runes quiz the next day. They spent a considerable amount of time snogging before she left, though.

The rest of the week passed quickly, and before Teecie knew it, it was James's 16th birthday. During Quidditch practice that morning, the entire team sang to him, and clapped him on the back before they left the pitch for breakfast.

Teecie spent that time making him a special breakfast, which they shared at a small table in the corner of the kitchens. The two were left alone and able to enjoy the homemade ginger scones, chocolate chip waffles, and fried bacon, together.

"Ticia, this food is amazing," James said in a muffled voice while wolfing down half a waffle in one bite.

Teecie giggled. She loved the thought of cooking for James. He always seemed to love whatever she made for him.

They talked about the day ahead, while eating. James wanted to play a game of Quidditch with his dorm mates and the rest of the team. They'd just go out there for a couple hours and play for fun, not points. He'd reserved the pitch several weeks ago, and had been looking forward to it ever since. Teecie would be cheering him on from the stands that afternoon, along with his father.

After the game, James was going out to dinner with his family in Hogsmeade. He was quite looking forward to that as well. When dinner was over, James and Teecie were going to spend the evening together. They were going to try and find a place to be alone, so they could celebrate the momentous occasion in private.

Teecie was looking forward to watching James play that afternoon. There wouldn't be too many people in the stands, since it would just be Gryffindor practicing and playing, but all of the Pixies would be there to cheer them on.

Teecie wanted to sit next to Professor Lupin during the game, because she missed seeing him each week for tea. She just hoped Paige wouldn't show up.

When game time arrived that afternoon, Teecie was nearly giddy with excitement. She'd done her hair up in a French twist, and put on a special red miniskirt and a gold jumper for the occasion.

She walked to the game, arm-in-arm, with Liss. They sang to school song loudly on the way down to the pitch.

There were several people in the stands, but most of them were Teecie's friends or friends of the other team members coming to cheer them on.

Professor Wood had donated his afternoon in order to referee the game. It didn't seem like too much of a sacrifice for him, though, for he cheered loudest of all the others watching.

Teecie settled into the space next to Professor Lupin. Liss sat down next to her. Within minutes, the rest of Teecie's friends had shown up. Unfortunately, Paige and her group of friends arrived as well.

Paige sat down on Lupin's other side, making sure to primp her hair for a minute before greeting him. "Hello professor! It seems to be a lovely day out today," she said with a smile.

After a minute of small talk, she turned and looked at Teecie. "Well hello, Ticia, dear. My, don't you look adorable, all dressed up in our house colours. It reminds me of something I would have done myself, like in the first year or something. But I think it's great that you would want to look like that," she said in a falsely cheerful voice.

Teecie didn't answer, but couldn't help flushing. Was dressing in house colours something that only a first year would do?

Liss noticed this and leaned over to Teecie. "Don't you pay any attention to her," she whispered before patting her aunt's hand. Teecie smiled at this, and felt a little more confident.

James seemed to be playing better than he'd ever played before. Every time he made a great catch, he'd fly over and kiss Teecie, even though she was sitting right next to his father!

Paige would sniff disapprovingly at this. "My Ticia, you allow him to be too forward in public. Next thing you know, you two will be shagging on the Ravenclaw table in the Great Hall," she said after the second time, seeming to forget that Remus was right next to her. She quickly remembered though, because she turned to him and smiled. "Of course I mean no offense by that, Professor. It's only that Ticia here doesn't try to stop what the boys do, and so they think such behaviour is appropriate. It's not the boys' fault, it's Ticia's," she explained.

Teecie thought Professor Lupin looked less than pleased with this explanation. She hoped Paige got in trouble for that. As for herself, Teecie was embarrassed to have such things said about her in front of her boyfriend's father. She flushed a deeper red than before, and hunched down a bit, hoping he wouldn't notice her.

Instead of fighting back, Teecie tried to ignore Paige and her cutting remarks. She kept focusing on James, and her goals for school, instead. She had to keep her mind on the more important things in life, and ignore the stupid things. Paige was like this because she was immature, and had low self-esteem. Taunting her in response would only add to the problem, not take away from it.

It was Portia, who finally managed to get Paige to stop for the rest of the game. She turned and glared up at her cousin. "Paige, will you just shut the hell up already? Nobody wants to hear that self-righteous drivel pouring out of your lips anymore!" she growled loudly.

"Now, now girls, let's try to be more appropriate in how we speak to one another," Professor Lupin interjected. It was his duty as a school representative to make sure the children behaved themselves. Paige smirked at this, but didn't say anything.

When the game finally ended, James flew over and Teecie climbed onto his broom. The two of them went off for a ride around the pitch together. She couldn't help but notice that Lupin seemed to be having some sort of talk with Paige, and she didn't seem too happy about it. Teecie hoped it meant that she'd leave her alone for a while after this.

She and James spent an hour or so flying around the lake and the school, enjoying the silence and the feel of the air rushing through their hair. After a while though, they returned to the school so James could get ready for his dinner with his family in Hogsmeade.

Teecie spent that time studying with Draco in his office. Draco quizzed her on some of the more difficult things they'd been learning since the Christmas holiday. He made sure to stick to the subject of school, for he didn't want to know anything about what he assumed Teecie and that boy would surely be doing later on that evening.

When they'd finished studying, Teecie told him about the game earlier that day, and how Paige had acted towards her. Draco listened quietly, and didn't offer any comments while she talked. She was silent for a minute after finishing, before speaking again. "Draco?" she asked, looking at her brother with a worried look on her face, "You don't think only first years wear house colours to Quidditch matches, do you?"

Draco smiled slightly, and patted his sister's hand comfortingly. "Of course not, Ticia. Don't pay Paige any attention when she gets like that. And besides, during my last game of the third year the Headmaster showed up dressed in green," he replied lightly, trying to make her feel better.

Teecie grinned. "Really? Well then, if Uncle Sev did it when he was grown up, I can too!" she replied.

"There's the spirit. You know, for a Gryffindor, you let people get to you more than you should. You're far better than any other student in your class, and you should feel confident in that," Draco said while petting Teecie's shoulder.

Teecie smiled and flushed. It was nice to hear a compliment instead of a reprimand coming from her brother. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and held onto him for a few minutes.

Draco returned the hug. He couldn't help but wish Ticia was younger still, and less interested in boys. For some odd reason, a memory flashed in his mind. He remembered the time from when he'd taken the girls from their home. Not much about that time had any pleasantness to it, but he did have a few happy memories. Ticia showing off all her little dolls to him, and telling him all about them in her childish babbling, was one of them. What an amusing child she had been, though she was still a great source for amusement in his life.

The moment ended all too soon, when Teecie kissed Draco's cheek, gathered her books, and ran off to get ready for James's return from Hogsmeade. She was going to meet him in the Room of Requirement.

Once there, she saw that the room had set itself up into a lovely bedroom. There was a king-sized bed with crimson satin sheets, and gold gauze netting draped on top of the four posts. Several candles glowed warmly around the room. In one corner was a table with a white tablecloth. There were elegant wine glasses filled with chocolate mousse and fresh strawberries. Off to the side of the room, was a master bath. In it was a large hot tub, big enough for two people…

Teecie took all of this in, and grinned at the thought of what she and James could do with this room. Her grin grew bigger when James knocked on the door and joined her. "Happy birthday, James," she whispered in his ear while he unbuttoned her blouse.

"This will be the best birthday ever," he said in a sexy voice. Teecie unbuckled his belt, and nodded her head in agreement.

The two proceeded to enjoy what the room had laid out for them to use. It did indeed, end up being a very lovely evening.


	73. Change of Persective

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: Well, you don't have long to wait to see what the professors do to Paige, this chapter is all about her! And as for James and Teecie…he truly worships the ground she walks on, but as we have already seen, and will continue to see, the other men in her life are just so difficult to be around, and are such a threat to him, that he reacts protectively and jealously because of it. He's really not a pig, honest! Here's the next chapter, can't wait to hear what you think!

Bright Eyes: Yes, I can't believe I've written so many either! And I'm so glad it made your day. I like to know that what I do to have fun in my free time, helps others to brighten their day or give them a laugh, etc. I hope that doesn't sound stuck up! Anyway, here's the next chapter for your reading pleasure!

Midnight Alpha: I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. I'm a little nervous about this one, since I'm focusing on a less popular character this time around. Let me know what you think!

Change of Perspective

Paige stood in the stands, watching James and Teecie flying around the Quidditch pitch after his birthday match. She just couldn't get over how bold those two were in public. She decided to have a talk with Teecie about it later that evening.

Just as she turned to leave, Professor Lupin called out to her. "Paige, I'd like a word with you, if you please." Paige turned and smiled at her teacher. "I'm afraid we need to have a serious discussion about your attitude. Perhaps this afternoon, instead of tea, we can talk about it," he said in a stern tone.

Paige's smile faded as she took this in. What could he possibly be talking about? Her attitude was perfectly normal. It was Teecie who'd been acting weird all year. Finally, she nodded her head. "All right, Professor," she mumbled while frowning.

Paige spent the rest of the afternoon working on answers for the Ask Miss Amore love advice column for the school paper. It took a lot of time and effort to answer all the questions she received, for she wouldn't dream of leaving even one question unanswered. Otherwise, the poor soul who was writing for much-needed help would be without any answers or guidance. It was a horrible thought.

Once she'd finished the last answer, she dressed for her talk with Professor Lupin, and walked over to his office. She was surprised at how serious he looked when she sat in front of his desk. "Professor, what's the matter?" she asked in a quiet voice.

Remus took a deep breath and cleared his throat before speaking. "Paige, as your Head of House, I must involve myself in the problems you and Ticia seem to be having this year. I am shocked that you think the way you treat her is acceptable. Your ego has grown out of control, and it is my job to help it get back down to an acceptable level," he said in a low tone.

Paige's jaw dropped when she heard this. She gasped and clutched at her throat. "Professor Lupin…how can you speak this way to me? What have I ever done to you? I can't help it if Ticia isn't open to my suggestions, but it is my duty as a prefect to keep trying to make an impact. I'm just trying to help," she said in a shocked voice.

"Your duty as a prefect, does not include making others feel bad about themselves. I believe that deep down, you know this, and yet you continue to do this anyway. I think that this is how you make yourself feel important, but Paige, there are other ways to do that."

"Professor, I can assure you I-"

Remus cut her off before she could continue. "I don't want to hear your excuses. And I think the best way for you to learn a lesson from all this is to be punished," he said while pulling out a quill and sheet of parchment. "On that sheet is a line I want you to write out until you've filled up the entire paper." He handed her the parchment and quill and sat back in his chair.

Paige looked at the line written on the parchment and flinched as though she'd been slapped across the face. Her brow creased as she looked up at her professor.

Remus folded his arms. "You'd better get started on that now. When you've finished we can discuss this some more," he said in a hard voice. He watched as Paige bent over the desk and began to write. When she'd been writing for a minute, he stood up and walked over to the window to look out at the trees and world outside.

Remus hated this part of his job. He hated seeing the pain in his student's eyes, and having to make it worse before he could help make it any better. It didn't matter to him that it was warranted, a part of him still died inside to play his part in it.

Paige felt unfairly treated as she wrote her line over and over again. "My moral superiority makes me no friends and insults those around me," she wrote in her neat penmanship. She was very popular! She had tonnes of friends! Everybody loved her. How could Professor Lupin be so cruel as to make her write such a mean line over and over again?

It took an hour for Paige to finish writing out her lines. She spent the entire time feeling sorry for herself, and wondering why this was happening to her. After turning her parchment over to the professor, he studied it for a minute before nodding his head and looking over at her.

"How do you feel right now?" he asked kindly.

Paige bit her lip for a moment. "I feel like I'm being treated unfairly," she replied boldly.

Lupin tilted his head and raised his eyebrows. "Paige, I cannot believe that you actually think the way you treat people is acceptable. I know you care about your school mates, but your attitude towards them will not make you many friends," he said gruffly.

Tears sprang to Paige's eyes. "I have lots of friends. Everybody likes me," she cried.

Lupin looked at her carefully. "Do you really believe that, Paige? Deep down, you probably know that you are being rude to people in order to come across as more mature or smarter."

The tears welled up in Paige's eyes and began to trickle down her cheeks. "I want people to like me," she cried softly before burying her head in her arms.

Remus sighed. Tough love was never easy, neither as a parent, nor as a teacher. "I know you do. We all want to be liked," he finally said in a more sympathetic voice. "I can tell you care a lot for people too."

Paige nodded her head. "I only want what's best for people," she sniffled.

Remus sat back in his chair. "I know you do, Paige, but you must keep in mind that your idea of how a person should live their life might not always be what they want. There are many different ways to have a good, fulfilling life. Judging a person negatively because they won't or can't conform to your ideal isn't a good way to help others or make friends."

Paige sighed and wiped her eyes. "I do have friends, you know. Candace Howe is one of my best mates. And Carl is my best mate too. And all the girls in my group like me a lot," she replied.

"That is very good to hear. But you've also managed to alienate yourself from several older friends, including your own twin and several cousins."

"But that's not my fault!" Paige cried. "They're all just jealous of me! They hate that I'm finally popular. They hate that I have the best column in the school paper. And they're also jealous that I'm a prefect."

"Did you ever give them a reason to be jealous? Did you ever flaunt those facts or brag to them about it? Did you ever tease them because they weren't in the same elevated position?" Remus asked with raised eyebrows.

Paige bit her lip and remained silent. She couldn't keep track of how many times she'd done something like that. The memory of Patty's hurt look when Paige had made prefect flashed in her mind, as well as the image of Ticia's humiliation when she commented on the lack of popularity of her cooking column for the school paper. Those thoughts didn't make her feel good about herself, in fact, they made her feel ashamed.

Remus saw this, and waited a minute before talking again. "Nobody likes to listen to others brag. It only makes them feel bad about themselves. I'm sure you'd hate that feeling too, if somebody did that to you."

Paige sighed and looked down at her hands. "But professor, if I can't talk about those things, what will that leave me? I have nothing else that makes me special. Without being Miss Amore and a prefect, I'm just one of six kids in my family, and Patty's twin. That's all I am, practically just a number," she said in a quiet voice.

Remus frowned before leaning forward in his seat. "Paige…you are a unique person in this world. You have ideas and opinions that are just yours. You've got talents and interests that set you apart from the rest of your family. You have a very caring heart, and are very friendly and kind…when you want to be." He smiled at this point. "You should be very proud of yourself."

Paige's eyes lit up, and she smiled broadly up at her professor. "Oh Professor Lupin, do you really mean that?"

"Of course I do. I think you are a very good person who just…lost her way a while back. I think you could make a big difference in our world if you just honed your skills a bit. I'd be more than happy to help you, if you'd like," Remus offered with a smile.

Paige returned to her dormitory that night with mixed feelings. She felt happy that Professor Lupin was going to help her, but now that she was aware of it, she was also horribly ashamed and embarrassed for the way she'd been behaving so far this year. She hadn't wanted to hurt anybody's feelings, but had liked feeling popular too much to try and stop. Besides, Candace had always been so encouraging to her that she hadn't really felt the need to change.

She still couldn't quite understand why people were so opposed to her suggestions. She had good ideas for how things should be run, and was surprised that more people weren't grateful for her input.

As Paige curled up on her bed, with the curtains drawn, she took out the red leather journal Professor Lupin had given her, and looked at it. He'd given it to her with the instructions to write in it whenever she had the urge to criticize somebody, instead of saying anything to them. She thought it sounded a little silly, but was willing to give it a try:

Well, tonight Ticia is off with James since it's his 16th birthday. I know they're off somewhere having sex when they shouldn't be. They should be studying or at a club meeting like any other well-behaved student, but they're not.

Patty and Daniel are probably off shagging somewhere too. They're all so in love, but none of them have ever come to me for advice. And I'm Miss Amore!

Paige wrote several pages in her diary before falling asleep that night. The next morning, both Teecie and Patty were in their beds, and ended up sleeping in until well after breakfast.

Paige sat at her desk and shook her head disapprovingly before turning her attention to her homework. She had an important Divination exam the next day, and needed to clear her mind so her inner eye could have a chance to see things from beyond.

Divination was her favourite class. Professors Lavendar Thomas, and Parvati Finch-Fletchley made the class a lot of fun to attend. It had been Professor Thomas herself who had predicted for great things to happen only a week before Paige had gotten the job as Miss Amore for the Weekly Howler.

And back in third year, Professor Finch-Fletchley had predicted that one day, Paige would meet a tall, handsome stranger who would end up marrying her. This is why Paige had decided to save herself and her virginity for her future husband. Sure plenty of boys had asked her out over the years, but she'd turned them all away, knowing something better awaited her. She couldn't understand why other girls had such a problem controlling themselves. It only made them look cheap and desperate.

Paige knew the man of her dreams would want her to be pure on their wedding night. He wouldn't want to marry her if she'd slept around, or even let him sleep with her, before their wedding. It was like she'd heard her mother once tell her older sister Pamela after getting caught sneaking out of the house to see her boyfriend, Sirius: "A boy isn't going to buy an owl, dear, if he can get his post for free…" Paige knew this was sage advice, for her mum was a very wise woman.

It was still tempting at times, though, even for Paige. There were several cute boys at the school, as well as a couple handsome professors. Professor Wood was very muscular, and she found it very difficult not to stare at him during Quidditch matches. She also found Professor Lupin extremely attractive too, in that rugged, older gentleman sort of way. Once she'd gotten over her fear of the fact that he was a werewolf, she realized he was a great person. When he'd volunteered to help her, she accepted readily, even though she didn't really think it was necessary. She looked forward to spending more time with him.

Paige spent the afternoon working on her homework. She watched as Teecie got up around noon and stumbled around the room for a while, dressing, and trying to wake up. Patty wasn't much better off when she woke up, either. Paige shook her head disapprovingly, but didn't say anything.

At lunch that day, she sat with Candace and Carl, and talked about it. "They were out how late?" Carl asked while rolling his eyes. At least he and Rey were more subtle about when they snuck back into their houses late in the night.

Candace couldn't stand to hear about James and Teecie being together. She quickly changed the subject to more pleasant thoughts, like the next Quidditch match. Soon, they were chattering away.

"I just hope James doesn't lose the game for us again," Carl said in a snide voice.

Paige laughed in agreement. "He sure did mess up the first time," she replied. The happy group talked for the next hour before going their separate ways for the rest of the day.

That evening, Paige decided to make an effort to be friends with Teecie once again. She smiled at her while Teecie was brushing her hair in the mirror. "Ticia, dear, I just thought I'd tell you how lovely your hair looks tonight. I think it's darkened a shade or two over the last few years," she said as carefully and cheerfully as possible. She watched as Teecie's arm stopped in mid-brush momentarily, before returning to what she'd been doing.

Teecie remained silent, and looked down at her lap before the mirror spoke up. "What's the matter dearie? It is customary to thank a person when she compliments you," it said huffily. Teecie glared into the mirror for a minute before slamming the brush down and standing up to stomp out of the room.

Paige sniffed. How incredibly rude! Here she was, trying to make a nice gesture, and Teecie just ignored it! Well, that was the last time she'd ever try to be nice to that girl again. What an ingrate!

She spent the next half hour writing in her journal about how rude her former friend had been. "I don't even know why I was her friend in the first place! I've never known a vainer girl than Ticia Orendes," she wrote vehemently before closing the book and going down to dinner in the Great Hall.

The next week flew past as Paige's busy life moved from day to day. Every day brought more owls bearing questions for Miss Amore that had to be answered. Some days she couldn't even get to her schoolwork because of the volume of letters to respond to. She'd thought about asking around for extra help, but decided in the end that the quality of answers would suffer because she wasn't the one answering them all.

On Thursday afternoon, Paige's Aunt Hermione asked her to stay after class to talk. Paige sat in the chair next to her aunt's desk, and smiled at the thought of a pleasant chat. She was surprised at what Hermione had to say, though.

"Paige, I called you here today to talk about the poor quality in your schoolwork. Over the past few weeks, I and several other professors have noticed that your homework is being turned in late and often times in very untidy script. We feel that you aren't putting in as much effort as you should be, and with OWLS just around the corner, that's a very dangerous habit to get into," Hermione said sternly.

Paige's eyes grew wide in shock. "But Aunt Hermione, I have so many people depending on me…relying on me for help. It's a small sacrifice to make in order to help out those in need," she explained.

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Paige, school is a time for you to become educated, not solve other people's problems. You need to cut back the amount of work you do for the school paper, and increase your schoolwork efforts. I would hate to have to go to your parents about this." Hermione's mouth was set in a thin line that told Paige she was quite serious about this.

She sighed. It was so difficult, dealing with adults who felt they knew better. "Aunt Hermione, I'm doing what I was called to do. I think this is what I'm supposed to devote my life to. There are so many people out there who need help, and I can give that to them. What marks I make in Potions and Charms isn't going to make that much of a difference for that," she said in a knowing tone.

Hermione's lips grew even tauter. "I'm sure your father wouldn't see it that way. I know he'd hoped you'd follow in his footsteps with a position in the Ministry once you finished your schooling."

"But that's not what I want. I want to help solve people's problems. I want to get a job writing an advice column for the Daily Prophet," Paige replied enthusiastically.

Hermione's eyes bulged at this revelation. "I see," she said slowly. "You wouldn't be studying to become an Animagus as well, by any chance?"

Paige looked confused. "What?"

Hermione sighed and shook her head. "Nothing, never mind." She paused for a moment before speaking again. "Look, whatever you want to do for your career is fine, but you still have to do well in school first. You won't get a job at the newspaper if you flunk out of Hogwarts."

Paige gasped. "You'd fail me? But…but…" she sputtered.

"But nothing, Paige. I am the Deputy Headmistress of this school and I will not allow students who do not put effort into their studies to continue attending."

Paige's jaw dropped open. "I cannot believe you're making me choose," she said in a shocked tone.

"I am not making you choose anything except a better future. I am sorry that you do not value your education more highly, but it is up to me to make sure that you do your best while you are here. And I will now allow you to ruin your future so you can have a little extra fun now. You need to think of a way to get help with your column in order to put more effort into your schooling, or I'll have you taken off the paper altogether," Hermione said sternly.

Paige bit her lip. She didn't want to get into trouble and certainly didn't want to be thrown out of school or kicked off the paper. She knew her aunt was very adamant about education, and wouldn't hesitate to wield her authority in any way possible to make her comply. While it insulted her greatly to think of spreading out the letters to Miss Amore, she soon came to see it was the only way to be able to keep doing it, and get her marks back up to where they should be.

"I suppose Candace and Carl can help answer letters," she sulked. "I'm sure the quality will suffer greatly, and so will the other students, but I'm sure you don't care about that." Paige folded her arms, and frowned.

Hermione shook her head. "I'm sure the three of you will do just fine. And if you like, I can change my afternoon schedule a bit in order to help you get caught up with your schoolwork," she said in a kind tone.

Paige smiled slightly. "Sure, I suppose that would be good," she replied, resigning herself to the thought of returning her focus to school.

Hermione smiled in return before pouring tea for themselves. She spent the rest of the afternoon talking, and working, with Paige.

Paige's life continued at it's hectic pace, though with her focus being on schoolwork now, instead of her newspaper column. The letters were increasing in volume, though, as Valentine's Day approached, and she found herself grateful for the extra help in answering all of them.

Paige would have had to stay up all night for weeks in order to answer them all. Candace and Carl turned out to be very competent at the job too, which made her feel better about her decision.

This gave her more free time to do her schoolwork. Her Aunt Hermione was always helpful and encouraging while she worked to get caught up, which took a couple of weeks to do. Once she'd gotten all her work turned in, she was able to spend more time with Professor Lupin in the afternoons after classes.

The two spent a lot of time talking together about what upset Paige. It turned out that a great many things annoyed or bothered her, yet Lupin was always patient with her.

"And why does it bother you that Ticia leaves her stockings on the floor near her bed?" he asked one blustery February afternoon.

Paige's eyes grew wide before responding. "Why it's irresponsible, that's why it annoys me. The laundry hamper isn't more than five feet from her bed, and yet she still leaves her clothes on the floor!" she exclaimed.

"I see," Remus replied while nodding his head slowly. "And have you told her this?"

"Oh no, we are not speaking to one another anymore."

"And have you been using the journal I gave you?"

"Oh yes, I write at least three pages in it every night!"

"That's good to hear. I'm glad to know you're making use of the resources around you. And I'm also glad to see that your marks are improving as well," Remus said lightly, with a smile.

"Yes, I have more time now to work on the school paper again too," Paige replied, grinning.

"Just make sure to keep your marks up, and you should do just fine," Lupin said to her as she left for the afternoon.

Paige always felt elated when she finished a meeting with Professor Lupin. He always made her feel better about her life. It gave her a lot of energy that she used that evening in her Weekly Howler meeting, the highlight of her week.

It was always fun to work with the other students in Professor Creevey's classroom. It was loud and full of kids laughing and telling jokes. Paige's Uncle Charlie, one of the two advisors of the club, would walk around and compliment the students on their work. He always had several girls trailing after him, looking for more compliments. He always tried his best to keep them distracted by steering them over to the younger boys in the room.

Professor Creevey usually worked on helping the younger students in their writing. Some of them didn't have very good writing skills developed yet.

Now that Candace and Carl were helping answer the Miss Amore questions, Paige had time to walk around and offer her advice to the other students.

She walked past the desk that Peter Lupin and his girlfriend, Gabriella Bole, were sitting at, looking at a sheet of parchment that he was drawing on. Gabriella looked at what Peter had just drawn, and giggled. Paige sauntered up to see what was so funny. She tilted her head and put her hands on her hips while looking at Peter's latest comic strip.

There was a series of drawings of a boy, who looked suspiciously like Peter, walking down the hall. He stepped on a banana peel that had fallen out of the rubbish bin and flipped over onto his back, on the floor. His books and papers went flying everywhere. Then, a girl, who bore great resemblance to Gabriella, strolled over to the boy and helped him to his feet. The girl brushed the dust off of him before smiling. "Come on, Banana Boy, let's get out of here," she said from the bubble above her head.

"I just don't know what to have him say," Peter said to Gabriella.

Before Gabriella could respond, Paige spoke up. "You should really have them kiss at the end," she suggested.

Peter raised his eyebrows, and looked up at her. "It's the first part of my new series. The kiss won't come happen for a couple months," he said.

"But you should really have them kiss now," Paige reiterated.

"I think I can figure it out on my own, Paige," Peter snapped.

Paige sniffed. "Well, fine, if you won't take my advice, don't blame me if nobody likes it. I told you what you should do," she said in a huff while walking over to see what the other students were doing.

Tristan Blake, the editor of the paper, a Ravenclaw boy in her year, and a part of her group of friends, was sitting at his desk. Paige was horrified to see the state of his desk. Papers were scattered all over it, and there were stacks of parchment a foot high!

"Tristan, you are so messy!" Paige cried while walking over to the desk and beginning to move stacks of papers around, trying to organize it, somewhat.

"Quit it, Paige. I know where everything is on this desk," Tristan reassured her while standing up to grab the papers in her hands. "Don't touch my stuff!"

"But Tristan, how can you function? You're the editor, you should really be more organized," she said while reaching out once again for more papers.

"Will you stop?" Tristan bellowed before looking around. After spotting Charlie, he called out to him. "She's ruining my desk!" he cried to Paige's uncle. "Just make her go away!" he cried while glaring at Paige.

Paige put her hands on her hips again. "Uncle Charlie, you aren't going to let him talk to me that way, are you?" she asked shrilly.

Charlie frowned and took Paige by the elbow, gently leading her away from Tristan. Once they were in a corner of the room, by themselves, he spoke to her. "Paige, I've been getting complaints about your behaviour all evening. Not everybody is interested in your opinions. Why don't you go back to your Miss Amore column? Go help Candace and Carl answer letters. They seem a bit overwhelmed right now," Charlie said sternly.

Paige bit her lip. "They're doing just fine right now. And besides, I have plenty of good advice to give everybody," she said in a confident tone.

Charlie looked at her with raised eyebrows and a set mouth, which told her he was quite upset at the moment. "Oh all right," she finally mumbled before turning and walking over to Carl and Candace, who were sitting at a table in the middle of the room.

It was at this time, while Paige was sitting quietly, that she got her brilliant idea. "You know what?" she asked the two. When they'd stopped writing and turned their attention to her, she spoke again. "I just realized that I'd make a much better editor for the paper than Tristan. You wouldn't believe how messy he keeps his desk. I'd keep much better order than he does, and be much better at advising others than he is," she said in a low voice while looking around to make sure nobody else could hear her.

Candace and Carl looked at each other for a moment before turning back to her with smiles on their faces. "I think that's a brilliant idea," Carl replied.

"Yes, we should start asking other club members what they think. Then we could all take a vote on it," Candace added.

"That's a great idea! Let's start that tomorrow," Paige said in conclusion.

The rest of the night flew past as Paige went about making plans for when she took over as editor for the newspaper.

The next day, she, Candace, and Carl began discreetly asking the other club members for their opinions on Tristan's job as editor. Paige was quite dismayed to hear that most people found him to be a very effective one.

The three friends had to regroup over the weekend and plan what to do to win people over to Paige's side. They decided to talk to people over the next couple weeks, and try to persuade people to see the wisdom of letting Paige take over as the Howler's editor.

Not everybody was willing to see reason, though. When Paige sat down next to Peter Lupin in the library for a talk, she was met with a scowl. "How are you today, Peter?" she asked with a smile.

Peter narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. "Why do you want to know?" he asked.

"Why I only wanted to have a nice talk with you about the newspaper. Is that so bad?"

Peter crossed his arms. "I know what you want, and you're not going to get it from me. I like Tristan as editor, and I think he's a lot better than you'd ever be," he growled.

Paige frowned and crossed her arms as well. "But Peter, I'm far more organized than Tristan is. His table is a mess, and I don't see how he doesn't lose things all the time," she said.

"I don't care, Paige. Tristan is not nearly as annoying as you are. You need to get a grip on reality," Peter whispered.

"So you won't support me in trying to become editor of this paper?"

"No!"

"Fine!" With that, Paige stood up and stormed off.

By the end of the week, the three friends found that nobody seemed too keen on ousting Tristan from his position.

"Then how can I take over?" Paige fumed one evening. "The paper really needs me."

The three sat all night, trying to find a way to get Paige to replace Tristan. Nobody could think of anything, though.

By the next club meeting, Paige decided to win students over by showing off her skills in editing. She walked around from table to table, reading over the other student's shoulders, and pointing out corrections to be made, or ideas of what they should write about.

She caught Tristan's eye a few times, and smiled at him. He glared back at her, and hovered over his desk protectively. She didn't seem to notice that the rest of her club members were also quite upset over her behaviour. Several of them even went to speak to Charlie or Professor Creevey about it.

Both of the adults paid closer attention to her after that. By the end of the evening, though, Professor Creevey knew that action needed to be taken in order to stop the problem. It wasn't a fun prospect, but it was her job as the head of the club to ensure that things ran smoothly.

"Miss Weasley, could I have a talk with you after the meeting?" Professor Creevey asked her quietly when the meeting was nearing its end.

"Of course," Paige replied with a smile.

When the rest of the students had left for the night, Paige went over to Professor Creevey's desk and sat down next to her. "What would you like to talk about?" Paige asked curiously.

Professor Creevey took a deep breath before speaking. "Paige, I understand that you don't seem to understand how much you are upsetting the other members of this club. This club is meant to be fun, and no one is enjoying you standing over their shoulders criticizing them. I mean, no one likes to be criticized, right? Least of all young people. People used to criticize me all the time when I was young, and I never liked it. And I have to say heard about your plans of ousting Mr. Blake from his position, I think that is very rude of you. I agree there are times for overthrows, but they must be done at a time when the majority feels their leader is inefficient. Not when he is popular," she said before pausing and looking to see if Paige's reaction to this.

Paige was a little confused by this. Was she trying to say this take-over was a good thing or a bad thing? She frowned. "But Professor, I'd make a much better editor than Tristan. I was helping out so much tonight. I don't see why the other students would be upset by it. They should be grateful for the help," she replied.

Now it was Luna's turn to frown. "Ah, but when people aren't asking for help, and it is offered, they hate it even more than when they ask for it. And if you cannot find a way to co-exist with your club members, perhaps it would simply be better if you were not here any more," she said in a stern tone.

Paige gasped. "Professor Creevey, you can't be serious! You can't kick me off the Howler. Being Miss Amore is my life!" she cried while jumping up out of her seat and clasping her hands desperately.

Professor Creevey sighed and shook her head. "Paige, this paper is not yours, and if you cannot get along with your club members, I have no choice," she replied with a tone of finality in her voice.

Tears filled Paige's eyes as she slowly took all of this in. "But who will be Miss Amore?" she croaked.

"Miss Howe and Mr. Wagner are already doing the majority of that column now, so it makes sense to have them continue," Professor Creevey answered.

Paige began to sob and quickly turned and ran out of the room. Carl was waiting for her in the Gryffindor common room, and ran over to her when he saw how upset she was. He wrapped his arms around her and held her closely while she told him what had happened. By the time she'd finished, Carl vowed to resign from the paper the next day in protest. "I'm sure Candace will too," he reassured her while wiping the tears out of her eyes.

Both Carl and Paige were shocked the next morning, though, when Candace told them she intended to take over as Miss Amore. "Somebody needs to. I mean, I'm sorry that you got yourself kicked off the paper and all, but it wasn't my fault now, was it?" she sneered.

Paige began to cry again, and buried her head in her arms. Carl spoke for her. "But Candace, we're supposed to present a united front!" he cried.

"But somebody else will have to do the column anyway. Why not someone who's already doing it?" Candace asked.

"I bet you wanted this to happen all along so you could replace Paige, didn't you!" Carl growled.

"No I didn't. But I don't see why I should miss out on such a good opportunity," Candace snapped.

"That is so…Slytherin of you!"

"That's it! I'm not to sit here and be insulted by you! I thought you two were my friends!" Candace stood up, walked over to the Hufflepuff table, and sat down with the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Paige sniffled while watching Candace engage James in a conversation. Within minutes, Teecie swooped over and sat down in between the two to act as a buffer.

"I can't believe Candace did that!" Carl said, interrupting Paige's thoughts. "What a complete cow!"

Paige laid her head on his shoulder and just sat in silence. She was too steeped in misery to speak.

The day dragged on, as did the rest of the week. After classes each day, Paige would go to her dormitory and slip into her bed, staying there for the rest of the day. She stopped eating, and couldn't sleep. Every moment of each day was filled with sadness over being expelled from the school paper.

One afternoon, Hermione kept Paige after class because she was concerned about her lack of enthusiasm and disheveled state. She walked over to Paige's table and sat down next to her.

Hermione ran her fingers through Paige's fine hair, and frowned. "Paige, dear, are you all right?" she asked quietly.

Paige was in a bad mood, but instead of blowing up, her face fell and she burst into tears. She was sobbing by the time Hermione wrapped her arms around her and gently rocked her, like she used to do with her own children.

"I know Paige, it's not easy learning to deal with our imperfections. I had to deal with my own fair share of pride issues. Believe it or not, I used to be rather bossy as well. It's tough learning that not everybody appreciates that you think you know what's best for them."

"Oh Aunt Hermione, I just don't understand why people don't want help in making decisions for their lives," Paige sobbed.

"People want to think for themselves, and make choices for themselves. It's what makes us independent and individuals. And you must admit, Paige, that if everybody was perfect and always did the right thing, life would be pretty boring," Hermione replied quietly.

Paige continued to cry. "Everybody hates me, but all I wanted was what was best for them. I did it because I care about people so much," she whimpered.

"I know you do Paige, and I commend you for that. What needs to be worked on is how you go about doing this. Professor Lupin has told me that he's working with you on this, and I'd like to see that continue. He'd be the perfect person to help you in this. It will take time and practice, but you can do this. I have faith in you," Hermione replied while giving Paige an encouraging hug.

Paige sniffled and rested her head on her aunt's shoulder for a few minutes. The two sat in silence for a while before Paige spoke again. "Candace betrayed me…I thought she was my best friend."

"It is always a hard lesson to learn who our true friends are. Carl stayed loyal to you, and you still have Patty and Ticia to count on."

"Patty and Ticia hate me. Ticia won't even speak to me."

"Hermione sighed. "Well, Paige, you must admit that they have good reasons to be angry with you. But you might be surprised if you give them time, and if your attitude towards them changes, they'll probably come around again," she reassured her niece.

"I don't think they'll ever talk to me again."

"You'd be amazed at what the power of an apology can do."

Paige shuddered at the thought. "I don't know if I can do that…" she murmured.

"It's never fun to admit you were wrong, but it takes a very strong person to be able to do just that. Because you have offended people, you'll need to make yourself humble, and ask forgiveness of them, before they'll be willing to forgive you."

Paige sighed and thought about what she'd let her life become so far this year. Being a prefect had set her apart from the rest of her family, and made her feel important. It made her feel special. Being Miss Amore had made her feel useful and important as well. Now Miss Amore was gone, and all that she had left was being a prefect. But the prefectship didn't satisfy her on a daily basis in the way being Miss Amore had. Aside from the shiny badge and settling the occasional scuffle, it wasn't much of anything to be proud of. Sure, her father had been proud of her and had taken her out to London for lunch and shopping for a new outfit, but that was just a happy memory in a year of otherwise unhappy moments. Paige left Hermione that night exhausted and emotionally drained.

The more she thought about it over the next week, she realized just how unhappy she'd really been all year. She'd tried to make up for it by being overenthusiastic about her privileges. She'd allowed herself to be judgmental of the people she loved most in the world. This had hurt and angered them so much that they'd stopped liking her altogether. To make up for this, Paige had turned to other people who weren't the best kinds of friends to have, but hadn't cared because they'd helped her feel important.

Everything had spun horribly out of control for Paige, and looking back on it now, she was utterly mortified at her behaviour, and what other people must have been thinking about her. These thoughts made her feel completely alienated from the rest of the students. There was no way she could show her face in public again.

Paige began to eat her meals by herself in her room, and whenever she wasn't in a class, or with a teacher, she was in her dormitory. She found she couldn't stand to have people looking at her anymore, for it was now that she was able to register the angry looks on their faces, and understand what they really meant.

With all the new free time on Paige's hands, and in order to help keep her distracted, she turned to her schoolwork to pass the time. Her marks continued to improve, and she felt much more confident about the OWLS at the end of the year. Now that she had hours of free time, she spent all of it revising for the exams.

As much as Paige now saw the error of her ways, she was not yet ready to ask for forgiveness. It was a humiliation too great to bear. Every time she looked at Teecie or Patty, she blushed and turned away, not able to stand the glares she was met with.

The only time she really interacted with anybody was in her meetings with Professor Lupin. She went to see him several times a week, and talked to him about her day, how she felt, and what she needed to work on in learning to act better towards others.

One afternoon, while Lupin was pouring tea, Paige noticed a magazine on his desk, and began to look at it. _New Moon Monthly, the Premiere Magazine for Werewolves and Werewolf Supporters_, it read at the top. Also on the cover was a drawing of a crescent moon and the silhouette of a howling wolf. The headline read: Werewolf Reproductive Rights in Jeopardy Again from MOM!

Paige looked curiously up at her professor. "What do they mean? I thought werewolves had that right given to them years ago," she said while pointing to the magazine cover.

Lupin looked at it with sadness showing on his face. "Yes, we were given that right, but many werewolves would argue that we shouldn't have to be 'given' or 'permitted' certain things that normal people have automatically. There used to be a time, long before either of us were born, Paige, when women in our world didn't have the right to vote, until the men decided to 'give' them that privilege. It is the same thing really, and just as condescending. And on top of that, there are also many people out there who are so afraid of us that they want to revoke our rights," he explained quietly.

Paige frowned and put her hands on her hips. "But that isn't right! Children of werewolves aren't werewolves themselves. Your sons aren't werewolves!" she cried.

Lupin nodded his head. "There has only been one documented case, thus far, of any symptoms ever passing down from parent to child. That was the little girl you helped Miss Orendes care for several years ago. But fear is often a stronger motive in the world that logic. Some people don't want to hear the truth."

Paige sighed, and sat down. "What's being done about it?"

"There are several petitions being passed around. Hopefully that will be enough. This isn't the first time anything like this has happened."

All throughout their tea together, Paige's gaze kept returning to the magazine. Not so very long ago, when she'd still been terrified of Professor Lupin and all werewolves, she would have agreed with restricting werewolf rights. She'd come to see things differently, though, and could now see how wrong such views were. Thinking about the issue of werewolf reproductive rights made her think of James and Peter. Didn't they have the right to exist? They showed no signs of the illness. She also thought of people like Ticia, and Professor Lupin's wife. They both loved people they might not be allowed to love if certain people got their way. There would be a lot of sadness in the world, if so many people were shunned.

By the end of their time together, Paige asked to borrow the magazine. Lupin told her to keep it, so she took it back to her dormitory, and read it from cover to cover in one sitting.

That night, she thought about what role she wanted to play in all this. She didn't want to just sit back and watch while people made laws that affected many others. She wanted to actively help fight against it. The question was, was a student capable of doing anything to really make a difference? She was only one, as of now, unpopular student.

Paige fell asleep that night still looking for her answer. The answer presented itself several days later while she sat at lunch with Carl. The other students weren't going to be receptive to her after the way she'd treated them, unless she apologized for her actions. Perhaps it was time to be brave, swallow her pride, and do the right thing.

It took another couple days to work up the nerve, but Paige finally felt ready the night before the Quidditch match. She stood up and slowly walked from the Gryffindor table, over towards the Slytherin table, where Teecie was sitting next to Zeren and Morgaine. By the time she'd approached the end of the table, Diana, Teecie's mouthpiece, had intercepted her.

"What do you want, Paigezilla?" she snapped angrily.

Paige flushed and looked at the floor, clasping her hands together. "I…I…would like…need to…speak with Ticia," she stammered in barely more than a whisper.

"Sure you would. And you'll probably insult her, right?"

Paige shook her head. "I want to…apologize…" she murmured.

Diana's eyebrows raised and she looked skeptical for a moment. Finally, she frowned slightly. "Stay here," she commanded before turning and walking over to Teecie and whispering in her ear.

Paige watched as Teecie looked at her with wide eyes, but no discernable facial expression. Her heart began to pound, as Teecie slowly stood up, and began to walk towards her. It was the longest thirty seconds of Paige's young life.

A/N: The title and visual of the werewolf magazine is taken from ElfQuest comics, by Wendy and Richard Pini.


	74. 16 Candles

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm so glad you liked the last chapter. I was really nervous about it since so many people had complained about Paige's actions this year. I felt she really had the right to be understood, though. This chapter was a lot of fun to write, and quite long too. Enjoy!

Bright Eyes: Well, the free time was a huge issue for me in terms of working in the food industry, so I actually got out of it. I'm working in the office world now, which give me steady hours and days off. Paige is a brat, but she's getting better, I promise! Here's the next chapter to enjoy!

Midnight Alpha: I'm so happy that you enjoyed the chapter, I was really worried people would be upset that I focused on Paige. This next chapter goes back to Teecie, and it's quite long as well! Have fun reading it!

Sixteen Candles

Teecie wasn't sure what Paige wanted with her, but for once her curiosity got the best of her, and she went to talk to her anyway. She thought about Paige's attitude as she walked towards her. She'd been sacked as Miss Amore a few weeks back, and had been quiet and withdrawn ever since then. Candace had broken off from her group, and Paige looked absolutely miserable now. The insults, snide comments, and sneers had ended completely, for which Teecie was quite thankful.

When she finally reached Paige, she folded her arms and stared at her for several seconds. Paige's shoulders were slumping and she was looking down at the floor. Teecie took a deep breath before speaking. "Diana said you wanted to speak to me," she said nonchalantly.

Paige nodded her head and looked up at Teecie, though not meeting her eyes. "I wanted to start with you…I wanted to apologize for acting the way I've acted so far this year. I'm working on my problems and it's not going to be happening again," she said quietly.

Teecie was taken aback. This was the first sign of remorse that Paige had shown all year. She wasn't sure what to make of it. Paige seemed earnest. Her posture showed that she truly was agitated, and her clothing showed that she really was too distressed to care about her looks.

"I…" Teecie trailed off. She was feeling mixed emotions right now. She was upset that Paige had put her down so much in order to make herself look better or more important. It had been terribly sad to lose Paige as a friend. Teecie didn't want to make Paige suffer, but also didn't want to let it all go so easily. "You hurt me so much, Paige," she finally said in a strained voice.

Paige's eyes filled with tears. "I'm so sorry, Ticia," she said while the tears spilled down her cheeks. "I feel like I've been a completely different person this year, only it was my own choice. I've never felt more ashamed of myself."

Teecie's eyes filled with tears too. "You were my best friend, Paige! Friends aren't supposed to judge each other. Friends are supposed to support each other. And you'd done this to all of your family too! Your own twin!" she cried while starting to cry hard.

The two girls stood at the foot of the Slytherin table, crying, and gaining the attention of everybody around them.

"I know I've been a horrible person and I don't deserve to have anybody forgive me," Paige blubbered.

"I don't like being angry with people, and cutting them out of my life. I did that with my own family a few years ago, and it was awful. I don't want to be like that anymore," Teecie cried while wiping her tears away. "But I'm still really angry with you, and really hurt by what you have said to me this year."

Paige was now sobbing and nodding her head in agreement. Teecie looked over at her, and felt pity for her. All of this mess had been of Paige's own making, but she had truly seen the error of her ways. Perhaps it was possible to rebuild the friendship they'd lost.

Before she knew what she was doing, Teecie threw her arms around Paige, and hugged her tightly. "I've missed you so much," she cried. "I'm still angry with you, but I don't hate you."

Paige cried harder, and hugged Teecie in return. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

The two girls looked around and saw everybody looking at them like they'd gone insane. Teecie cleared her throat and wiped her eyes again. "Let's get out of here before Uncle Sev kicks us out for making a scene," she suggested.

Paige nodded her head, and together, the two girls turned and walked towards the door. When they reached the Hufflepuff table, Teecie motioned for Patty to join them. Patty watched for a few seconds before standing up and trotting after them.

The three girls went up to their dormitory, and ended up talking and crying for hours. Patty finally went to sleep around one in the morning, since she was playing in the Quidditch match the next day, but Paige and Teecie ended up staying awake until shorty after four in the morning.

The two girls were exhausted the next day at breakfast, but both had smiles on their faces as they walked into the Great Hall. Teecie walked over to sit next to James before the game, while Paige went back to sit near Carl at the Gryffindor table.

Teecie tried to focus that morning on James, and be the support he needed to do his best for the team. "James, I know you'll do just fine," she reassured him while holding his hand and kissing his cheek. "And win or lose…we'll celebrate it in the same way…" she whispered in his ear as he got up to leave with the rest of the team. James's eyes grew wide, and he broke into a grin. Teecie smiled and winked at him in return.

Once James had left, Teecie sat and thought about her life over the last couple months. Things were going great with James, and she'd just begun to make up with Paige. Her marks were the best they'd ever been, and Master Wilkes always praised her while she was doing her volunteer work with him. All in all, things were going great so far. Now all that needed to happen was for James to win the Quidditch match.

Teecie sighed while standing up to leave the room. She slowly made her way back to her dormitory. Paige was already there when she arrived.

Teecie debated over what to wear. She didn't want to dress too young for her age, so she wasn't sure if wearing Gryffindor colours was appropriate or not. When she looked over at Paige, though, she could hardly contain her laughter. Paige was dressed from head to toe in crimson and gold. She flushed at the laughter and shrugged her shoulders. "So I was stupid that day," she said as lightly as possible, referring to James's birthday and the Quidditch match she'd invaded.

Teecie laughed even harder, and ran to her wardrobe for her crimson mini skirt and gold jumper. The girls braided one another's hair, and entwined house coloured ribbons into it. The end result was rather festive.

The rest of the school had gathered in the stands by the time the two girls arrived. Paige joined Carl in the Gryffindor stands while Teecie joined Liss and her Pixie friends in the Ravenclaw stands.

James made eye contact with Teecie as he flew around the pitch before the game started. She waved and blew a kiss to him. After that, she couldn't help but look over towards the Slytherin stands, where Draco was seated. He was surrounded by all the Narcissans, and he looked absolutely miserable with all of the young girls flaunting themselves in front of him.

Liss looked over to see him as well, and giggled. "Father can't stand those girls," she informed Teecie. "He said he'd give them all detention to make them stop, but was afraid they'd enjoy it too much. He's tried to get mum to join him on game days, and he told me she was going to come with Roo and Mel today, but I don't see them yet."

Just as Liss finished talking, the girls saw Tanith, Mel, and Roo walk into the stands, and over towards Draco. The girls giggled while watching the Narcissan's smiles turn to frowns as Draco took Tanith's hand while she sat down next to him, and kept holding it while she kissed him in greeting. Draco looked quite relieved to have his wife and children present to act as a buffer from the girls.

Roo, on the other hand, looked as though he was in heaven. All the girls turned their attentions on him, lavishing him with praise and compliments. After noticing how much his father disliked the girls' behaviour, he became very flirtatious with them, thereby encouraging their actions. He walked from girl to girl and let them pet his hair or his shoulders, and smiled at them in return.

Liss and Teecie laughed at this sight until tears ran down their cheeks. But before they could watch the family fun any longer, the game started, and their attentions turned to the Quidditch pitch.

The Hufflepuff team was very good this year, and wasn't going to be easy to beat. Their beaters were quite intimidating, and had a way of dividing up the pitch in a way that left no player safe from the bludgers. James was nearly hit three or four times throughout the game.

There were several spectacular plays on the Gryffindor side. Daniel and Patty volleyed the quaffle all the way down the pitch without being intercepted, and managed to score the first ten points of the game.

Kern and Robert also managed to chase the opposing beaters over to the Hufflepuff side of the pitch, and hit one of the bludgers at them, and the other one at the Keeper, who ducked out of the way just in time for Tegan Pearce, a Gryffindor chaser, to score another ten points for his team.

The game was pretty much even for the most part. The score was ninety even by the time the snitch was spotted. Both James and Jordan Engelmann flew after the snitch at break-neck speed.

Teecie felt her heart pounding as she hoped James would stay safely on his broom, and wouldn't have any sort of accident while going so quickly. The two boys flew around the pitch several times, but the snitch always managed to elude them. James seemed to lose sight of it for a while, and pulled out of the loop he'd been flying in, and moved towards the centre of the pitch. Within a minute, he'd sighted the snitch again, and bolted after it.

James was heading straight for one of the posts holding up the Slytherin stands, when he suddenly pulled up, completely vertical on the broom. Teecie screamed while watching this. She gasped while he wrapped his legs around the broom handle tightly, and reached high above his head, grasping for the snitch. He tried a few times while still flying straight up in the air, before actually snatching it up. With one hand clutching his precious golden prize, he used his free hand to grasp the broom once again, and attempt to straighten himself out again.

By the time he made it back to the ground, the crowds were going wild. Teecie and Liss were screaming and hopping up and down. After a few minutes, Teecie looked over to see Professor Lupin's reaction. He was beaming, and clapping his hands for James, while James looked up at his father and pounded his fist triumphantly in the air.

Teecie was so excited for him that she made her way down the stands to congratulate him on the pitch. He was so happy to see her that he ran over, picked her up in his arms, and swung her around in a giant hug before setting her down.

"I did it! I finally did it!" he cried before kissing her.

"I'm so happy for you!" she cried in return once he'd pulled away. "That means we can really celebrate."

James grinned wildly. "That's the first thing I thought of after catching the snitch," he said while wriggling his eyebrows.

Teecie laughed and kissed him. As she looked into the stands, she happened to see both Draco and Roo glaring down at them. She smiled and waved up to them before kissing James yet again.

Once things had calmed down, and James had left to take a shower, Teecie walked up to her family. Tanith gave her a big hug. "Hello dear, it's so nice to see you," she said warmly.

Teecie tried to remain standing while Roo hugged her so tightly she almost fell over. "Hello Auntie," he said before standing on his toes to kiss her cheek. Mel gave her a hearty hug as well.

Teecie walked with them back to the school for lunch. Tanith chatted with her about her birthday plans for next week. Teecie would be turning sixteen in a week, and she'd been so busy with school, she'd completely forgotten about it.

"Your mum and dad told me they'd like to come up for the day. They'd like to throw a party for you," Tanith said with a smile

Teecie thought about this. It would be the day they went to Hogsmeade, and most of the students would be there. Perhaps they could have a party of some sort at the Three Broomsticks. Madam Rosmerta would probably allow it.

"You should make sure to write them and let them know what you'd like. Sixteen is an awfully important year, you know. It's the last year before you become a legal adult. It should be celebrated," Tanith said.

"Can I come to the party?" Mel asked excitedly.

Teecie smiled. "I'm sure everybody will be there," she assured her niece.

Draco was rather sullen throughout the meal, and asked to speak to Teecie in private before she left to go find James. They walked to his office and sat down at his desk before starting to talk.

"I must say, Ticia, that such public displays off affection, like the one I witnessed after the game, are highly inappropriate," Draco began in as calm a voice as he could muster.

Teecie sighed. "Well I'm sorry if congratulating my boyfriend on his first win offended you, but really, it was just a kiss," Teecie replied lightly.

Draco raised his eyebrows and folded his arms. "I don't like your tone of voice, young lady," he growled.

Teecie sighed again and rolled her eyes. "Oh come off it, Draco. James and I weren't doing anything wrong. If you think trying to intimidate us out of showing our love for one another is going to work, then you're wrong. You can't stop me from loving him, and you can't stop me from growing up either!" she cried.

Draco frowned. "You are still a minor, for a whole year yet, and until then I will treat you in the best way I see fit. You and that bloody Lupin boy are probably going to run off somewhere tonight and…and…" he sputtered.

"And what?"

"And…do inappropriate things together," Draco finished.

"Well then, just don't think about it, and it won't bother you," Teecie said haughtily.

Draco looked like he was ready to lock her away in the school's highest tower. "Don't you dare speak to me like that," he said in barely more than a whisper.

Teecie shook her head, and looked at the floor. After a few seconds, she walked over to her brother, and wrapped her arms around him. "I love you so much, Draco," she said quietly. "I love that you want to keep me safe, and care about me so much. And no matter how old or grown p I get, that will never change. But I am growing up, and you can't stop that, no matter what you do."

Draco returned the hug, and held onto her for quite some time after she'd finished speaking. "I know you're growing up, and I know you're in love, but you're taking it all much too quickly. It seems that you forget you are not yet an adult, and until you realize this, and begin to act accordingly, I will continue to do what I can to see that you are not hurt by things you don't understand," he said calmly.

"And I may heed your advice, and I may not. You aren't my father after all," Teecie said while trying to keep from screaming at him.

"But I do have legal powers over you, and if I feel I must take action for your best interests, I will," Draco seethed.

Teecie frowned and folded her arms. "Look, you don't own me, and you can't control me. I'm sorry I'm not weak-willed enough for your tastes, but that's what your children are for. They seem to just love doing whatever you want them to. I don't know what you're trying to prove with this, but it won't make a difference in the end. I just hope you get all this out of your system before next week, because I will not have you ruin my birthday. Whatever happens, James will be there, and he will be made to feel welcome," she growled while looking Draco straight in the eye. "And you might as well start adjusting to that now if you want to be seeing much of me after James and I marry. Because if it comes down to choosing between the two of you, he's going to win!"

Draco's eyes grew wide, and he was pale with anger. "How dare you-"

"No! How dare you?" Teecie shouted, interrupting her brother. "How dare you threaten me with legal actions you could take? How dare you treat James like garbage when you know it hurts me so much? You have to learn sometime that you can't always get your way! I mean really, here you are, practically throwing a temper tantrum because you can't get your way. You're always trying to get me to act more grown up, but what about you? Why don't you grow up?"

"Don't speak to me that way," Draco growled furiously while stepping closer to her.

Teecie took a deep breath before looking up at him. "I will stop talking, but only because this conversation is over. I'm going to find James now," she said calmly before turning and walking away from her brother.

Draco wasn't finished with this yet. "Come back here right now young lady!" he called out after her.

Teecie didn't even slow down in her walk as she kept moving away from him. She didn't care if this made him angry or not. She was so furious by the time she found James in the Gryffindor common room, that she sat down next to him, and began to cry on his shoulder. "I really love my brother, but he's driving me insane," she gasped.

James was holding her in his arms, and trying to comfort her, when an owl arrived and delivered a note to Teecie. Draco had written to her, informing her that she'd been grounded for the next month. On the days when she wasn't working with Master Wilkes, she was to report to his office where she'd stay through dinner. Afterwards, she'd go straight up to her dormitory to sleep. Her weekends would be spent with him in his office, working on homework and doing quiet things when she'd finished. There would be no seeing James except in classes and at meals, and during those times, she was to behave herself.

Teecie crumpled the note up and threw it in the fire when she'd finished reading it. James had read it over her shoulder, and was fuming. "So you get in a fight with your brother and he grounds you? That's not fair!" he cried while jumping up and pounding his fist in his palm. "Do you want me to go yell at him for you? I mean, if you're grounded for a month, that means we can't…do anything for a month!" he growled.

Teecie sighed and shook her head. "Nothing will get him to back down from this. Once he makes up his mind like this, there isn't anything else to do but to go along with it. I mean, this is so unfair, but I'll humour him just to get him off my back. And besides," she said, lowering her voice and taking his hand. "You'll just have to fly over to see me at night. You can pick me up for a moonlit fly…and then back to your room…" her voice trailed off suggestively.

James grinned. "He'll never know! Brilliant!" he replied while mentally making plans. "But you'll miss Hogsmeade, Valentine's Day…your birthday! Surely he'll let you celebrate your birthday…" he said in a hopeful tone.

Teecie sighed. "He can't keep my parents from coming. My mother will probably try to fight it when she hears about it. It'll probably end up being a simple pudding and ice cream event in the Great Hall after supper…" she said quietly. "So much for a sweet sixteen party."

Teecie was tired of it all, and had no energy to fight against Draco's decision to oppress her life over the next month. After a long goodbye with James, she went to her dormitory and wrote a letter to her mother, explaining the situation. Draco had, no doubt, already written to Lucius, so hopefully, by the morning, her parents would be working on what to do for her birthday.

The next morning at breakfast, she received a letter in response from her mum:

Ticia, Darling,

Your father was quite unhappy to hear from your brother this evening, and feels that your punishment is just. I did all I could to get your father to try and talk to your brother, but he just won't budge. He's just being so stubborn lately, it makes if very difficult to make any compromises with him.

Though you must follow through in this punishment, I promise you that you will have a party on Saturday. Your father and I will come up to the school to spend the day with you, since, unfortunately, you won't be able to leave the school to go to Hogsmeade. Tanith and the kids will come up too, and we'll have a special meal and pudding together.

I know this is a difficult time in your life. You feel that you are grown up, and know what you want for yourself, but the adults around you feel just the opposite. I have to tell you that this will pass. In only a year you will be a legal adult, and the crazy men in your life will be forced to show you a little more leeway. I doubt your brother will lighten up, but you'll have a better chance of getting away from him more, especially if you learn to apparate.

Well darling, your father wants to go to bed now, so I'll end this letter and send it off to you. I love you very much, and I know you can get through this. Just try to be polite and that should keep your brother happy. The school year is more than half finished, and soon enough, you'll be back home with us. Think of that when the times get tough.

I'll see you on Saturday. I can't believe it, my littlest baby, turning sixteen! I feel so old…

I love you very much,

Your Mum,

Adriana

Teecie felt a lot better once she'd finished reading her mother's letter. At least she had one adult on her side. It felt good to have somebody understand how she felt. She wasn't the only one who felt Draco was over-zealous in the protection department.

It was a Sunday, and she was supposed to spend the day in Draco's office, working on her homework. After a leisurely breakfast, she went to her dormitory, packed her school bag, and went down to the dungeon to meet Draco in his office.

Draco was sitting at his desk, looking expectantly at her when she arrived. "I see you received my owl last night," he said curtly.

Teecie nodded her head and moved over to the sofa against the wall, tossing her book bag down. "There's no point in fighting it, so I'm just going to endure the injustice as best I can," she replied haughtily while sitting down. "Now if you will excuse me, I must get started on my homework." With that, she turned away from her brother, and started pulling books out of her bag.

Draco rolled his eyes and went back to marking a large stack of papers on his desk. He didn't care if she was upset with him, this was for her own good. Ticia was traveling down a very dangerous path right now, and needed both guidance and redirection. Her mind was full of inappropriate thoughts about that Lupin boy, and Draco knew it was his duty to help her learn to at least appear to others to be a pure and chaste young lady, even though he knew she wasn't. A month away from the object of her desires ought to do the trick, he reasoned.

Teecie worked on her transfiguration essay for a couple hours before switching over to her ancient runes paper. It was a lot of hard work, and by the time lunch rolled around, she was starving. She walked towards the door after setting her books down, but was stopped just as her fingertips touched the doorknob. "Just where do you think you're going?" Draco called out after her.

Teecie whipped around and glared at him. "I'm hungry, and it's lunch time, so I thought I'd go eat. I hadn't heard that starvation was going to be a part of the punishment as well. Or perhaps you wanted me to grovel and beg for food," she sneered.

"Young lady, if you want to eat, all you have to do is ask permission, and I shall escort you to the Great Hall," Draco growled through taut lips.

"I'm not a prisoner. This totally sucks!" Teecie cried while turning back around and walking out the door.

She was halfway to the Great Hall when Draco caught up to her and grabbed her by the arm. She'd never seen him so angry before, and for a fleeting moment, actually felt scared of what was going to happen to her.

Draco pulled her around the corner, and into the shadows. "Do not treat me like this, Ticia. You are the one who deserves this punishment, and you will serve it out in a mature fashion. This includes asking permission to leave the room," he growled menacingly. "This is what comes from a lack of discipline," he continued, "Your parents are far too lenient, and as a result, you've become spoiled and uncontrollable. I will speak to father about having you stay with me over the summer holidays, where I will be able to keep a better eye on you. This is entirely of your own making, Ticia."

Teecie wrenched her arm out of her brother's grasp. "I'm going to stay home for the summer, and if you try to stop me, I'll run away!" she cried. "You can't control my life! Now, I will try to get through this month the best I can, but do not expect me to feel grateful for it." She took a deep breath. "Now…may I please have permission to go eat my lunch?" she asked through gritted teeth.

Draco had half a mind to say no, but wouldn't want her to think he really was trying to starve her. "You have thirty minutes to eat, use the bathroom, and report back to my office," he hissed.

They both walked towards the Great Hall. Draco walked towards the professor's table, while Teecie joined James at the Hufflepuff table. She knew her brother was watching her like a hawk, so she only held James's hand while they ate. "I hate him!" she cried bitterly at one point in the meal.

James listened sympathetically as she poured her heart out to him. He wanted desperately to wrap his arms around her and hold her tightly, but knew he couldn't without getting her into more trouble. "Well, look forward to tonight…" he whispered in her ear, which brought a smile to her face.

"Thank you James. You always know how to make me feel better," Teecie replied quietly.

While the two ate together, Draco talked to Snape about the day so far. "I just don't understand why she's being so difficult. What ever happened to the little girl whose greatest goal in life was to make those around her happy? I fear she will follow down Renata's path if we do not do something about it now," he told Snape in a quiet voice.

"Ticia is acting like any other girl her age with strict parents. I agree that she needs looking after, but the more you try to control her, the more she will rebel against that control," Snape replied gravely.

"She tries my patience, though. I think having her around the manor over the summer holiday will help, though," Draco said. "She always does quite well when she stays. And even though there were some issues during her stay with my mother, she had good things to report about her in general." Draco didn't seem to notice when Snape started to cough before taking a large sip of water, during this.

Draco took a bite of his roast beef and looked at Teecie for a minute before speaking again. "Look at her, Severus. See how closely she sits to that boy? She's practically on his lap. Now look at Travers and Fawcett," he said, nodding towards Zeren and Morgaine at the Slytherin table. "See how they keep an appropriate distance from one another in public? If only things had gone better for Ticia and Travers. They would have made a wonderful match for one another." Draco shook his head sadly.

Snape looked at both couples carefully, and thought they were both sitting the same length apart from one another, but chose to say nothing. He knew it would only start an argument. Instead, he chose to change the subject. "You were speaking earlier of your mother," he began, "How is she?" He knew how she was doing, for he'd been keeping a steady correspondence with her since Christmas, but wasn't about to let Draco know that.

Draco sniffed and shrugged his shoulders. "She's doing fine," he quipped. Before he could inquire about the third degree of his mother's well-being, he saw James peck Teecie on the cheek. "If you will excuse me," he said while standing up and marching over to the Hufflepuff table.

Snape shook his head and sighed as he watched Draco take Teecie by the elbow and lead her out of the Great Hall. It was going to be a very long month.

Teecie was furious and humiliated over the way Draco had reacted at lunch. She sat for an entire half hour upon return to his office, glaring at him in a stony silence. Draco pretended not to notice this.

The rest of the day went smoothly, with Teecie asking permission before doing anything. Draco dismissed her that night with a smile. "See, that wasn't so bad, now, was it?" he said kindly.

Teecie shrugged her shoulders. "I survived," she replied. "I'll be volunteering with Master Wilkes every day after classes, and then after dinner I'll return to my dormitory, so I'll not see you like this for another week. And my birthday is next Saturday, so I'll be spending that day with my parents, having fun," she added.

Draco nodded his head. "Yes, that all seems fine with me. The family will be coming up for the day. I've had my gift for you ready for years now. I chose it when you were still quite young, but I know it will be useful to you as you grow older," he said softly.

Teecie wondered what sort of gift he'd think of for her to need as she grew up. "I'm sure I'll love it," she finally replied before leaving the room.

Patty and Paige were reading books on their beds when she arrived. Teecie flopped down on her bed and told them about her day. "Paige, you have to promise you won't tell on me when James flies over for me," she implored when she'd finished. "Draco can't find out about this or he'll kill both of us."

Paige frowned and bit her lip before responding. "Oh, all right," she said in a quiet voice.

Teecie grinned and ran over to hug Paige. "Thank you so much!" she cried. She walked over to the mirror and brushed her hair for several minutes afterwards, before hearing a tapping on the window.

James waved at her as she ran over to open the window. "Are you ready?" he asked with a grin.

"You have no idea!" Teecie cried in response while standing on a chair to reach the window. James leaned in and helped her out onto the ledge. When they were both settled on the broom, he pushed off and flew her over to his dormitory.

The twins were getting ready for bed when Teecie returned a couple hours later. She and James snogged at the window until Patty started wolf whistling at them. The happy couple soon parted after that.

Teecie walked over to her bed with a dreamy look on her face. "I love him so much," she sighed while lying down across the bed.

Patty grinned. "Is he really that good in the sack?" she asked before laughing heartily.

Teecie giggled. "James is very good in bed, but don't tell him I said that because I told him he wasn't allowed to talk to his friends about us. But this is different, because I'm not bragging," she replied.

Patty smiled. "Well, Daniel is good too, but don't tell him I said that, because it would just make his head swell more than it already is," she chuckled.

Paige sat up on her bed. "Must you two talk about such things?" she cried.

Patty and Paige had made up as well, so it was not in anger that Patty responded. "Sorry sis, but when you get a boyfriend, you'll want to talk about him too," she said while shrugging her shoulders.

Paige shook her head. "I don't think I'd ever talk about such things to others. It's too personal," she replied.

The girls got ready for bed after that. Teecie fell asleep that night with a smile on her face.

The next day passed slowly, with very little time to interact with James. Teecie did look forward to working with Master Wilkes after class, though, instead of going to Draco's office. He was a lot easier to handle than Draco. They'd been working on the proper names for all the bones in the body, and today, he'd promised to start the hand, a most complicated body part when it came to bones.

When classes finally ended that day, Teecie ran off to the Hospital wing, ready for an afternoon of memorizing. After an hour of looking at pictures and names, she knew it would take a long time to get them all straight.

Teecie was grateful for the opportunity to begin studying human anatomy now, for it was one of the basic courses she'd need to pass in her first year of healing school, and also one of the most complex courses, as well. Wilkes had once told her that the majority of students who didn't make it through healing school, failed anatomy. It was vital that she succeed, and he wanted her to do the best she could.

Right before Wilkes was going to teach her a memorization technique, a student who seemed to have lost all her hair ran into the Hospital wing, crying hysterically.

"I tried to put a hair curling spell on my hair, and it all fell out!" she cried while Wilkes and Teecie rushed over to her.

"Oh that's terrible!" Teecie replied while giving the girl a comforting hug. "You just sit down and Master Wilkes will fix you up straight away," she said before taking the girl by the hand and leading her over to a chair.

After Wilkes asked the girl, whose name was Vanora Oldrich, several questions as to they type of spell she, he set about concocting a potion to help her hair grow back.

"I had brown hair, but I'd much rather have blonde hair," Vanora sniffled while Teecie patted her hand. "Do you think you can turn my hair blonde too?" she asked while looking hopefully at Wilkes.

Wilkes smiled. "I'm not sure I should do that, Miss Oldrich, your parents might not approve of it," he replied. "And besides, I think you'll find that the colour nature intended for you will suit you best."

He walked over to her with a goblet of liquid that was sizzling and smelled acrid and horrible. "I'm afraid this won't taste very good," he said apologetically while handing Vanora the goblet, "but your hair will start to grow back immediately, and should be back to normal in a few day's time."

Vanora shuddered while lifting the goblet to her mouth. "I don't think I can drink this," she gasped while all the colour drained from her face.

Teecie didn't think she could either, but knew it was her duty to help Vanora drink the potion. "Sure you can," she said enthusiastically. "Just don't breathe through your nose while you drink it, and it won't have any taste at all!"

Vanora looked at the goblet for several seconds before taking a deep breath, and then putting it to her lips, and drinking. It took several gulps to get it all down, and she coughed for a minute afterwards, but she'd succeeded in drinking every drop.

"I did it! Thank you so much, both of you," Vanora said with a smile before making a strange face. "Oh! Oh!" she cried while grabbing at her head and scratching profusely. "It itches! It's like a million chicken pox on my head!" she screeched while jumping up out of her seat and scratching her head some more. "Oh make it stop!"

Wilkes walked over to her and led her back to her chair. "That's just your new hair beginning to sprout. I should pass in a minute or two. I'm sorry, I should have warned you about that," he said calmly.

Vanora sat back in her chair, but wriggled around for the next couple minutes before the hair finished breaking through her scalp. "I think it's done," she sighed while relaxing.

Teecie leaned over and looked closely at Vanora's head. "Yes, it's all stubbly now," she said while the other girl tentatively reached up and touched her scalp. "I'd wear a scarf or a hat for the next day or two," she advised.

"Most definitely," Vanora agreed while standing up to leave. After thanking both Wilkes and Teecie, she left.

Wilkes smiled at Teecie while she cleaned the goblet with her wand. "You're doing so well with helping the students. I'm quite proud of you," he said.

Teecie blushed. "Thank you Master Wilkes. I just try to think of how I'd want to be treated if it was me who was sick or hurt," she replied.

The two went back to studying bones for a while before leaving for dinner. It was there that Teecie got to see James again. They sat next to one another at the Ravenclaw table, with the rest of Teecie's friends.

Since they both had too much schoolwork to do during the week, they'd only be sneaking off on the weekends. Because of this, they lingered over dinner, trying to spend as much time together as possible before returning to their dormitories to study.

The week passed like this, with Teecie and James always wishing for more time, and always keeping an eye out for Draco, who was undoubtedly keeping his eye on them. He only pulled them apart twice that week, once at breakfast when he saw them playing footsies under the table, and once at dinner when he saw Teecie leaning her head on James's shoulder.

Teecie made sure to let Draco know exactly what she thought of him during these times. Draco remained patient, yet didn't let up on what he was doing. "Ticia, you know the terms of your punishment include your actions in public. You and that boy have no self control, and that is what this is all about-to teach you to control your impulses. You'll thank me for this one day," he said each time he walked Teecie out of the Great Hall.

Finally, Teecie's birthday arrived. She was glad for the break in her punishment, but still upset that she couldn't have a big party in Hogsmeade. She was grateful to be having any party at all, though.

James was staying at the school as well, hoping to spend as much time as possible with his girlfriend. Paige and Patty, as well as Zeren and Morgaine, were all going to Hogsmeade for the day, but would come back in time for the party in the evening.

Teecie was snuggling on the sofa with James after breakfast when the rest of the older students began to leave for Hogsmeade. Neither of them felt like doing any homework that day, and were just enjoying some time alone together.

When lunchtime came, the two walked hand-in-hand down to the Great Hall to eat, and were surprised to see Lucius and Adriana standing in the entrance hall, talking to Uncle Sev.

"Mum! Dad!" Teecie cried while running over to them. James walked closely behind her.

"Ticia!" Lucius said with a smile while leaning in to give his daughter a hug. "How are you today?"

"I'm all right," she replied before giving her mother a hug.

Adriana turned to James and smiled. "And how are you doing today?" she asked kindly.

James blushed. "I'm just fine, thanks," he replied.

"I'm glad to hear that," Adriana said while linking arms with him. "Now why don't we all go into the Great Hall, get some lunch, and get all caught up."

Lucius held his arm out for Teecie to take. She took it, and they slowly walked into the Great Hall. He made sure to sit in between Teecie and James as they sat down to sandwiches and bowls of steaming hot soup.

After lunch, James returned to the common room, to get some homework done, while Lucius walked around the school with Teecie. Adriana went up to the Room of Requirement to prepare for the party in a few hours.

"How are things going with Draco? I heard about the grounding," Lucius said as they walked past the library.

Teecie shrugged her shoulders. "He's trying to control every aspect of my life. I just want to do what I want to do. It's not like I drink or do drugs," she said sullenly.

Lucius sniffed. "From what he told me, you were speaking disrespectfully to him, and doing inappropriate things with your boyfriend. Neither of those are things you have the freedom to do at your age. Your brother was completely within his rights to discipline you for that," he said curtly. "I must say I am not happy with your behaviour lately. You seem to be taking a page out of your sister Renata's book. I do not want to hear that you've gotten yourself pregnant from that boy and will be dropping out of school."

Teecie sighed. "Of course I won't, dad. But you and Draco have to accept that I am growing up. You can't expect me to stay a little girl forever," she replied quietly.

Lucius took a deep breath. "You are no longer a little girl, but you are not yet an adult. You still must follow the rules that your mother and I make, as well as those of your brother, and the school. Being an adult does not make you above the rules. Most often, it means you have to follow more rules, not less."

"But I want to make my own decisions. I don't want to keep answering to Draco. You don't know what he's like. He's a fascist!"

"Now Ticia, your brother cares very much for you. You should be grateful that he loves you enough to be so protective of you if he saw fit to ground you, then you must have been acting quite badly."

"But he started it! All he ever does is start fights with me, and then punishes me for fighting back. It isn't fair!"

Lucius frowned. "That is another thing you'll learn when you get older: life is far from fair. If life was truly fair, I've have died in the war, and all the other victims would have been spared. If life was fair, you'd have grown up as a proper girl in luxury, not on a farm," he said severely. When he saw Teecie looking at him with huge eyes, he looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry Ticia. That was very harsh of me. I'm sorry to speak of such upsetting things on your birthday," he said quietly.

Teecie bit her lip. "I don't like you talking about dying," she whispered. "I almost lost you once, and that is not fair."

Lucius pulled her into an embrace. "Well, that's not going to happen for a very long time. I've got a few good years left before I depart for the next world," he said before kissing her forehead.

The two continued on their walk, in silence, for some time before passing by the Hospital wing. Master Wilkes was just leaving the room, and stopped to talk to them for a while.

"Your daughter has a bright mind, and a wonderful bedside manner. I know she'll make an excellent healer one day. You must be so proud of her," Wilkes said with a smile, while shaking Lucius's hand.

Lucius puffed his chest out with pride. "Yes, well, I always knew my Ticia had the potential to make a success of herself. She'll probably run her own practice one day," he said happily.

Teecie beamed to hear all of this. It felt so good to have people believe in her abilities. She hoped she could live up to all those expectations.

After a couple more minutes, Lucius and Teecie left to continue their walk. They ended up returning to the Great Hall for hot chocolate. Draco was waiting for them there, and sat next to them, while they sipped their cocoa. "I hope Ticia has been behaving herself during this first week of her grounding," Lucius asked casually.

Draco looked at Teecie for a while before responding. "There were some moments throughout the week, but it's been a positive week overall," he finally replied. "You know, I can't believe our Ticia's turning sixteen today. It seemed like only yesterday she was running around in her nappies and showing me all her dolls," he said with a smile.

Teecie blushed. "Draco, I haven't played with dolls for years. And don't talk about me being in nappies," she chided her brother.

"Why not? I used to change your nappies," Lucius added.

Draco made a face. "Father, I think that's enough. Really, you shouldn't have touched dirty nappies, that's what house elves and servants are for."

Lucius sighed. "Draco, when will you learn that being a parent _is_ being a servant?"

Before Draco could reply, he was grabbed by the shoulders from behind by a pair of small arms. "Hi father!" a voice called out as Draco was jerked backwards. Lucius reached out quickly o help keep his son upright. "We're here!" the voice cried in Draco's ear.

"Rouvin, let go of your father right now," Lucius demanded.

Seconds later, Roo let go of Draco, and ran around to give Teecie a hug. "Hello Auntie!" he said while sitting down next to her. "Sorry father," he added as Draco straightened back up again.

Draco didn't speak, but scowled as he slowly stood up and walked around the table. He took Roo by the shoulder and yanked him off the bench. Roo tried to wriggle out of his father's grasp, but was unable to. Teecie frowned as she watched Draco drag Roo out of the room. She hoped everything would be all right.

"He's not going to spank Roo, is he?" Teecie asked Lucius nervously.

Lucius patted her hand comfortingly. "No, no, I don't think so. I don't think he's ever raised a hand against one of his children before," he said quietly. "Draco just has a deep-seated need to be respected by everybody. Roo needs to learn that, that's all. That's why he grounded you when you spoke disrespectfully to him."

"Why is it such a big deal to him?"

Lucius looked at the ground and took a deep breath. "He had to deal with a lot of unfair pressure when he was growing up, and because of that, he spent most of the time feeling inferior," he replied with a look of shame on his face. "He didn't deserve that, but as we talked about earlier, unfortunately, life is unfair."

Teecie sighed. Her birthday was only a couple hours away, yet it was already dysfunctional, like so many of the family gatherings she was used to.

Several minutes later, James walked into the Great Hall, and sat down next to her. Lucius looked at them with great scrutiny before standing up and slowly walking out of the room. Teecie watched as he walked over to greet Tanith and his granddaughters as they stood in the entrance hall, waiting for Roo and Draco to reemerge from wherever they'd disappeared to.

James and Teecie stayed in the Great Hall together for an hour or so, before walking up to the Room of Requirement. Adriana had been preparing a feast in honour of her youngest child's birthday, and the aromas of the food were the first thing to hit them upon entering the room.

Tables with platters of roasted potatoes, grilled vegetables, and Teecie's favourite: roasted lamb with preserved lemons, filled the room. One table held the birthday pudding. It was three tiers, and completely covered in candied roses of every hue. Teecie gasped to see how amazing it looked.

Adriana smiled when she saw her daughter's reaction. "This is your special day, darling, I had to do it right," she said lightly.

"Oh mum, it's all so beautiful! What flavour is the pudding?"

"Lemon-cardamom with rosewater and pistachio filling."

Teecie's eyes grew wide. "Oh mum, that sounds fantastic! So exotic!" she cried while gazing lovingly at the pudding.

Guests started to pour in at this time, and she ran off to greet them all. Kali and Paul, Reni, Peter, and Hunter, and Patty and Paige all entered the room seconds apart from one another. Teecie hugged everybody before they walked further into the room to find seats.

Uncle Sev, Tanith, and the girls arrived next. Mel had a huge grin on her face when she hugged Teecie. "Roo's really going to get it now!" she giggled.

Teecie rolled her eyes. "Mel, you shouldn't be so happy over that," she chided.

Mel shrugged and ran over to talk to Adriana. Teecie shook her head before hugging Uncle Sev. He soon followed Mel's example, and made his way over to Adriana.

Morgaine, Zeren, Draco, and Roo arrived last. Zeren kissed Teecie's hand while Roo looked on with wide eyes. He lingered behind after everyone else had moved further into the room. "Hullo Auntie," he said sullenly.

Teecie gave her nephew a hug. "What happened Roo? What did Draco do?" she asked quietly.

Roo bit his lip and kicked at a potted fern. "He's making me stay at the Manor all by myself, with only the servants, while he takes the rest of the family to the villa in Greece for the Easter holiday," he finally said. "I was just trying to surprise him…"

Teecie gave him another hug. "I'm sorry Roo. That's so harsh," she replied.

Roo nodded his head in agreement. "He's the meanest, most cruel father there ever was, and I'll never love him again," he said firmly.

Teecie wisely said nothing as she led him into the room with all the food. Everybody filled their plates high with the delicious food, and sat around in small groups, talking and laughing.

Roo sat next to Zeren, talking about Quidditch and the joys of being a Slytherin.

Teecie and James sat with Morgaine and the twins, talking about classes and Hogsmeade.

The adults talked amongst themselves about things they were interested in, until it was time for the pudding.

Adriana put sixteen candles in the pudding, lit them, and started to sing while walking the platter over to her daughter. The rest of the group joined in the singing, and finished up by the time Adriana reached Teecie.

Teecie looked at the gorgeous pudding for a moment before making a wish. She wished for a happy year with James, before leaning forward and blowing out all the candles in one try. The group applauded for her while Adriana went off to serve the pudding.

Teecie received the first piece, and took a large bite of it. I was the most delicious thing she'd ever tasted. All the unique flavours blended together to evoke visions of the Mediterranean, and hot summer evenings under a fiery setting sun. It complimented the Greek dinner they'd had perfectly.

"Oh mum, it's just wonderful," she gushed. Everybody else seemed quite impressed too.

James ate three pieces while the others looked at him in amazement. "What? I was hungry," he said when he saw them all staring at him. Teecie giggled and wrapped her arms around his.

When everybody had finished eating, it was time for presents. There was a rather large pile of them, and Teecie grinned while deciding where to begin.

She started with a small package on the top of the pile. It ended up yielding a small portrait of Roo, winking and smiling at her. "Roo sat for that painting for two hours," Tanith said proudly. "It was his idea. He wanted to give his own gift to you today."

Teecie smiled. "Thank you Roo. I'll hang it in my dormitory," she said before standing up to hug him.

The next gift was from Uncle Sev. Instead of his usual potions books, he seemed to have stepped out of his comfort zone by getting her a lovely set of silver hair barrettes with her monogram engraved on them. He shrugged nonchalantly when she looked at them. "I figured you might like them," he said quietly.

Teecie stood up and walked over to give him a big hug.

Lucius and Adriana gave her some tasteful clothes, as well as a magical projection of a human body. There were different layers: muscles, bones, internal organs, and each one had a little sign with the proper Latin name, its common name, and an audio pronunciation, to aid in memorization.

"Wow, this is amazing! This will help me so much. Thanks mum and dad!" she cried before hugging her parents.

The twins, Morgaine, and Zeren each brought her bags of sweets back from Honeydukes, since she'd been unable to go to the village that day.

Draco and Tanith's gift was the largest, so Teecie opened it last. Under all the green and silver wrapping paper, was a large wooden chest. It was made of a lovely rich mahogany wood, and had roses and other flowers carved on it. It was empty, yet smelled of the roses carved on the outside. "Thank you Draco, Tanith, it's a lovely chest," Teecie replied, feeling somewhat confused as to its true purpose.

Draco smiled. "I'm glad you like it. It's a hope chest, and every young woman should have one when she starts to think about her future, and marriage," he replied. "It also has a special feature: Whenever you have a need for something in your household, an extra table setting or an extra lamp, this chest will provide it for you. All you have to do is put in an example of what you need, and when you open it, the amount you want will be there for you."

"Wow, that sounds pretty handy!" Teecie exclaimed while looking at James. This was going to be something that went into the house they moved into after marrying one another.

Draco beamed with pride. "I knew you'd love it."

Teecie gave him a hug and kissed his cheek, before hugging Tanith.

After the presents, the guests went back to talking with one another again. The younger children played by themselves until it got too late, and their parents decided to take them home.

The rest of the party-goers left soon afterwards, leaving James and Teecie alone with Lucius and Adriana.

"So, darling, did you have a good party? I tried to make it special even though it couldn't be too big. I wanted to invite the whole school, but…" Adriana trailed off

Teecie grinned. "This was the best, mum, really. Everything was perfect," she replied.

James smiled and nodded his head. "You'll have to make sure to give that pudding recipe to my mum, so she can have my dad make it for us sometime," he replied.

Lucius walked over to Teecie and gazed at her for a moment. "My last child, growing up far too quickly than is good for her," he murmured quietly. He gave her a hug, and held her tightly for a minute before letting go again and walking over to Adriana. "We should get going now. You two make sure to return to your dormitories soon. I expect you have a lot of revising to get done."

James and Teecie walked with Lucius and Adriana down to Uncle Sev's office, and watched them floo back to the property.

Teecie was so exhausted that instead of running off to be together, she and James went back to the Room of Requirement, and carried her gifts back to the Gryffindor common room. They snogged shortly before leaving to get to their dormitories.

Teecie fell asleep a couple minutes after settling into her bed. She felt satisfied, happy, and ready to face the next day, where she'd spend all her time with Draco. But she was sixteen now, more mature, and so that meant she'd try to be more grown up about it. She'd impress Draco with how well she dealt with her punishment. It felt good to know she was so mature now.

A/N: 16 Candles, is taken from the title of the 1980's John Hughes movie.


	75. The Potions Accident

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them! Also note: this story, as well as all the stories in the True Revenge universe, are based on the Harry Potter books through Order of the Phoenix.

Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm so glad you liked all the food in the last chapter! The cake was from the June 2005 edition of Bon Appetit, my favorite foodie magazine! The chest is something ElfFlame and I brainstormed up a while back and were waiting for this moment to use it! Here's the next chapter to enjoy!

Midnight Alpha: I'm glad you like the three girls being friends again! I don't think they're going to have another fight quite like that one again. Here's the next chapter! Have fun reading it!

Bright Eyes: I'm sorry you were sick while reading this, that's never fun. And I will try to read your story soon, I just don't have a whole lot of time to read while writing this! But I will try, I promise.

The Potions Accident

Author's Note: This chapter will be the last one I post before Half Blood Prince comes out. I will continue with this story, as is, no matter what happens in the new book. I have already added a line to my introduction to the story saying that this story, as well as any of the True Revenge stories, is based on the books through Order of the Phoenix. However, I do reserve the right to incorporate smaller, less important things into this story that might pertain to the world as a whole, as long as it doesn't contradict what I have written already for this story. But don't worry, none of the characters in this story are going anywhere, no matter what happens in the new book!

Teecie spent a quiet Sunday in Draco's office the day after her birthday. She took the human projection with her, and spent a couple hours studying the different muscles of the body.

Draco tried to remain as patient as he could, but listening to the pronunciations over and over, and looking at close up projections of muscles, got to him after a while. "Why don't you take a break from that, get some schoolwork done," he snapped at her.

Teecie looked at her brother with a slight grin. "Your masseter muscle is twitching," she said lightly as she watched his jaw jumping with the strain.

"Do not test me today, Ticia."

"But Draco, I have to learn all this stuff. I may never be able to become a healer if I don't," Teecie cried.

"You have plenty of time to memorize that. Now, why don't you read a book or study something else? I do not want to ask you again."

Teecie glared at him for a minute before turning the projection off and grabbing her battered copy of Rilla of Ingleside. She spent the next two hours before lunch getting lost in the world of Prince Edward Island during the First World War. Before she new it, though, Draco was telling her to go to lunch.

The day passed quickly and pleasantly. Teecie and James snuck out again, and the next morning, she felt ready to face the long week ahead.

The week wasn't too bad, though. Teecie received good marks for her Charms essay, and Professor Creevey used her paper on Ancient Runes as an example to some of the younger students.

Part way through the week, though, there was an incident that made her extremely happy, while sending Draco into a tailspin of frustration.

Teecie and James had been walking out of the Great Hall after dinner, and up towards their common room, when they saw Liss crying hysterically in the corner of the hallway. "Liss, dear, what's the matter?" Teecie cried while running over to her.

Liss threw herself into Teecie's arms, and continued to sob for a minute before calming down enough to speak. "A-a-boy-" she began, gasping with each word, "said I was stupid-and-and that the only reason I got into Hog-Hogwarts is because my father works here! And I told him to be quiet and then he-he punched me on the arm and pulled the ribbon out of my-my hair. I told him to give it back, but-but he wouldn't!" Liss began to sob again once she'd finished explaining.

James frowned and furrowed his brows. "Who was it?" he asked quietly.

"Mathias Krum, he's a third year boy in my house," Liss gasped.

"And where did you see him last?"

"Outside the library."

"All right, I'll go see if he's still there." With that, James turned and continued walking up the stairs to the library.

Teecie and Liss looked at each other, wide-eyed, before running after him. They caught up with him in time to see him pinning Mathias against the wall.

"You don't treat girls like that," James snarled fiercely. "You'd better treat them with more respect." The boy whimpered in fear of what James was going to do to him.

"Give Liss her ribbon back, now!" The boy fumbled around his robes for the ribbon. After finding it, he held it out for Liss, who stepped over and ripped it out of his hand.

"Now apologize," James barked.

"I-I-I'm sorry," Mathias stuttered.

James let go of him, and Mathias slumped against the wall. "You just remember that when you think of picking on a girl again. And don't ever pick on Liss again, got it? She's my future niece-in-law, and I don't like it when people pick on my family! Now get out of here!"

With that, Mathias turned tail and fled, as though for his life. James took a deep breath before turning to Liss and Teecie.

"Oh thank you, James!" Liss cried, while giving him a hug.

Teecie beamed with pride and love at James. It was so romantic that he'd defended her niece. While looking at the smile on his face, she thought he'd never seemed more attractive before. He seemed so strong and virile…

Liss put the ribbon back in her hair while James looked down at Teecie. He was proud of himself for having defended her family, and hoped she appreciated it. At the same time, his excitement welled up inside him, and he'd never felt more attracted to Teecie either. As Liss ran off to tell her father what a hero James was, he grabbed Teecie by the hand, and together, they ran as quickly as they could up to his dormitory.

For the rest of the evening, James and Teecie made passionate love to one another, and reveled in every minute of it.

Draco's reaction to the events after his daughter informed him of them was far less pleasant. Once his daughter had left, he walked over to see Snape. Sometimes he was the best person to go to to talk about problems.

Snape poured Draco a glass of Italian Ambermede before sitting down next to him on the sofa. "What's Ticia done now?" he asked quietly.

Draco shook his head. "It's not her this time, it's that damned boy," he replied. He explained what had happened to Liss and how James had involved himself in the situation. "Lisandra is my daughter; she should have come to me to confront that bully. Lupin should have never been involved in it. It's my job to fight off the bullies. I'm her father!" he cried indignantly when he'd finished.

Severus frowned and shook his head. "That is most unfortunate, Draco. I know you'd looked forward to giving your daughter's first suitor a good thrashing, too. Now, if you do so, it'll seem like it's too much, since somebody else already did it," he replied quietly.

"I cannot stand that boy. First he's seduced Ticia into thinking she's madly in love with him, so much so that they're going to get married, and now he's doing it to my daughter. She thinks he's the greatest in the world. I wouldn't doubt if she wanted to marry him now too. I just don't know why he's so popular. He just doesn't seem to be capable of doing anything wrong. He's just like…" Draco said, trailing off.

Severus took a sip of Ambermede and raised his eyebrows. "Like Potter? Think about it this way, Draco: it could be much worse. One of your daughters could fall in love with one of Potter's boys," he said smoothly.

Draco's eyes flashed with anger. "Over my dead body!" he cried. "The day I let that happen is the day I let Rouvin marry the other Potter twin. Damn Potter…" he muttered while draining his glass.

"Draco, calm down. I understand that you're upset over Lupin doing more than was within his bounds to do, but you must be rational about it. You are still able to discipline the boy who was harassing your daughter. Think of all the points you can deduct as well as the weeks of detention you can assign to him. And if you need to speak to Lupin, you know, to put him back in his place, you can do that as well."

Draco sighed and nodded his head. "I just wish my children still needed me. I remember when all Lisandra wanted was to spend her every waking moment with me. It pains me to see her growing so independent. I don't want to lose my children, Severus," he said in a quiet voice.

Severus frowned. "They're children…that is what they do. They grow up, and they leave to have lives of their own. There is nothing you can do to prevent it."

"I know, but that doesn't make it any easier to accept," Draco replied while standing up to leave.

The next day, he kept James after class, to have a talk with him. James smiled up at him, smugly, Draco thought, while waiting for him to speak.

"My daughter has informed me of the assistance you gave her yesterday," Draco began frostily.

"Yes, she was very upset, but it wasn't too hard to straighten it all out," James replied with a grin.

"Yes, well, perhaps you have forgotten that I am her father, not you. When my daughter has a problem, she is to come to me for help, not you. You do not know my daughter as I do, and it is not your business to do what you did. In the future, you are not to interfere," Draco said as calmly as possible.

James's smile disappeared, and he folded his arms. "But Professor, she was crying, and you weren't there. How could I just walk away and do nothing? I had to help," he replied.

"You could have escorted her to my office, where I could have helped her," Draco snapped.

James rolled his eyes. "Fine, next time I'll remember to do that," he said curtly. "Can I go now?"

Draco narrowed his eyes. "Not yet. We still have to have a little talk about my sister. I have specifically asked her several times not to let things go too far with you, but I do not think she has heeded this. I want you to promise me that you will stop doing such activities."

James raised his eyebrows and cocked his head to the side. "What activities would that be?" he asked.

Draco's face twisted in fury. "You know damn well what I mean. I'll have no more of your cheek. Now you keep your hands off my sister, or I'll make sure you never see her again, got it?"

James crossed his arms and stood up to his full height. "With all due respect, sir, you cannot stop Teecie and me from seeing one another. Why do you have such a problem with me? I've never done anything to you. I've always tried to be as respectful of you as I can. All I have ever done was love and respect your sister. Is that such a crime?"

"The crime is that my sister ruined herself because of you. She could have had a wonderful match with a boy worthy of her if it hadn't been for you. She would have been married into a family with a name to be proud of. Instead, she's settled for the mundane, for the ordinary. What kind of life will you be able to provide her with? She should be married to a man who'll shower her with everything her heart desires. Now, she's going to be working, like a commoner! She'll be barefoot and pregnant in the cramped house you'll all live in. Little brats with runny noses running around her feet. Slaving over a hot stove to feed you when you get home from work. I think about that future, and it makes me sick! And it's all because of you!"

James looked like he'd been kicked in the face by the time Draco had finished with his tirade. His hands balled up into fists, though he tried his best to remain calm. He took several deep breaths while composing his thoughts. Finally, he looked Draco directly in the eyes, and began to speak.

"Well, I'm glad I got to hear exactly what you think of me. And I must say I am surprised. If you'd had your way, Ticia would be married to a man who would have no respect for her, and would probably cheat on her every chance he got. She'd be living in a mansion, but it would feel like a prison for her. She'd never be happy. Is that really what you want for her? If you truly cared about her, like you say you do, you'd be happy that she's happy! You'd support her in her plans for the future, because it's her choice, her future, not yours! I'm sorry that I'm not good enough for Ticia, and that I'm not rich enough, or that my name isn't impressive enough for her. Ticia seems to think that I'm good enough for her, and I think that's the most important thing. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree, because I am not going to stop seeing your sister," James said as calmly as he possibly could, though his voice quavered a few times throughout it.

Draco opened his mouth to respond, but James interrupted him. "I need to get to my next class, sir. You've made your opinions perfectly clear, and I don't think we have anything else to say. Now if you'll excuse me," he said while walking towards the door. "Good afternoon." With that, he walked out the door and up to his dormitory. There was no way he could go to class with his temper raging so much.

By the time he got to his room, though, he was too jittery to sit down, so he grabbed his broom and left for the Quidditch pitch. Just as he walked down to the main staircase, a voice called out after him. "Mr. Lupin, why are you not in class?"

James turned and saw the Headmaster swooping over to him. He sighed and set the broom down before stopping to wait.

Snape approached him several seconds later, and looked down at James with disapproval. "I believe I asked you a question, Mr. Lupin," he said coolly.

"I couldn't go to class, Headmaster. I was…too upset after having a conversation with Professor Black. He was less than happy that I helped his daughter when she'd been in trouble yesterday," James replied through gritted teeth.

Snape looked at him for several moments before nodding his head. "I can understand why you'd need time to decompress from that. I'll allow you to get away with missing class this one time, but in the future, I will not hesitate to assign you a detention, or take points from your house," he replied curtly.

James was shocked that he wasn't being marched up to the Headmaster's office. He wondered why Snape would know why he'd be so upset after a talk with Professor Black, but wasn't about to ask. "Thank you sir. I was just going to fly around the Quidditch pitch for a while, you know, to calm down a bit," he replied quietly.

"I think that is a wise choice," Snape said while walking away. "If you know your own feelings, and those of Miss Orendes, you would do far better to follow them than any advice another might give you." With that, he turned, and was gone. James was left reeling from such support from such an important man.

James spent the rest of the afternoon flying around and questioning whether he was truly worthy of marrying Teecie some day. For some inexplicable reason, he was overcome with the desire for a comforting hug from his father.

Remus always helped him to feel better when he was upset, and this was no exception. James didn't tell him why he was so frustrated, but offered the needed hug with no questions, and no strings attached. "My good boy," he murmured as James wrapped his arms around his shoulders. He was shocked to look at his son, and realize James was only a couple inches shorter than him. Could this really be his boy? He looked into his face, and saw how handsome he was becoming. He certainly didn't inherit that from me, he must have gotten his looks from his mum, Remus thought to himself.

As he watched James leave his office, and join Teecie, Remus sighed. They really were growing up quickly, but they seemed to be doing all right. He had a good feeling about those two. Even though Teecie could be overwhelming, she was a good match for James.

Teecie noticed how quiet James was, but he didn't seem to be open to sharing why. She did notice that Draco shot dirty looks in their direction a couple times during dinner. "What did he say to you after class?" she asked quietly.

"Nothing, really, he just wanted more details about how I helped Liss yesterday," James replied before cramming half a pork chop into his mouth.

Teecie didn't believe that, but didn't push the issue. He didn't have to share every single detail about his life with her if he didn't want to.

The next couple weeks until the grounding ended went calmly. Teecie and Draco didn't seem to have any more fights, for which they were both grateful. Teecie was more than ready to have her weekends back. It was wonderful to be back among her friends again. She liked not having to second guess her every move, knowing her brother was just waiting to pounce on her.

Time started to pass quickly after that. Before Teecie even realized it, it was approaching the end of March, and the Easter holidays were fast approaching. She was looking forward to going home for a week. She hoped to go to the farmer's market with her father, and sell honey with him. She also planned on convincing Draco to allow Roo to stay with her and her parents. It seemed too unfair to punish him so harshly for such a small infraction.

Teecie was also looking forward to her meeting with Professor Lupin. He'd informed them all during their last class, that upon returning from the holidays, he'd be scheduling meetings with each of them to discuss career options in terms of OWLS. He'd look at their marks and let them know what they needed to improve upon in order to help them achieve their goals.

Several days before the holiday, Teecie's Ancient Runes class was cancelled, because Professor Creevey was ill. Since it was the last class of the day, Teecie went to the Hospital wing early, to get some extra volunteering done. She hoped to spend more time learning the bones of the hand with Maser Wilkes, and was startled to find him in the middle of a class.

Four other students, sixth and seventh years, who were interested in healing careers as well, were in their Healing Elective Class. This was the class Teecie was hoping to get into next year.

She was nervous that Wilkes would make her leave, but he beckoned her over to the group instead. "You may join us for the day, if you like," he said in greeting before returning to his lesson on the healing properties of certain magical plants, such as monkshood, and athelas.

"Can anybody tell me what athelas is commonly used for?" he asked, while looking around the class.

Rina Diggory, a seventh year Hufflepuff, raised her hand. "It's normally used for reducing fevers," she replied quietly.

"That's correct," Wilkes replied with a smile. "Five points to Hufflepuff."

Teecie had read all about athelas from her favourite, Lord of the Rings books, and raised her hand as well. "It's also called King's Foil, and it can be used to restore people who've been stabbed by evil blades, or breathed on by evil wraiths," she added excitedly after Wilkes had called on her.

"Yes, that is one of its lesser known qualities, though, thankfully, we haven't needed to use it on evil wraiths for some time," Wilkes replied.

Teecie was taking notes about the hallucinogenic properties of orange jumping nettles, when somebody ran into the Hospital wing. They all looked up to see Paul Weasley, Head Boy and Teecie's brother-in-law, running up to them.

"Master Wilkes, there's been an accident in the Potions classroom!" he cried. "I was called to tell you to prepare for them. All the first year Hufflepuffs and Slytherins were in the class, when a large cauldron of Blattas Vomica leaves exploded on all of them. Professor Black called the prefects, and they're bringing the students up now," Paul said breathlessly.

Wilkes jumped up and ran to his potions cupboard while Teecie and the other students began running around, gathering things to help. Teecie grabbed a handful of clean linens, and looked over to Wilkes for guidance.

He called the students over to him, and explained how things would work. "Blattas Vomica causes large painful boils to grow and spread all over the body. When they burst, purple liquid will pour out of them, and will create even more boils unless it's wiped away completely. I've got the Solamen potion, which will reduce the pain, and stop the boils from growing, but we'll have to help them with the ones they already have," he explained quickly. "All of you will need to wear gloves, and make sure to use a clean cloth for each student. We don't want to spread the boils around and make things worse. Try to be gentle when you wipe them, because the skin around them will be very tender. Now, there are five of you, and about twenty students, so try to focus on about four students, while I administer the potions, and oversee everything. You shouldn't get too overwhelmed if you keep it to about four students."

The first students began to pour into the Hospital wing, shouting and crying out in pain as they walked. Teecie's eyes grew wide, and her heart began to pound with nerves and excitement. This was her first bona fide medical emergency that she'd be assisting in.

The healing students ran to grab pairs of gloves before heading off for the younger students. Teecie watched as all of them walked into the Hospital wing. A couple of them were so badly hit with the potion that they'd been brought in on magically floating stretchers.

Teecie found several students off to the side, and took them over to the nearest beds. She could barely tell who anybody was, but from looking closely at one of the boys, she could make out Laron Carlisle's face.

"Laron, what happened?" she cried while settling him down on a cot.

Laron's left eye was swollen shut from a boil growing on his eyebrow. His hands and neck were also covered in the ugly purple boils. He merely groaned in response.

The rest of the healing students had each taken their four patients to cots, and waited for Wilkes to distribute the potion to everybody.

Wilkes went to each healing student and gave them a small bottle. "Take four goblets and divide this up evenly. It's pre-portioned for four doses," he explained to Teecie before walking off to Rina.

Teecie took a deep breath while holding the bottle in her hands. "All right everybody, everything's going to be all right," she said in a nervous voice, more for herself than for the patients in her care. They moaned in response.

She walked to a table and set the bottle down. After taking four goblets out of the cupboard, she carefully measured the potion into them. It took a minute to look at the goblets and make sure all of them were equal amounts.

Once Teecie was certain that they were all even, she handed the goblets to the younger kids, and watched as they swallowed the potions. One Slytherin girl's hands were so stiff with boils, that Teecie knelt down in front of her, and held the goblet to her lips to drink. The girl could barely open her mouth, for the boils covered nearly all of her body, but she managed to drink the potion anyway.

The moaning and groaning around the room slowly dissipated as the pain began to go away. Several minutes passed while the younger students settled more comfortably onto their cots.

Teecie grabbed another handful of cloths, and began to walk around the four kids, wiping up their now-weeping boils. Laron only had a few boils, and was soon sitting up on his cot, alert and looking at his fellow classmates.

With the exception of the badly-affected Slytherin girl, the kids in Teecie's care were soon doing much better. The Slytherin girl, Aldora Henleigh, had too many boils under her robes to get to, and as they began to pop and drain, grew more.

Teecie thought about what to do for a couple minutes before quickly drawing the curtains around her bed, leaving the two in privacy. "Aldora, I'm afraid we'll have to remove your robes so I can clean you off properly," she said quietly while sitting down next to her.

"But…but…" the girl stuttered while crossing her purple arms protectively over her body.

"I've closed the curtains, and I'll be the only one who sees you, I promise. You have nothing to worry about, I'm a professional," Teecie assured the girl.

After a minute of deliberation, Aldora finally allowed Teecie to help her out of her clothes.

"Oh, this is just awful! Your clothes must have absorbed a lot of the potion. Were you sitting near the cauldron when it exploded?" Teecie asked while deciding where to start blotting.

Aldora nodded her head while looking up at the ceiling. Teecie began to wipe some of the boils, and soon found it to be a daunting task. She managed to get all of the ones on Aldora's front side before helping her gently flip over, so she could clean off that side as well.

While Teecie was busy doing this, she heard a voice calling to her from the other side of the curtain. "Ticia, is everything going all right?" Master Wilkes called out.

"Yes, Master, everything is going OK so far. Aldora, here, just has these boils all over, so I had to take her robes off," she informed him.

"I see. Well, call on me if you need help. The other healing students seem to be doing all right as well. I'm very proud of you all," he replied before walking off to check on the rest of the room.

It took nearly an hour to get Aldora back under control. Once the girl had fallen into a fitful sleep, Teecie left her behind the curtain, and checked on the other three students in her care.

Laron had made a complete recovery, and seemed to be ready to leave. Master Wilkes checked him over, and gave him leave to return to his dormitory.

Professor Boot, the head of Hufflepuff, had come up to see how her students were doing, and smiled to see them doing so well. "Why don't you go back to the common room? I've had the house elves prepare hot chocolate for you," she informed Laron and the others in his house who were ready to leave.

Draco had also come up as soon as he could, to see the progress of the students. He hadn't known that Teecie was involved in helping, and didn't see her while he walked through the Hospital wing, talking to the students, and checking in on them all.

Teecie didn't see him either, and went about her duties happily. This would go down as one of the best days of her life. For Draco though, it was quite the opposite. He would come to remember this as, quite possibly, the worst day of his entire life.

As soon as he left the Hospital wing, he headed over to see Snape, knowing he was expected there. Once there, Draco walked into the office, to find Snape glaring up at him from the chair behind his desk.

"Took you long enough," Snape growled in greeting. "How did this happen?" His nostrils flared angrily.

Draco took a deep breath before sitting down across from Snape.

"Tell me everything."

Draco looked at Snape's unhappy face before going into detail about the ordinary class turned horribly awry in just a matter of minutes. He told him about giving proper instructions, and watching as the students went about following them, and how, about halfway through the class, two of the boys had started to bicker. He'd walked over to them to straighten them out, and during this time, there had been a strange sizzling noise, indicative of somebody adding too much bubotubar puss to the Blattus Vomica leaves. This tended to create purple droplets that float into the air for a few seconds before falling. He'd turned just in time to see the purple droplets fall on everybody, himself included.

There had been no time to protect himself or any of the students, and after the droplets made contact with his skin, his hands had been too swollen to use his wand or administer any healing potions. He'd done his best to keep the students calm, and summoned the Head Boy and prefects to help take the children up to Wilkes.

Snape shook his head silently during all this. Once Draco had finished, he took a deep breath. "I cannot believe you had such little control over your students as to allow this to happen. This would never have happened when I was Potion's master," he snarled.

Draco tried to remain calm. It wouldn't do to tell him all of the things he, his friends, and all his classmates used to do behind Snape's back when they'd been students.

"It was very foolish of you to turn your back on the class. And you should have moved faster to make use of your wand to protect the students. It is because of your negligence that they have all suffered this day."

"Sir, with all due respect-"

"No, Draco, there are no excuses that can justify what you did. You allowed your students to come into harm's way, and that is inexcusable," Snape replied harshly before clearing his throat. "I also believe I know the cause of your poor judgment: You are overextended. You are stretching yourself too thin, and that needs to be changed. I think it is time that you added on an assistant."

Draco was stunned to hear this, but remained silent. He couldn't complain about such an injustice without being accused of whinging.

Snape looked at him carefully before continuing. "You do too much, Draco: Family, businesses, school, running clubs, all demanding your attention. It is time to delegate some of those tasks to others. Let your wife take on more of the family issues, as well as leaving your sister alone from now on, and with an assistant, you will be able to pay closer attention to your duties at the school. That is, if you wish to continue at the school…" he trailed off ominously.

Draco's eyes grew wide and he furrowed his eyebrows. "Of course I want to continue working here. But Severus, my family needs me; they won't be able to function without me. Ticia alone is proof that I need to be more involved in their lives, not less," he replied before sighing. "As much as I do not feel the need for it, I will obtain an assistant, to ensure something like this doesn't happen again. But I cannot lessen my involvement with my family."

Snape took a deep breath and folded his arms. "Draco, did it ever occur to you that the reason Ticia acts out is because you keep trying to control her?"

Draco frowned, and remained silent. The only reason he had to control her is because his father and Ticia's mother didn't discipline the girl at all. It was his helping out in her life that had kept Ticia from following in her sister's footsteps. It was unthinkable for him to give up that control.

Snape could see that Draco wasn't going to budge over this issue, and that it was time to return to the problem at hand. "You need to work on obtaining an assistant as soon as possible. You may want to spend your Easter holidays looking for one, instead of traipsing through Greece as you normally do. Until you find an assistant, I will be observing each of your classes. If you have any difficulty in finding one, I would be more than willing to help you find one. You may go now," he said curtly, ending the conversation.

Draco tried to hide the anger he was feeling. Snape was treating him like a child being punished. Sure things might be better with an assistant, but surely it could wait until after the holiday. He was quite looking forward to spending Easter in Greece with his family. It was one of the only times during the school year that he was able to get away from all the children at the school.

Draco left Snape's office that evening feeling quite exhausted over the events of the day. Before he went to sleep that night, he made plans for conducting interviews over the Easter holiday.

During the meeting between Snape and Draco, Teecie was still in the Hospital wing, helping with the last of the students, and cleaning up the room afterwards. The other healing students stayed as well, and appeared to be as exhausted as she was. They all flopped down on cots, and rested their feet while chattering about the exciting afternoon.

"I'm so glad we all stayed calm and were able to help those poor kids out," Rina Diggory said as Wilkes walked back into the room with a tray of ice-cold Butterbeers for them.

"I'm very proud of every one of you. I'll be speaking to your Heads of Houses to see about giving you special commendations. You've made me very proud, and you should be, too. I couldn't have asked for a finer group of people to help me in a crisis," he said while passing out drinks.

"This is the best day ever!" Teecie cried before taking a sip of her Butterbeer.

The other students heartily agreed, and were soon talking about the events in great detail. Teecie felt at home with this group of students, even though they were older, and she wasn't in this class yet. By the end of the evening, she hoped more than ever that her OWLS would be high enough for her to get into the class next year.

By the next day, the entire school had heard abut the accident. Teecie and the others who'd helped had people asking about it all day long.

At lunch, Teecie received an owl from home:

Ticia Darling,

Severus has just owled us and told us what a hero you are! Your father and I are so proud of you! You're just getting so grown up, I can't believe it.

We cannot wait to see you over the Easter holiday. Your father was hoping you'd help him sell honey, if you wanted to. He quite enjoyed spending time with you doing that last year.

I love you very much, Ticia, and so does your father. We'll see you in a few days!

-Adriana

Teecie grinned and handed the note over to James to read. He nodded his head in agreement when he'd finished. "She's right, you know. You should be proud of yourself. I know I'm proud of you," he said while leaning over to kiss her cheek.

Teecie smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. "You don't know how nice it is to know you're proud of me and support me. It's partly why I love you so much," she sighed.

"Oh? And what other reasons are there that you love me?" James asked quietly.

Teecie grinned and put her hand in his. "Well…let me think…You're incredibly gorgeous, for one thing. You're a nice person and you care about others. You're funny, and always make me feel better," she replied.

"Is that all?" James chuckled.

"Well…I love the way you care so much about me. You treat me like I'm the most important person in the world. It makes me want to treat you the same way," she said with a grin. "And what do you love about me?"

James wrapped his arm around her waist as they sat at the Gryffindor table. "I love your smile, and your beautiful brown eyes. I love your red curls, and your perfect body. I love your soul, and the way you laugh. I love the way you kiss me after we've…you know…and I love the way you go to my Quidditch practices even though they bore you," he whispered in her ear.

Teecie smiled and squeezed his hand. "They're not too bad," she replied. "It gives me plenty of time to work on homework."

During this time, Draco had walked past the happy couple, without even glancing at them. Teecie thought this was odd, for he'd normally stop and try to break them apart. She decided he must be feeling the stress of the previous day still. It had to be a humiliating time for him, and her heart filled with sympathy for him.

After she finished eating, she visited Draco in his office. "How are you doing?" she asked quietly while stepping inside. She noticed Liss was sitting on the sofa, looking at her father with great concern showing on her face. Teecie sat down next to her, and smiled encouragingly. She knew Liss was probably quite concerned for her father right now.

Draco glanced up from his desk, which was covered in mounds of parchment sheets. "Ticia, I've heard about your heroics yesterday," he said in a rushed voice while picking up a handful of papers. "You did a good job, and I'm proud of the way you conducted yourself in an emergency," he continued.

Teecie beamed up at him. "Thank you," she replied while he want back to looking at his papers. "What's he doing?" she finally asked Liss.

"Father has to find an assistant as soon as possible," she explained in a whisper. "Uncle Sev has forced him to do it, and I for one think it's cruel, so I'm not speaking to him anymore."

Teecie thought about this for a moment before deciding that it was a wise choice of Uncle Sev to force Draco to take on an assistant. He really did too much, and could use all the help he could get. "But Liss, this is good. Your father is very stressed out, and that's not healthy for him. This will keep him from making himself sick," she whispered in return.

Liss looked thoughtful for a couple seconds before nodding her head and smiling at her aunt.

Teecie stood up and grabbed a handful of parchments from Draco's desk before sitting down and flipping through them. Each sheet contained a picture and resume of a possible candidate. She and Liss sat on the sofa and flipped through the pages. After a few minutes, Liss giggled and pointed at the picture of a candidate. Teecie glanced at it, and saw the face of a very handsome young man winking up at her. She giggled as well, and moved closer to Liss. They spent about a half hour giggling and whispering to one another before Draco looked over at them.

"Girls…why don't you two go do something somewhere else?" he asked with an exasperated look on his face.

Teecie frowned lightly. "Sorry we're being too noisy, Draco," she replied while standing up and putting the pile of sheets back on his desk. Once done, she held her hand out to Liss. "Come on, let's go find Portia and the other girls," she said while Liss took her hand and walked towards the door.

"Good evening father," she called out with a smile before leaving with her aunt.

"Good night," Draco called back while reaching out to grab the pile of papers the girls had been looking through. He rolled his eyes as he realized they'd been giggling and chattering over all the good-looking men. These ones he took out and set aside in a new pile, entitled "Absolutely, Under No Circumstances".

Draco sat for a few minutes, amidst all the papers, and thought about Liss giggling over handsome men, and hated it. He hated the thought of her growing up, and hated her future husband, whoever he might be. He thought of Ticia, and how she'd helped clean up his mess yesterday, and done a fine job of it, from what he'd heard. The people he loved most in the world were growing up before his eyes, and he was unable to do anything to stop it, and on top of it all, Snape was forcing him to hire a babysitter for his classes. He could feel the control he'd worked so hard his entire life for, quickly slipping through his fingers.

After a minute, Draco looked over to the bottle of Italian Ambermede on the top of his book shelf. He thought about pouring himself a glass, and drinking it slowly, savouring each drop…but in the end, he chose not to. It seemed like the last choice he had any control over making anymore.

As Liss and Teecie ran off to find their friends, Draco sat back in his chair, and continued to look through possible candidates. It was a long and unpleasant evening.


	76. Easter and OWLS

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: You're totally right that Draco has some control issues, and this chapter will only prove that even more I'm afraid! This was a fun chapter to write though, and I hope you enjoy it! Happy reading!

JerseyPike: I'm glad you like the story so far. I sent you an email a few weeks back to respond to your review since I knew it would be a while before I posted this next chapter, so you should already know what I said about all your great comments. Welcome aboard!

Bright Eyes: I'm happy that you enjoyed the last chapter. Draco is in this one quite a bit too, so you might like this one as well. Have you read the new book yet? I love hearing people's thoughts on it. Feel free to email me if you like and tell me what you thought! Happy reading!

Easter and OWLS

Author's Note: This is the first chapter posted since Half Blood Prince came out. I will continue with this story, as is, because it is far too late to incorporate anything new learned from this book into this story. I have already added a line to my introduction to the story saying that this story, as well as any of the True Revenge stories, is based on the books through Order of the Phoenix. However, I do reserve the right to incorporate smaller, less important things into this story that might pertain to the world as a whole, as long as it doesn't contradict what I have written already for this story. I will try to post spoiler warnings, though most of them would be based on school-issues, such as OWLS, and classes, etc., not so much on major events that might have occurred in the book.

Teecie and James spent some quality time alone on his four poster bed the Friday night before the Easter holidays began. James was staying at the school while Teecie would be flooing home to spend time with her parents.

Teecie was really looking forward to going home, but was also going to miss James terribly. They'd promised to write to each other every day, and to think about each other every night before going to bed.

The next morning, after packing her book bag with all she'd need to revise over the holiday, Teecie flooed home from Uncle Sev's office. Not many students left the school for Easter, so they were allowed to floo home, instead of taking the train to and from the school.

Teecie arrived back at the property in time for breakfast, which her parents had ready on the table for her when she walked into the kitchen. Both Lucius and Adriana smiled, and took turns giving their daughter hugs. Once Teecie had put her school bag in her bedroom, the three sat down to a hearty Belgian waffle and sausage breakfast.

"So, what would you like to do during the break?" Adriana asked while putting a few more sausages on Teecie's plate.

Teecie shrugged her shoulders. "I'd like to go help dad at the market for a couple days," she replied while glancing at her father. Lucius nodded his head and smiled before she continued. "And then maybe one day you and I can go shopping," Teecie said while looking at Adriana. Adriana smiled as well. "And then I think I'll revise and relax for the rest of the time," she finished before taking a large bite of her waffle.

"I think that sounds like a fine plan," Adriana replied. "We can go to London to buy clothes."

"And I'm glad we can spend some time together. I miss not seeing you every day anymore," Lucius said while standing up to get ready for a day of selling honey at the local farmer's market.

After breakfast, Teecie changed into more comfortable shoes, and packed her handbag before running out to the car, where her father was loading boxes of honey into the boot.

When he'd finished, he limped over to the driver's side, and sat down behind the wheel while Teecie sat down next to him, and set to work finding a radio station that played music she enjoyed. She finally settled on an oldies station before leaning back in her seat and looking at all the familiar scenery. She loved how green the land was, and enjoyed watching the farm animals grazing on the grass, safely behind their fences.

While Lucius drove, Teecie noticed that her father never used his left foot for the gas pedal. He'd switch his right foot back and forth between the pedals, instead. She frowned and looked up at him. "Dad, have you ever had your foot looked at? There's got to be a spell they could use at St. Mungo's to help it," she said quietly.

Lucius's nostrils flared, and he took a deep breath before responding. "My foot is none of your concern, Ticia," he sad in a warning tone.

"But dad, you must be in a lot of pain," Teecie said practically.

"Don't worry about me, Ticia. This is what I've chosen, this is what's right," Lucius said with such finality that Teecie knew better than to push the issue. She sighed and went back to looking out the window until they arrived at the market.

It took a while to set up the booth with jars of honey, and samples, but once they did, a line quickly formed.

Teecie was amazed at it all. It was even bigger than last time she'd helped her father sell honey. The line of buyers was primarily women, and Lucius flirted shamelessly with each and every one of them. He even seemed to have a bit of a fan club, with several women who lingered for what felt like hours, at the booth.

"Oh Lucius, last night I tried your chocolate mint honey on vanilla ice cream, and it was just divine," one raven-haired woman crowed.

Lucius grinned. "Well Blythe, I'm glad to hear you liked it so much. And how did the children like it?"

"They ate every last drop in their bowls!" Blythe replied.

"You should have brought them today."

Blythe waved her hands dismissively. "Oh no, I left them at home with their father. They know Saturday is my day to be alone to do all the marketing," she replied while flushing slightly.

That day, Blythe left with five new jars of honey to try.

Several other women lingered by the booth, many of them eyeing Teecie jealously.

"And who is this?" one strawberry blonde woman asked Lucius with a frown.

"This is my youngest daughter, Ticia," Lucius replied with a smile. "You know, the one who's interested in medical school."

Mandy pursed her lips before replying. "I was under the impression that you had no children."

Lucius furrowed his brow. "I've mentioned them several times," he said before smiling slightly. "I have four children."

Mandy's eyes grew wide in shock.

"And four grandchildren as well."

Mandy gasped. "I had no idea you were old enough to have grandchildren," she replied.

"Sorry to disappoint you," Lucius grinned.

Mandy's face softened and she grinned as well. "Well now, I didn't say that it was a bad thing…" she trailed off.

Mandy left that day with six jars of honey.

By the end of the day, Teecie was exhausted, but excited while she counted what they'd made. "Dad, we made a thousand pounds today!" she cried once they'd gotten into the car.

Lucius smiled. "That's not bad at all! Now you go ahead and take out fifty pounds for yourself. You earned it today," he replied.

"Fifty? Really? Thanks dad!" Teecie cried while counting out her share of the money. "You know dad," she said, looking over at her father, "It is a little weird seeing you flirt with all those women, and knowing mum is at home all alone."

Lucius smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry if it upsets you, but it's completely harmless. Those women are just lonely, and need somebody to talk to. Your mother understands this, and knows I'd never cheat on her. And," he added with a grin, "if it helps at all, just remember that she comes with me several days a week, and does her own share of flirting with the male customers. She can get the men to buy far more honey than I ever could, well…except some…"

Teecie giggled at the thought. "You and mum should open up a store together," she chuckled.

"We have talked about it. But it's too soon, and I need to continue developing more flavours before we seriously consider it."

The two picked up a pizza on the way home. Adriana met them on the porch with a smile. "How are you two? Did you meet his fan club?" she asked Teecie with a laugh. "You should see the dirty looks they give me when I'm there!"

The three spent a pleasant evening together before retiring to bed early.

The next day, Adriana joined them at the market, and Teecie quite enjoyed seeing her parents interacting in a business atmosphere. Somehow, it made them seem a little bit like normal people, and not just parents.

The shopping trip with Adriana was loads of fun too. Teecie bought several new outfits and books during their outing.

During this time, she kept her promise to James by writing to him every day, and thinking about him before falling asleep each night. She'd wrap her arms around her stuffed pink unicorn, and imagined it was James sleeping next to her.

For several days, Teecie lounged around and did nothing of any particular importance. She sat under the olive tree or in the hammock, and read her favourite books. When she grew tired of that, she'd watch some of her favourite telly programmes. Adriana joined her during tea for Coronation Street, the best soap opera in all of Britain.

"I can't believe she did that!" Teecie cried one afternoon.

"Darling, she's Tracy Barlow, she's capable of anything," Adriana replied while pointing to the older woman who was hitting on a much younger man.

"I know," Teecie grumbled, "but it still doesn't make it right…"

The last couple days of the holiday were spent revising for her OWLS, which were now less than two months away. Her marks were all quite good so far this term, but she had to make sure to keep them as high as possible.

"I have to do the best I can if I want to get into all the advanced classes, as well as Master Wilkes's healing class," she explained to her parents one night at dinner.

Both Lucius and Adriana were extremely proud of their ambitious daughter. It seemed like only yesterday when Teecie had been a little girl with no greater goal in life than to stay at home forever, and keep house for them. Now, only a few years later, she had more hopes and dreams for her future than Lucius and Adriana combined. Of course, their greatest hope for her was that she be happy in life. Everything else was just icing on the cake.

Teecie revised furiously, and by the end of the holidays, felt quite confident about her OWLS. She even had her parents give her practice tests, telling them to think of spells and charms for her to perform.

"Excellent, Ticia!" Lucius exclaimed the night before she left for school. She'd successfully made a peeled banana do cartwheels around the dining room table, before it did a back flip into a dish of hot fudge covered ice cream. "You're doing so well! Now, go and eat your work," he said before shooing her off to the kitchen to eat.

The next morning, Teecie ate breakfast at home before flooing back to Hogwarts in time for her first class. James grinned as he saw her walking towards him in the hallway. She ran up to him and gave him a big hug and kiss before they walked into the class hand-in-hand.

Teecie's week passed quickly, in a flurry of classes, afternoons with Master Wilkes, and evenings with James. Something had changed while she'd been on holiday, though. Draco's new assistant had arrived. Alexander Davies, a young man who had left Hogwarts a few years earlier, had been hired to help Draco during classes. Teecie had expected Draco to be resentful and sullen about it, but as it turned out, he seemed quite thrilled. He made Alexander give the instructions to the class, and help look out while the students prepared their potions.

One thing that she hadn't anticipated was that Draco would find so much free time that he felt he had more time to spend with her and interfering with her life. Teecie was less than thrilled about this.

"No, you and James don't need to spend every evening together. Why don't you come down to my office tonight after dinner. I'll help you revise for your Potions OWL. In fact, why don't we plan on doing that every night until your OWLS. You don't want to fail that one, not if you want to become a healer," Draco said to Teecie one afternoon after class.

"But Draco, I like to spend time with James. Why don't we study a couple days a week instead?" Teecie asked as calmly as possible.

"That is a good start, but I think every night would be best. I want you to do your very best on your OWLS. If we perfect the Potions one, then we can move on to the other subjects. You'll be grateful you did this once your OWLS are all finished," Draco decided.

Teecie rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine, I'm sure I'll be glad I did well," she said sullenly. Though she did like the thought of being well prepared for OWLS, she didn't like the prospects of losing time with James.

And even though she loved her brother and knew he only wanted what was best for her, Teecie's anger at Draco almost boiled over on the day of her career meeting with Professor Lupin. Lupin didn't look too happy as she'd entered his office, and found out why when she'd looked around and saw Draco sitting in front of the desk. Teecie's stomach lurched as she saw this. Draco turned and smiled at her. "I cleared my afternoon schedule in order to be here with you, Ticia," he said in greeting.

Teecie was caught by surprise, and scowled. "Draco, nobody else is having their meeting with their parents, or their brother! Why do you have to be here? You're always here!" she cried.

Draco smiled. "Ticia, I'm here because I care about you, and want what's best for you. I think it's important for you to have your family with you at a time like this, because there are so many options available to you at this time in your life, that making a wise decision can sometimes be difficult without a caring adult to help you along," he said calmly.

"That's what Professor Lupin is here for!" Teecie exclaimed before frowning.

"I am your relative, Ticia. The professor here, is not," Draco replied pointedly, while looking at Remus.

Teecie folded her arms and glared at Draco for a minute while weighing her options. She could refuse to go through with the meeting, insisting on rescheduling for a time when Draco would not be there. She could storm out of the office and lodge a complaint with Uncle Sev. He'd most likely tell Draco off and allow her to meet with Professor Lupin in private. Or, she could sit there, and allow Draco to interfere every few minutes with comments and suggestions, which was most likely to happen if he joined them. It was just humiliating for her to have to deal with this. Nobody else at the school had to deal with this.

She felt like kicking and screaming and throwing a temper tantrum until Draco left. It was at that moment that she stopped and looked at her brother. Only a few short years ago, she'd run to him every time she'd been homesick, or had needed comforting for anything. How had things changed so much in so little time? Was Draco really doing this to be mean? Probably not; he loved her and wanted her to be safe and happy. Was it really so bad to have him there giving his opinion? It's not as though she had to follow his advice. She just had to listen to it while he gave it…all of it…throughout the entire meeting.

Teecie finally sighed and sat down next to her brother. "All right, you can stay," she replied. "But you'd better keep quiet and let me talk with Professor Lupin. If you have anything to say, you can wait until we're done."

Teecie thought Draco smiled triumphantly, and said, "Thank you very much."

Professor Lupin looked back and forth between the two before focusing on Teecie. "All right then. Ticia, I know you have planned on entering into the healing field after school, and have spoken with Master Wilkes about what sort of OWLS you'll need in order to take the advanced classes here, and to get into healing school after leaving Hogwarts. So, I thought we could spend our time discussing other options for when you leave for healing school. Have you really thought about what your focus will be, as well as what you'd like to do when you finish healing school?" he asked with a slight smile.

Teecie thought about this for a few minutes. "I hadn't really thought beyond healing school," she finally admitted with a small frown.

"Have you given much thought as to which healing school you'd like to attend? I've been doing research, and have found a wonderful program in Germany, where-" Lupin began before being cut off.

"I'm sorry, but Ticia will not be leaving Britain," Draco interjected.

Teecie shot him an angry look for interfering. "You don't know that," she snapped, "I want to know all of my options."

Lupin cleared his throat before continuing. "As I was saying, the program in Germany seems to be the most superior training in all of Europe. And with translation spells, the language difference won't be so much of an issue," he continued.

Teecie nodded her head thoughtfully. "Do you have any pamphlets or something I can read about it?" After asking, she started to think about what moving to Germany might mean for her future. "Though…if I moved to Germany…James would have to stay here for auror training. I don't know if I want to be away from him for so long. We were going to get married right after we left Hogwarts…"

"Well, you could always postpone that by a few years," Lupin suggested.

Again Draco spoke up. "Oh, so now you're trying to push back all of my sister's plans are you? She's got a career all planned out that has to be kept on track-" he started in an angry tone before Teecie cut him off again.

"Draco, will you be quiet? I said you could stay, but you're being annoying! I do not want you interfering with this!" Teecie snapped. "This is the right time for me to think about all of this. And besides, up until now, you haven't even wanted me to marry James. Why do you care all of a sudden?"

Draco frowned slightly. "It's because I care so much about you. I know the boy makes you happy, and I just want for you to be happy," he replied.

"Well just let me keep thinking about all of it then. It's not set in stone after all." Teecie then turned back to Professor Lupin. "So, what were you saying?"

Lupin looked warily at Draco for a minute before replying. "I merely suggested that you postpone the marriage until you've finished school. But if that's not an option for you and James, there is always the possibility of you living here, but going to Germany for the day, and returning each night. It's too far to floo, but a portkey should do the trick."

Teecie nodded her head. "That's probably the best idea," she replied.

"And there are other schools closer to home as well. St. Mungo's of course is well-reputed, as is the French healing school," Lupin added before changing the subject. "And what do you think you'd like to specialize in?"

"Well…ever since what happened in my third year, I've been interested in mental health. I feel that it's overlooked in the Wizarding world, and that isn't a good thing. But I also love the idea of pediatrics. I like working with children. They're so full of life and energy," she replied.

"I don't see why you can't focus on both," Lupin said thoughtfully. "Some children have mental health issues that if treated early enough, could prevent further problems in their adult lives."

"That's a brilliant idea! And that will really help for when James and I decide to have children. We've talked a few times, but can't decide on how many years to wait."

Draco had sat silently through this, but couldn't help speaking up at this. "Now, Ticia, I would think you'd want to have your first child within a year upon marriage."

Teecie looked at him carefully. "If I did that," she said quietly, "then I probably would never make it through healing school. And I'm sure you don't want that. That would make me very unhappy, and I know you don't want that…"

Draco's nostrils flared. "Of course not. But you must think about a family. That is just as important as your career will be. You and your husband will have to decide when to have children, how many to have, and how far apart in age they'll be," he said calmly.

"But there's no pressure for Ticia and James to have children any time soon. They have to decide when the time is right for them," Lupin added.

"Yes, but…" Draco began. He was soon talking as though Ticia was not in the room.

Teecie sat in her chair, fuming over what was happening. Lupin was calm during all of this, and was trying not to instigate Draco by not responding to him at all. Draco was red-faced, and looked to be almost enjoying himself during all of this.

After a minute, Lupin turned his attention back to Teecie. "It doesn't really matter about our opinions, in the end, you must decide for yourself. So," he said with his eyebrows raised, "what do you think?"

Teecie folded her arms and pursed her lips. "Do you really want to know what I think?" she snapped at Draco. "I think I should have had this meeting without my brother. All you've done is embarrass me! You ought to be ashamed of yourself for wasting my precious time. I could have been revising right now, or working with Master Wilkes, but now, I'm here, and you are just annoying me!" Teecie's voice had risen to a shrill pitch by the end of her tirade.

Draco's eyes grew wide while listening to his sister chastise him. He couldn't understand why Ticia was always so sensitive when he tried to look out for her best interests. "Now, what are you so upset over, Ticia? You're acting like a child," he reprimanded her with a frown.

Teecie stood up and put her hands on her hips. "Look who's talking! You want to talk about acting like a child, I've seen Roo behave better than you have today," she hissed.

Draco raised his eyebrow, and opened his mouth to speak. Teecie knew he was probably going to ground her or tell her again what a child she was being, but she wanted to keep the upper hand, and that meant ending this on her terms.

Before he could say anything, Teecie walked towards Professor Lupin's table and grabbed the stack of pamphlets. "Professor, I'm sorry, but I'm getting too distracted to get anything out of this meeting. I'll read through these on my own, or with Uncle Sev, but I can't stay here anymore, not with my butthead brother," she said, nodding over at Draco. With that, she turned and walked towards the door. Before she left the room, she looked at Draco one last time. "I know you're my brother, and you love me, and I love you…but you're bugging the hell out of me! Let me live my own life!" She turned and stormed out of the room.

Instead of going back to her room, or off to find James, Teecie marched up to Uncle Sev's office, and flopped down on his sofa. "He's driving me crazy!" she wailed after being asked what was wrong. "All he does is try to control me," she muttered.

Snape frowned slightly. "What has Draco done now?" he asked quietly.  
"He insisted on barging in on my meeting with Professor Lupin. He kept interrupting us and it was so humiliating!" Teecie explained.

"You should be grateful to have a brother who cares for you enough to be there at your meeting. Not everybody is lucky enough to have a family member take time out of their day to look out for the best interests of somebody else," Snape rebuked.

Teecie bit her lip and looked down at the armful of pamphlets she held. "But you don't know what he was like. He tried to tell me how many babies I should have, and when I should get married, and where I can go to healing school, or not," she grumbled while slumping down in the sofa.

Snape continued to frown. "Ticia, your brother is free to take care of you in the best way he sees fit. I suggest you go about your afternoon, and think about why your brother cares so much about you," he said while standing up and walking over to the sofa. He reached down and gently grabbed Teecie by the arm, and pulled her to her feet. He walked her to the door, opened it, and quietly shut it before she could protest.

Before Snape could sit back down again, he was interrupted by another knock on his door. He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Enter," he called out. "Draco, what a surprise to see you," he said drolly when the younger man walked into the room and took a seat where Ticia had been only minutes earlier.

"Well I think Ticia has a lot to think about over the next couple years, and I must say I'm a little disappointed at her behaviour towards me. She'll need all the advice and help she can get," Draco said in an exhausted tone.

Snape looked at him carefully before speaking. "Did I not tell you to leave your sister alone? Why did you feel the necessity of attending her career meeting with Lupin?" he asked while folding his arms.

"Severus, you should see the stack of pamphlets Lupin gave Ticia to read through. She's going to be so overwhelmed that I have to be there for her. I understand that at her age she wants to break free, but when she's older, she'll be grateful for the fact that I stood by her and helped her to make wise choices," Draco replied emphatically. "Quite frankly, I don't care if she gets upset and feels I'm interfering, because I am. She is not old enough to understand all the choices available to her, and it is my duty to her to make sure she does before making any final decisions. I'm doing this so that her parents don't have to. They're both very busy people, and I am already here. It makes complete sense."

Snape took a deep breath. "Well as her brother and the head of your family, it is up to your discretion to do so, or not. Just don't harass Ticia too much. I do not want to listen to her complain anymore," he replied.

"Everything will be fine. Don't worry about it," Draco assured Snape. The conversation turned to other topics after that, and Teecie was soon forgotten.

Teecie, for her part, had returned to her dormitory briefly in order to put her pamphlets on her bed, before leaving again in search of James. It didn't take her long to find him in the library. Since it was a nice day, they decided to spend the rest of the afternoon outside.

It was growing warmer as spring took a hold over the world. Flowers were bursting into life, and birds were flying about. James and Teecie went for a nice, long walk around the school, holding hands and reminiscing about the past. As they walked closer to the Forbidden Forest, their conversation turned to Moses, the girl they'd found a few years back. "I hope somebody adopted her," Teecie said wistfully.

James squeezed her hand. "Don't worry, my dad told me he talked to Uncle Harry, and he said she'd been adopted within a month of her coming to the orphanage," he reassured her.

Once Teecie felt better about this, their conversation turned to the Quidditch match James had just played in a few days before. Gryffindor had gone up against Ravenclaw, and barely lost, but James had still made some spectacular attempts to catch the snitch. "I'm just glad I see it as a game again," he replied with a sad smile. It had ended up being a good year for him on the Quidditch pitch, and he'd miss it over the holiday.

The two continued their walk before finding a log by the lake to sit on. They sat in silence, dangling their feet in the cool, clear water.

James had had his meeting with his father the day before, so they both had a lot on their minds. He'd found out that his Potions OWL would have to be quite high in order for him to be able to study to become an auror. Potions was his most difficult subject, compounded by the fact that the professor hated his guts. He could tell by the way Professor Black looked at him, or spoke to him, that he loathed him. Sometimes, James felt that there was nobody else in the world who could possibly understand how that felt…

The next day, Master Wilkes had a surprise for Teecie when she arrived at the Hospital wing that afternoon after classes.

"Ticia, after the potion's accident, and how well all of you did in the younger student's recovery, I asked around at St. Mungo's, and found volunteer positions for everybody over the summer holidays," he said with a grin. "This would be a wonderful opportunity for you to get even more experience. Since you're still underage, you'll have to get your parent's permission first. Think about it and let me know by the end of next week."

Teecie's face broke into a huge smile. "Oh Master Wilkes, this is wonderful! I can spend the whole summer there!" she cried. Her parents were too far away to tell at the moment, but Draco was close enough to share the good news with. "You don't mind if I run off and tell my brother, do you?" she gasped while turning and running towards the door.

"Go, take the afternoon off! You've earned it!" Wilkes called out after her as she disappeared from the room.

Teecie ran off to the dungeons, and found Draco sitting at his desk marking a pile of first year essays. All her anger towards him during the career meeting flew out of her mind as she rushed over to him and threw her arms around his shoulders. She kissed him on the cheek before pulling back and grinning at him.

Draco looked quite surprised as she did this. "Ticia, what brought this on?" he asked cautiously.

Teecie squealed and hopped up and down. "Oh Draco, it's the most wonderful thing ever! Master Wilkes got me an internship at St. Mungo's this summer holiday! I'll get to spend the whole holiday there learning all sorts of things!" she cried before giving him another huge hug.

Liss, who'd been curled up on the sofa reading a book, and Teecie hadn't noticed in the excitement, ran up behind her. "Oh Auntie, that's wonderful!" she cried.

Teecie turned around and grinned at her niece. "It's going to be the best summer ever!" she squealed. She joined hands with Liss, and the two girls continued to squeal and started jumping up and down.

After a minute, Draco told them to calm down, but still had a smile on his face. "Ticia, I am very happy for you. You have worked very hard for your goals, and deserve this. I know you'll make the most of this experience, and come away from it much closer to making your ultimate goal," he said before leaning down to give her a hearty hug.

"Thank you Draco," Teecie replied while looking up at her brother. "I still have to get my parent's permission, though."

"They'll say yes, don't worry about that," Draco reassured her.

The rest of the day passed in a flurry of activity and excitement as Teecie owled her parents, and talked to James about her plans. Her parents did agree to the internship when they'd replied the next day. She fell asleep that night with a smile on her face, and a feeling of calmness that she hadn't had in a while.

The rest of the week and weekend was spent studying obsessively for the upcoming OWLS. Nobody in Teecie's year seemed to believe they were so close now. Most of the fifth year Gryffindors could be found after curfew in the common room, revising together and quizzing each other.

Everybody was far more nervous than they had been at midterms. Teecie was getting far less sleep as she stayed up late every night, revising madly. She and James had come up with a good system to help one another out. His worst subject was Potions, one of Teecie's best, while Teecie's worst subject was Defense Against the Dark Arts, James's best subject. They worked really hard helping each other out to understand the difficult aspects, and it seemed to be helping a lot.

The other students were going this as well. Paige was helping Teecie and Patty with Transfiguration, and Kern was helping others with Ancient Runes.

The week before OWLS flew past, leaving almost everybody feeling unprepared. Teecie could hardly eat anything the night before. She'd studied one last time with Draco, who'd hugged her, and assured her she'd do well, before going to bed and not sleeping well.

The first OWL of the week was Charms. They'd been informed ahead of time as to the format, so Teecie was well aware that she'd have essays to write, followed by the practical later in the afternoon.

As Teecie looked around the room of nervous fifth year students, she couldn't help but think of her favourite literary character, Anne Shirley, and understood for once, what the entrance examination to Queens College must have been like for her. She hardly expected to tie for first place, though.

The examiner stood in front of the room, looking carefully at all the students. She had a drawn mouth, and bright green eyes that shone in the firelight. When everybody was seated, she approached the students and smiled briefly.

"Today is a very important day for you. These examinations will determine the rest of your education at Hogwarts, as well as your career. These are not to be taken lightly, but if you have revised properly and thoroughly, you should have no problems over the next several days," the woman said in a calm voice.

Teecie's heart was pounding so hard she thought everybody could hear it. She looked over at James, who was sitting across the room, as they'd been seated alphabetically, and wished she could be next to him, holding his hand for comfort, at this time.

Zeren was sitting only a couple rows away from her, so she smiled at him before bringing her attention back to the examiner in the front of the room. Assistants had begun to pass out sheets of parchment, and examination booklets with the questions printed in them.

The examiner told them they had two hours to answer the essay questions in the booklets, and once everybody had received one, she began the test by turning over a large hourglass.

Over the years Teecie had gotten advice from her professors about studying for tests, she'd learned how to take tests pretty well. Professor Weasley, especially, had helped her develop techniques for writing essays.

The first thing Teecie did was to open the book and carefully read through all the questions. There were four, so she allotted about a half hour to each one, hoping that would be enough time. For each question, she started off by writing out a brief outline, noting all the big points she wanted to remember to write about, noting all the big points she wanted to remember to write about. This helped raise her confidence level, for she felt that she wasn't going to forget anything important.

Most of the questions were about specific charms, how they were performed, and what their positive and negative effects were on the recipient of each one.

Teecie felt very comfortable writing about the charms she'd learned over the years. It had taken a while, but she'd finally mastered the levitating charm, as well as the summoning charm, cheering charm, and the unlocking charm.

While explaining the negative aspects of the cheering charm, she made sure to explain that its effects were only temporary, and not meant for long term use with emotional issues like depression. For long-lasting problems, medical attention was necessary, not a cheering charm, which only acted as a mask for the true problem.

For the levitating charm, Teecie wrote in great detail about learning to focus on the object one was attempting to lift. It was difficult, but had to be done to successfully perform the charm.

By the end of the two hours, she felt very good about the exam. Many of the other students were moaning over missed points or unfinished essays, but Teecie had a big grin on her face.

James seemed less confident of success, but wasn't panicking either. Patty and Paige both felt pretty good about the exams as well.

There was an hour lunch break for the students to relax, and eat before going off to the practical part of the exam.

Teecie felt a bit more nervous over this part. She still had the tendency to lose control of some charms, and they wouldn't work properly. She and James discussed this while eating lunch. He wolfed down three plates of food while Teecie was ravenous as well, and ate all the food she could before they had to go off for their practical exam.

The students were told to wait outside the Great Hall, and were called in ten at a time. Teecie waited for about a half hour before her turn came.

There were five small tables, with a person behind each one, at the front of the room. Teecie was instructed to go to the table to the far left, where a chipper-looking older wizard stood, waiting for her.

The man smiled as she approached. "Don't be shy! Step right up!" he called out to her. Teecie hurried over to him, and smiled in return. "Well now, what is your name, young lady?" the wizard asked while picking up a quill and clipboard to take notes with.

Teecie gave him all the information he asked for. She was so nervous, she was shaking. "Oh, don't worry, this won't be hard at all. Just relax while I ask you to demonstrate a few things for me," the wizard said after noticing her discomfort.

Teecie took a deep breath, and tried to calm down before he started. The first thing he asked was for Teecie to demonstrate the levitating charm. "And if you could explain your technique while you do it as well," he requested while setting an apple on the table.

Teecie took her wand out, and held it tightly in her left hand. "OK, first I'm going to concentrate very hard on the apple, because I tend to lift the table instead, otherwise…" she began before talking herself step-by-step through the charm. When she'd finished, she attempted to cast it. The apple slowly raised into the air, until it hovered several feet above them. She held it in the air until the man told her to set it down. She set it down very slowly, and gently, laying it back in the exact spot it had been.

"Very good," the wizard said while taking notes. "Now, try lifting the apple, and these, and see if you can juggle them," he said while placing an orange and a banana on the table next to the apple.

Teecie felt nervous, for she'd never tried to move anything while it was in the air. It took a few seconds to get everything into the air at the same time. They hovered for a while before Teecie attempted to juggle them. At first they just spun around, but after concentrating very hard, she was able to get them to start juggling around. She was only able to do this for two or three seconds before they all fell, crashing noisily back onto the table.

Teecie was horrified to have done this. Tears filled her eyes, and her bottom lip quivered. Before she could burst into tears, though, the wizard smiled at her. "Don't worry Miss Orendes, you did very well," he reassured her. "Besides, juggling was just the bonus part." Teecie felt relieved, though a little annoyed that he hadn't told her that earlier.

Next, the wizard asked her to use a colouring charm to turn a red rose blue. He told her that any shade of blue would be acceptable. This was a spell Teecie had only mastered a few weeks ago, and was quite nervous over how long the slight purple tinge the petals had lasted before turning completely blue.

The last test, was to make a pear back flip across table and into the fruit bowl set in the corner. Teecie used a great deal of concentration for this, but managed to successfully move the pear from one end to the other, and was even able to make it do a double flip to land in the bowl.

The wizard smiled, thanked her, and sent her on her way. Teecie breathed a sigh of relief as she rushed off to find James. When she'd found him, the two went off to talk until dinner.

James said he'd done very well, and again ate himself into a stupour. They spent the rest of the evening revising for their next OWL: Defense Against the Dark Arts.

The next day started off well. The Defense Against the Dark Arts written examination went smoothly, and she was confident that she'd done well, but all the confidence flew away as she went into the practical examination.

That test went very differently than the charms one had. When asked to face a boggart, Teecie began to sweat, and feel much panicked. She hadn't faced one since the disastrous first time in her second year, and didn't want to see her father die before her eyes again.

The woman giving the test was much less friendly than the man giving the first test, and snapped at her to hurry up, or take a failing mark for that segment.

Teecie's head snapped up, and she narrowed her eyes at the woman. "This is _my_ OWL, and the rules say nothing about practical examinations being timed. Perhaps facing your greatest fear is nothing to you, but I'm still learning how, so just back off, and let me do this on my own time!" she growled while placing her hands on her hips.

With that, she approached the desk drawer where the boggart was being held, and pulled it open. A black, shapeless form oozed out of the drawer before assuming the shape of Lucius. Teecie bit her lip and tried to remain calm as the boggart Lucius approached her with a smile on his face. Just as he reached out his hand to touch her cheek, he clutched his heart, and collapsed to the floor.

Teecie remained still for a moment, horrified at what she saw, before raising her wand again, crying, "Riddikulus!" and watching as her father slowly transformed into the woman giving the examination. Instead of writhing on the ground in pain, she began to break-dance, while Teecie burst into giggles. "Riddikulus!" she cried again, and the boggart popped out of sight.

Teecie was still laughing when she looked up and saw the un-amused look on the woman's face. She began taking notes furiously while Teecie wondered if she'd pass this OWL at all or not.

The grindylow, red cap, and hinkypunk were all a little easier to handle, but from the woman's attitude during the rest of the examination, Teecie had no idea if she'd done well or not.

James was ecstatic that evening, for he knew he'd done very well. He wanted to celebrate that evening, but Teecie insisted they revise for their Potions examination the next day. "We can celebrate all we want when OWLS are over," she promised him before kissing him goodnight.

The Potions OWL went smoothly for Teecie the next day. She felt she had a firm grasp on all the subjects she wrote about, and her demonstration of the Invigorating potion was flawless. It was the exact shade of green, and the perfect flavour of lime sherbet that it was supposed to be.

The next day's Runes OWL went worse than Teecie could have imagined. She'd gotten so nervous, that she'd forgotten half the letters, and mixed up many others. But it was the runes she'd translated into English curse words on accident that she was the most upset over. She'd ended up crying all through dinner that night.

Friday went a little better. Her Care of Magical Creatures examination went fine. She was able to write about her experiences in helping deliver baby hippogriffs when asked to write about them, and was able to identify all the creatures she was asked to, as well as successfully feed them, during the practical examination.

The weekend came as a most anticipated respite. The fifth year students took advantage of the time, and revised, yet had fun relaxing as well. James convinced Teecie to sneak out with him on Saturday night, and they spent time alone in his dormitory. She went away that night feeling completely refreshed, and ready for the next week of examinations.

Adriana wrote a note of encouragement to her, which she received on Monday morning during breakfast, and it helped her as she prepared for her History examination. This was one she was particularly nervous about, seeing as she'd done horribly on the midterm exam.

The exam went pretty good, though she knew she'd mixed up a few dates and names. She was more nervous though, about her Transfiguration examination the next day.

The written went flawlessly, but she was very uncertain while going into the practical. The beaver she'd tried to turn into a hat, ended up turning into a cat, and no matter what Teecie did, it wouldn't turn into a hat. She'd grimaced at the wizard taking notes, and said, "Well, at least it's only one letter off…"

The rest of the OWLS went uneventfully, and everybody was very glad when they'd finished. The night after the final one, the fifth year Gryffindors had a party late into the early morning, when Professor Lupin finally came into the room and told them all to go to bed.

Teecie and James snogged for a while behind the curtains of one of the windows, before his father caught them and sent them to their separate dormitories. They both slept in quite late the next morning, and enjoyed a wonderful weekend of doing nothing in particular. Teecie felt very relaxed, and happy, for she knew she'd tried her best on her OWLS, and was just happy that they were finished.

A/N: Coronation Street is one of the most popular soap operas in Britain, and I have based the characters and scene mentioned in this chapter on the characters in the show at the time that I have seen it. Over here we get the show about 7 or 8 months behind the current episodes, and this story takes place about 15 years in the future, so it's all conjecture at this point!


	77. Summer Begins

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Bright Eyes: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and the latest HP book. Unfortunately I haven't had time to read any fanfic for quite some time. This story is taking up all my free time, but I will try to read yours eventually. I promise!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm so happy that you liked her OWLS. I did struggle to keep them unique from what happened in the books. And yes, I think I'd pay good money for Lucius's honey too!

Midnight Alpha: Draco is very overprotective, but that's just his way. I don't really think he'll change, but he isn't like that to be mean, so I forgive him! And I'm glad that you enjoyed her OWLS too! Enjoy the next chapter!

Summer Begins

Author's Note: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is now out and I have read it. But I will continue with this story, as is, because it is far too late to incorporate anything new learned from the book into this story. I have already added a line to my introduction to the story saying that this story, as well as any of the True Revenge stories, is based on the books through Order of the Phoenix. However, I do reserve the right to incorporate smaller, less important things into this story that might pertain to the world as a whole, as long as it doesn't contradict what I have written already for this story. I will try to post spoiler warnings, though most of them would be based on school-issues, such as OWLS, and classes, etc., not so much on major events that might have occurred in the book.

Now that OWLS were over, there were just a few days left in the school year for James and Teecie to spend together before going home for the summer holidays.

They'd had a few serious discussions on what this would mean for their relationship. Without the ability to use magic, it would be too risky for them to keep sleeping together. If they wanted to continue doing so, which they did, it would mean resorting to Muggle forms of contraception. Since most of those would require seeing a Muggle doctor, that left one option they could think of: somebody would have to buy a box of condoms.

They'd even quarreled over which one should go buy them. "Ticia, if I buy those, then everybody at the store will know what they're for," James had complained.

"James, they already know what they're for, and I don't live by a store, you do," Teecie responded. She'd ended up winning the argument, and James was faced with the unpleasant, yet very necessary task of going to a chemist shoppe, and buying condoms.

The last few days they had together, were spent enjoying one another without the aforementioned condoms. James finally convinced Teecie to allow him to pleasure her the same way Owen had the first time she'd slept with him, and had enjoyed it a lot more than she had remembered it. James had enjoyed it thoroughly as well, especially when Teecie had felt brave enough to try it again on him. They decided this would work as well over the summer, to help ensure there were no pregnancy scares.

"Maybe I can sleep in the hay loft over the holiday, and you could come visit me," Teecie had suggested on evening while grinning madly.

James's eyes grew wide at the thought. "Your dad would kill me if he caught me flooing into your living room in the middle of the night," he chuckled.

Besides James, Teecie was also preoccupied with thoughts of her internship at St. Mungo's. She was excited, yet nervous as well at the thought of seeing up close, how magical healing worked on a large scale.

She hoped to be able to help out in procedures that weren't too complicated, and to learn a great deal that she could share with Master Wilkes over the next school year.

Teecie, Patty, and Paige spent their last night together, packing for the train ride home. They stayed up late into the night, filling their trunks with their books, clothes, and other things they'd gathered over the year. They chattered and giggled over the good times, and the bad, and talked about their summer plans.

The train ride home was fun, as usual. Zeren and Morgaine rode in the same compartment as Teecie, James, Patty, and Paige. James and Zeren seemed to have called a truce of sorts, where they only spoke about Quidditch to one another, but Teecie felt it was great progress for the two. She hoped they'd become friends some day. Both boys were going to the big Wimbourne Wasps match against the Holyhead Harpies in August, and were busy comparing the two teams to one another.

Morgaine and Paige spoke quietly to one another, trying to get to know one another better while Teecie and Patty talked to each other about school, and their boyfriends. Teecie had really enjoyed getting to know Patty better over the past school year, and truly valued their friendship, as a unique and separate one from her friendship to Paige.

Later, when everybody had gotten up to walk around, James and Teecie cuddled together on the seat, while watching the world pass them by outside. They talked quietly about their futures, and what their life would be like after they married.

They were just talking about how many children they wanted, when Zeren came back into the compartment. He smiled as he listened to their conversation. "But James, I know I'm going to want at least one daughter," Teecie said with a concerned look on her face.

"I know, and I'm sure we'll have at least one," James reassured her.

Zeren chuckled. "Imagine if one day you have a daughter, and I have a son, and they fall in love and get married…" he said with a malicious grin while looking at James.

James glared at Zeren. "That will never happen!" he growled.

The rest of the train ride home was uneventful, and relaxing. James and Teecie had to be pried apart by their parents at the train station, and Teecie cried all the way home.

"How will I live through the summer without him?" she sobbed.

Lucius rolled his eyes and sighed. "She'd better not be like this for the next two months," he whispered to Adriana.

Adriana wrapped her hand over his. "Don't worry, once the internship begins, she'll settle down," she promised.

Teecie was calmer that evening. Adriana had invited Kali, Reni, and their families over to celebrate Kali finishing school. She and Paul told them all about their plans to try out for some of the professional Quidditch teams next year.

"And we also plan to buy a house, now that we're both out of school. We want to live on our own," Kali informed them.

"Yes, we're going to look for a nice place in London, probably," Paul added. "That way I'll be closer to the Ministry. My father is still insisting I have a job there as well."

"That is a very wise thing to do. There's no guarantee that either of you will make it to a professional team," Peter said sagely. "And it's not so bad, really. Dad told me you'll be working just across the hall from me, so we'll see each other all the time," he continued with a grin. "We can go to lunch together!"

Lucius and Adriana had remained quiet, for neither was sure of how they felt, or what to say. Adriana didn't enjoy the thought of having another daughter growing up and leaving the house. Milestones like that in her children's lives were excruciatingly painful to watch. Just the thought of Renata's 30th birthday made her ill.

Lucius didn't like the thought of another daughter being lost to him. There was one less person for him to protect and care for now.

Teecie, on the other hand, was already making plans for the two empty bedrooms left behind by her sisters. She was just wondering how much an indoor jacuzzi would cost, when Adriana brought out the pudding.

After the gathering ended, Lucius, Adriana, and Teecie were left by themselves. Paul and Kali had returned to his parent's house, where they'd be staying until they found a house they liked.

Teecie spent the evening reading a healing book in the hammock outside, until it grew too late and cold. She slept soundly that night.

The internship didn't start for a week, so Teecie had a lot of free time on her hands. She spent a lot of time writing letters back and forth to James.

James, it appeared, was quite miserable without her. He was so distraught, that his mother had decided to start taking him to work with her for safe keeping. He seemed to be enjoying it so far. He was seeing how aurors worked, or at least how they worked while at their desks. He wasn't allowed to join in anything dangerous, which frustrated him, but he figured it was still more interesting than sitting around his house for the whole summer.

It was in one of his letters, that James came up with his brilliant idea. St. Mungo's and the Ministry of Magic were located very closely to one another, so it would be quite convenient for them to get together during Teecie's lunch hour each day. Teecie thought this was a great idea, and couldn't believe they hadn't thought of it sooner.

The rest of the week, and the weekend, were spent planning for seeing James again and mentally preparing for her internship. She was so nervous that she couldn't even eat or sleep for a couple days.

Adriana and Lucius tried to calm her fears by telling her how good she'd be at this, and that she'd been to St. Mungo's before, so it wouldn't be a completely unfamiliar surrounding to her.

On Monday morning, Lucius told Teecie he was going to floo over to St. Mungo's with her on the first day, to help her get settled in. She was sure she could have done this on her own, but her nerves were so worked up at the moment, that she decided it would probably be a good idea for him to go with her.

Lucius flooed to the hospital first, and escorted Teecie, while she held onto his arm, over to the receptionist desk. He let her introduce herself, and remained a silent form of support for her while the woman at the desk told her to sit in the waiting room chairs for a few minutes until the nurse assigned to take her on a tour of the entire hospital arrived.

Teecie and Lucius sat in the chairs and looked at all the sick people around them. There was a woman with a small child who had a wand stuck up his nose. He sniffled occasionally while his mother hugged him comfortingly. Another person, an older gentleman, seemed to have turned his ear into a crab which kept pinching his nose. Teecie tried not to giggle at this by reminding herself of how much it must hurt to be pinched by a crab.

After a couple minutes, a nurse named Marie came for Teecie. Lucius introduced himself to her, and made sure Teecie was comfortable before hugging his daughter, and turning to floo back home.

Marie was very kind, and had mousy brown hair and twinkling blue eyes, that set Teecie immediately at ease. "Have you ever been here before?" she asked Teecie as they walked to the top floor.

She explained about her Quidditch injury, and about Lucius's heart attack. "Well, it sounds like you do have some experience here," Marie replied. When they'd arrived at the nurses' station, she gave Teecie a set of red robes to put on. "These let people know you're an intern," she explained.

Teecie put the robes on over her white blouse, and grinned. She was now officially part of the St. Mungo's staff. It was such a great feeling, and as she glanced in a nearby window, she thought she looked pretty cute in her robes.

She was being shown the nurses' station, when an owl flew to her with a box in its talons. She squealed after opening it, and pulled out the dozen pink roses tied in gold and scarlet ribbons. The little note attached to the flowers read:

Ticia,

I am more proud of you today than you will ever know. I would wish you luck, but I know you won't need it.

I remain, your brother,

Draco

Teecie flushed and felt happier than she had in a while. It always felt so good to know her brother supported her choices, or at least some of them. She was filled with confidence after this.

Marie explained as they continued their tour, that Teecie's role at St. Mungo's would be mostly in the geriatrics ward. "There are a lot of older people in the hospital, and they love young people," she said with a smile.

Teecie felt her nerves building up a little at that. She didn't have much experience with really old people, and wasn't sure she'd be any good at it. She'd heard old people could be quite difficult to handle.

But her nerves didn't last long as she ran into somebody she knew. One of the boys she'd gone on a date with after her party was walking down the hall towards her. She didn't remember his name, but did know he'd been nice to her. When he approached, he stopped and looked at her too, as though trying to recall who she was.

"Don't I know you?" he asked curiously.

"Yes, but I don't remember your name. I'm Ticia, and we went out once a long time ago," Teecie replied with a smile.

Recognition suddenly dawned on the young man's face. "Oh right, now I remember! I'm Gabriel Winthrop," he replied while sticking his hand out to shake her hand. "What are you doing here?"  
Teecie shook his hand before answering. "I'm going to be a healer too, and Master Wilkes arranged for me to have an internship here over the summer. There should be a few more of us here too," she replied.

Gabriel smiled. "Well I have to be getting back, but I'll keep an eye out for you. We'll have to get caught up," he said before starting to walk away.

Teecie was happy to see a familiar face, and looked forward to seeing the other Hogwarts students over the holiday.

The rest of her morning flew past as she met healers, nurses, and even a few patients. She was also shown a lot of equipment and the tools she'd be using. She was quite overwhelmed, and very ready for the end of her shift. She was glad to only be working four hour days each week.

James was going to walk over to the hospital, and eat with her in the tea room for lunch. He wanted to see where she'd be working. He seemed quite impressed with her uniform when he first saw her.

"Look at you, all red and hot…" he whispered in her ear after kissing her cheek.

Teecie flushed and giggled before introducing him to Marie. Once the introductions were over, James took Teecie by the arm, and they strolled over to the tea room.

James insisted on buying Teecie's meal. "In honour of your first day, and all," he explained. The two enjoyed turkey club sandwiches and bowls of tomato soup, while talking about all Teecie had seen so far that day.

"I'm going to have to work with old people," she informed him.

James blanched at the thought. "You'd been hoping to work with babies, though," he replied.

"I think they let the actual healing students work with them. I guess it'll be interesting," she said.

Once they'd finished their lunch, Teecie flooed to the Ministry of Magic with James. It was her first time there, there, and she was quite nervous, and careful to mind her manners.

Tonks was sitting at her desk doing some paperwork, when her son and his girlfriend walked into the department. She looked up and smiled at Teecie.

"Look at you in your robes…" she said while standing up to give Teecie a hug. "You look so grown up."

"Thank you Mrs. Lupin," Teecie replied.

"Please, call me Tonks."

The three talked for a while about Teecie's first day of the internship before flooing back home again.

Lucius and Adriana were quite eager to hear about her day, and made her tell them every detail she could remember before letting her take a long bubble bath. She fell asleep that night the moment her head hit the pillow.

The next day at the hospital, Marie led her into a small storage room filled with shelves, and told her to sort out all the new inventory that had arrived earlier that morning. There was a pile of crates on the floor that hadn't been opened yet. Marie used her wand to open all the crates before leaving Teecie to work on her own.

It was quite a daunting task, figuring out where everything went, but she started to figure it out after a while. There was a lot of stuff to put away. Teecie was surprised at some of the things she found. It seemed that even magical doctors used Muggle surgical masks to keep from spreading germs to their patients. They also seemed to use Muggle gauze pads to help stop bleeding.

It took the whole shift to finish stocking the shelves, and Teecie was exhausted when she was done. Marie made her sit down for a few minutes to rest before James arrived for lunch.

On Wednesday, Teecie spent her day following Marie and observing all she did. It was fascinating to watch her take temperatures and blood pressures with spells instead of the Muggle way. Teecie made sure to take notes of the spells so she could memorize them all.

Her head was so full of new knowledge and experiences, that it throbbed by the end of the shift. She was too exhausted to change out of her clothes, and flooed back to her house still in her robes. Adriana insisted on taking several pictures of her, much to Teecie's dislike.

"We'll put one of these in next year's Christmas letter," Adriana exclaimed happily while putting away the camera. Teecie smiled politely before slipping away to take a hot bath to relax.

During the bath, she closed her eyes, and imagined that James was next to her in the water, with his arms around her waist. She wished he was there, and couldn't wait to see him at lunch the next day.

That next day, after her shift had ended, Teecie flooed to the Leaky Cauldron to meet James for lunch. They held hands and ate hearty bowls of French onion soup while chattering quietly to one another. When they'd finished, they strolled over to the ice cream parlour for a cool treat. They bought one chocolate milkshake, and two straws, and sat outside together, enjoying the sights.

They spent the rest of the afternoon trying to figure out when they could find the right time and place to be alone again. "I went through hell to buy those condoms, so we'd better damn well use them," James muttered.

"Maybe we could rent a room over the Leaky Cauldron sometime," Teecie suggested.

James shook his head. "That's no good. Everybody there knows my parents and they'd never let us get away with it," he replied.

James's father was home all summer, so his house wasn't an option.

Teecie thought for a minute before remembering something. "Hey, my mum and dad go to the market together every Wednesday and Thursday to sell honey. They never get home before six," she cried excitedly.

James considered this for a minute. "And you don't think they'll put up any alarms or anything while they're gone?" he asked cautiously.

Teecie shrugged her shoulders. "I don't see why they would, especially if I don't give them a reason to be suspicious. I'll just make sure to act normally," she replied.

The two decided this was the best option, and decided to try it out the next day after Teecie's shift ended. She and James would floo to the property, and spend the afternoon together.

The next day couldn't arrive soon enough for Teecie. She spent the whole evening planning out the best place for them to be. Her bedroom was the most obvious choice, but there was also a lot of appeal to the hayloft as well. In the end, she decided that they hayloft was too far away from the fireplace, in case of an emergency, and James had to leave quickly.

The internship dragged on the next day. She spent her day cleaning bedpans, a most unpleasant task, and counting down the minutes until her shift was over.

When it finally ended, she quickly hurried home, and made herself some lunch. James was going to have eaten before he arrived, so they could devote more time to the more important things they were meeting to take care of.

James flooed over at exactly the planned time, and as soon as he stepped away from the fireplace, he grinned and kissed Teecie fiercely. "You took your robes off," he said in a disappointed voice.

Teecie grinned. "Well, maybe next time…" she said before kissing him. They snogged for a long time before she led them to her bedroom, making sure to lock the door behind them.

Within seconds, their clothes lay in a pile on the floor, and they lay on Teecie's bed, snogging heavily. They spent at least an hour pleasuring one another with their hands and mouths before James left the bed and retrieved the box of condoms from his jeans pocket.

It took them several minutes to figure out how it worked, but finally, they managed to get it on, and went back to enjoying themselves.

It was a different sensation for both of them, but they quickly adjusted, and spent the rest of the afternoon shagging like rabbits.

Before either of them knew it, though, it was a quarter to six, and Teecie could hear her parents' car pulling onto the edge of the property. She gasped and jumped up; James followed suit. He swore while hastily throwing his clothes on and dashing for the living room.

"See you!" were his parting words before flooing back to his house.

Teecie had only just finished dressing, and emerged from her room right as her parents walked into the kitchen.

"Hello darling, how was your day?" Adriana asked with a smile.

Teecie shrugged her shoulders. "Fine I suppose," she replied nonchalantly, "nothing out of the ordinary happened."

Adriana smiled again. "Oh well, maybe tomorrow will be more exciting for you."

Teecie smiled and helped her parents carry their boxes into the house. Lucius was struggling with his cane and two huge boxes, so she took one of them to allow him a better chance to walk into the house with some dignity. She knew he'd take offense if she tried to take both boxes from him.

Once inside, she assisted her parents in making dinner. They sat at the table, eating spaghetti and meatballs, and talked about their day. Teecie made very sure not to mention anything about James.

When they'd finished dinner, the three made their way into the living room to watch telly for the evening. It was as Teecie walked past the dining room table that she noticed one of James's shoes was laying next to the fireplace. He'd obviously not been able to tie his shoes before flooing back home.

Lucius was walking towards it, and there was no way to hide it before he looked down and noticed it. His eyebrows furrowed before he bent down to pick it up. "Whose shoe is this, Ticia?" he asked pointedly while looking her straight in the eye.

Teecie thought quickly before smiling. "Mine!" she cried while trotting over to him and taking it out of his hands. "Thanks for finding it for me, I was looking for that!" she said before turning and rushing out of the room.

"Since when do you own a pair of boy's trainers?" Lucius called after her while following her to her bedroom.

"Since James gave them to me to remember him by," Teecie lied with a grin. To emphasize this point, she hugged the shoe to her cheek and nuzzled it for a few seconds.

Lucius looked at her with disgust showing plainly on his features. "What sort of a parting gift is a pair of shoes?" he asked before turning and walking back into the living room.

"Kids these days…" Teecie heard him mutter before sitting down next to Adriana. Teecie breathed a sigh of relief and tossed the shoe under her bed, next to the box of condoms, shut the door, and went back to join her parents.

Adriana looked at her curiously several times throughout the evening as though trying to catch Teecie doing something wrong. Teecie, for her part, tried to look calm and normal, as though she hadn't been up to no good all that afternoon long. She hoped it worked. It must have, though, for neither of her parents asked her anything about James that evening.

The next day, Teecie went with James into Muggle London for lunch after her shift. They ate at a hamburger restaurant and had a lot of fun people-watching from the windows.

They lingered for about an hour over their empty trays, whispering sweet nothings to one another. While Teecie walked their trays to the rubbish bin, James looked out the window. "Teecie, come look!" he cried when she was halfway back.

She ran over to him and gazed out the window, and saw Uncle Sev walking towards a restaurant with Narcissa. He put his hand on Narcissa's elbow while guiding her inside the restaurant. She saw Narcissa smile up at him, and follow him inside. The door shut behind them, and kept them from seeing anything more.

"James, do you know what this means? This means they're in love!" Teecie squealed. "He'd never go on a date with somebody he wasn't absolutely in love with. He never even went that far with my mum!"

James looked at her curiously. "Professor Snape and your mum?" he asked.

Teecie shrugged her shoulders. "They're pretty close, really," she replied.

"Wow! He must really love Great Aunt Narcissa, then," he said in an awed voice.

"I wonder if he's proposed yet."

"Is there any way to find out?"

"We could see if they're by the window and try to see if she's got a ring on her finger. She didn't have one when I visited her last year."

"Sounds like a plan to me," James grinned, "Let's go!"

The two teenagers left the hamburger restaurant, and carefully crossed the street to the much fancier restaurant Narcissa and Snape had gone into.

James was wearing a black baseball cap with two yellow W's embroidered on it, and pulled it down a bit s it covered up more of his face. He then put his hands against the window and leaned his face on them, trying to get a good look inside.

"I don't-" he began before yelping and jumping away from the window. Before Teecie knew it, he'd grabbed her by the hand and ran down the block, away from the restaurant, and around the corner before slowing down.

"He-was-right-next-to-the-the-window," James panted once they'd finally stopped.

"Oh no!" Teecie cried. "Did he see you?"

"I dunno, he might have. He was turning to look out the window when I jumped away."

"He'll kill us! If he saw us, we're dead," Teecie moaned before walking to the corner of the block, and glancing around. There was no sign of either Uncle Sev, or Narcissa.

"Maybe he didn't see us. I did have my hat down low, and you were standing away from the window. It's possible we got away just in time," James replied while joining her in looking for the adults.

Several minutes passed, and there was still no sign of them, so they felt it safe to return to their business.

They walked to Diagon Alley, and strolled around for a couple hours before going to the Leaky Cauldron for a Butterbeer.

It was here that they saw Snape and Narcissa again. James's eyes grew wide, and he whipped his hat off, just in time for Snape to notice them.

Teecie's heart began to pound as she saw Uncle Sev narrow his eyes at them, and slowly approach their table. "Just be cool and calm," she whispered to James while squeezing his hand comfortingly.

"Good afternoon Uncle Sev, how are you today?" she asked with a smile.

Snape glared at her for a moment before somebody walked up next to him. "Severus, why have you stopped? We were going to the-" the woman, who turned out to be Narcissa, began, before noticing who Snape was looking at.

Her pale blue eyes turned icy cold as she realized who they were. Suddenly, she smiled, and sat down next to Teecie.

"Miss Orendes, what a surprise to see you," she said, though her tone of voice conveyed nothing of the happiness her face showed. "It has been quite a while since I saw you last."

Teecie smiled in return. "It has been, and I must say I miss seeing you," she replied jovially.

Narcissa sniffed and looked over at James. "And this must be the one you moon over so," she said while turning to scrutinize James. "You must be one of the Lupin boys."

"Yes ma'am, I'm James," he replied carefully.

Narcissa wrinkled her nose before speaking again. "You may not realize who I am. I am-"

"My great aunt Narcissa," James interjected with a grin. "My mum has always spoken so highly of you, that I've always wanted to meet you. And I must say," he said before taking her hand and bringing it to his mouth for a kiss, "It is quite a pleasure to finally have the honour of meeting you."

Narcissa withdrew her hand from his, and smiled again. "I must say I am amazed at your manners. I never would have expected your mother and the werewolf she married to raise children that had proper manners," she replied.

Teecie looked up and saw Uncle Sev's nostrils flaring. She wasn't sure what to make of it all. She thought she could see the enjoyment in James's eyes though, as he flattered Narcissa.

James was speaking cordially with his great aunt, and loving every minute of it. "Great Aunt Narcissa," he said after a few minutes, "I have just noticed what a lovely shade of blue your robes are. They compliment the colour of your eyes perfectly."

Narcissa smirked. "I am shocked that you noticed that. Not many people would notice such a thing," she replied while glancing up at Snape and frowning. Snape glared at James with a look of pure hatred.

After another minute, he put his hand on Narcissa's shoulder. "We really must go now, Narcissa," he said as calmly as possible.

Narcissa spoke with James for another minute or two before ending the conversation, and standing up next to Snape again.

"Well, it is good to have finally met you, Mr. Lupin," she said before turning to Teecie. "Miss Orendes," she said with a nod of her head. With that, she turned and walked off with Snape.

Teecie looked at James with a huge grin on her face. "I think she approved," she squealed.

James smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "What can I say? The ladies just can't resist me," he chuckled.

Teecie rolled her eyes and snuggled next to him. "Well, some of us, I guess," she replied while he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

The two of them stayed like this for a while longer before they had to floo back home to their families. Teecie was excited for the weekend, though sad that it would be two whole days before she saw James again. She hoped she'd be able to make it for that long.


	78. Teecie's Summer of Luv

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm glad you liked the last chapter. Teecie's wickedness definitely continues into this one! Happy reading!

Bright Eyes: I tried to find your bio page on but I couldn't find it. Maybe you can paste the link in your next review and I can bookmark it so I can read your stories when I get the time! I'm glad you enjoyed the Narcissa interaction in the chapter, it was a lot of fun to write. And yes, Snape is less then enthused over it all! Here's the next chapter for you to read, enjoy!

Teecie's Summer of Luv

Now that Teecie's second week of the internship was beginning, it was time for her to learn what her duties for the remainder of the time would be. Marie led her to a corridor on the third floor where the elderly stayed. Teecie was nervous about working with older people. She'd never really interacted with people like that before, and wasn't quite sure how to act around them.

Marie was very helpful, though, and advised her in what to do and say to them. She was reassured that she'd rarely be left alone with them.

There were several people in the ward Teecie was to work in. All of them were of varying stages in their deterioration.

"Now keep in mind, Ticia, that all of them have had their wands confiscated for their own good, so don't ask them for assistance with anything, come to me instead," Marie said to her as they walked into the room.

Teecie nodded her head while looking around. A couple people stood out to her. One was a very thin, frail woman with dark cocoa brown skin, and her gray hair pulled back in a tight bun. Teecie watched as the woman's dark brown eyes lit up at the sight of her. "It's wonderful to see such a bright young face here. I'd begun to forget there are still young people in the world," she said with a look of longing on her face.

The other person stood out to Teecie because she'd seen him before. The older man who'd turned his ear into a crab the day she'd begun her internship, now sat in a bed, with his arms crossed, and a look of contempt for the world seeping through his features.

"Don't you stand there gawking at me, girl. How very rude of you," he growled at her.

Teecie gasped and quickly looked away from the man. Marie spent the rest of her shift showing her how to change sheets, clean bedpans, and take pulses.

The next several weeks were quite interesting, as Teecie was put her training to practice. It was fun getting to talk to everybody. All the old people seemed a bit revitalized by her youth. Changing bedpans was somewhat less than thrilling, though necessary. And getting to practice taking pulses was something she made sure to do at least once a day, so as to perfect her technique. It was quite simple once she knew how to do it.

The woman, Hazel Goodbody, was one of the kindest people Teecie ever had the privilege to meet. She liked to chatter just as much as Teecie did.

"None of my children or grandkids ever visit me, and I've been here for over a year now," she announced loudly one morning.

"I'm sorry, that's a real shame," Teecie shouted in response. Mrs. Goodbody was rather deaf and had to be spoken to loudly in order to hear.

Teecie would spend a lot of time with her, brushing her hair and helping change her clothes. In a short period of time, she felt quite close to Mrs. Goodbody.

Things were not going so well, though, with Mr. Bert Cranke. He seemed to hate Teecie with a passion, and strove to ruin her time at the hospital.

One day, he threw a cup of scalding hot tea on her. "You call this tea? It's pig slop! I wouldn't give it to a dog I like!" he raged at her before throwing the cup at her feet, shattering it to thousands of tiny shards.

Marie had rushed over and reprimanded him before Teecie could do anything. She then healed Teecie's burn and cleaned her robes before sending her off to work with some of the other patients.

Mr. Cranke was also fond of causing Teecie to make mistakes. He had a cane to help him walk, which he used on occasion to cause trouble.

One morning, several weeks into the internship, she'd just finished removing his bedpan, and had begun to walk away, when she felt something hook against her ankle, and trip her. She yelped and fell, sending the bedpan, and its contents flying. She ended up in a heap of wet robes on the floor, looking bewildered and very upset.

"Look at what you did, you red-headed menace!" Mr. Cranke screamed. "They ought to throw you out of the hospital for that! I will be speaking to the management around here about this!"

Marie had hurried into the room and saw the mess that had been made. "What in the world happened?" she cried.

Teecie tried very hard not to get upset, and tried to put herself in Mr. Cranke's place. It must be difficult to live away from home, in a strange bed. And not be allowed to have your wand anymore. It must be a humiliating experience for him. "It was an accident. I'm sorry," she finally replied while Marie cleaned up the mess, and Teecie.

Teecie glared at Mr. Cranke while he smiled and busied himself with a word-puzzle book. She came to dread working with him after this, as the summer went on. She found that talking to her parents and James seemed to help a lot though.

Lucius told her to ignore the man. "He's not worth the trouble of getting upset over. Just enjoy your time with the more pleasant people there," he'd advised one night at dinner.

James had helped in a different way, by promising to help make it up to her during their afternoon trysts. Teecie had started to cherish these afternoons alone with him. They were already on their third box of condoms, but that wasn't all they did together.

Sometimes they did things that outsiders might find silly. One of Teecie's favourite memories of the entire summer, was when she and James had stood at the kitchen sink together, washing and drying the dishes in complete silence.

Many of the things they did over the summer were things a married couple might do. They made lunch together, and sat out in the hammock together to watch clouds. They went on picnics together around the property.

There weren't too many close calls with her parents, though some stood out in their minds as a little too close for their comfort. It was the last time they met though, that Teecie would never, ever forget.

One afternoon, after a particularly messy encounter, Teecie had drawn a bubble bath, which they'd enjoyed together. The two had fun wrestling in the water, and tickling one another, for over an hour, completely forgetting the time.

Teecie had her hands working furiously under the water, while James panted and moaned occasionally. After a rather loud moan, the two were jolted out of their ecstasy by a pounding on the bathroom door.

"Ticia, is that you? Are you all right?" They heard Lucius call out to her.

Teecie gripped James tightly and tried to think quickly of what to say. "Hi dad!" she cried in a high-pitched voice. "It's me."

"Are you OK?" Lucius asked again.

"Oh, I'm all right. I had…beans for lunch, and they've given me a terrible stomach ache," she called back while stroking James again until he moaned one more time. "Oh my stomach!" she added.

Lucius remained quiet for a while before responding. "Do you need anything?" he finally asked.

"No, I'll be all right in a while."

"OK then. Your mum's at the store, and I'm going to be in the barn for a while," he called out.

"OK," Teecie said before hearing her father walk away. A minute later, they heard the back door slam, and breathed a sigh of relief in unison.

"That was way too close for comfort," James whispered while standing up out of the water.

"Yes it was, but where do you think you're going? We have unfinished business to take care of," she said with a grin while sliding over next to him.

"Are you crazy? What if we're caught?"

"Don't worry, we'll just finish this one last time, and then you can floo home," Teecie replied before putting her mouth to a different use.

Within minutes, James was finished, and ready to dress before flooing home. The two hurriedly put on their clothes before opening the door and hurrying to the dining room. Teecie was walking in front of James, and stopped short as she saw the most terrifying sight she'd ever seen in her entire life: her father, sitting calmly in front of the fireplace, with his arms crossed.

Lucius Malfoy smiled dangerously before standing up and walking over to his daughter and her boyfriend. "Hello Ticia…hello James…" he said while stopping in front of them. "And how are you two doing this afternoon?" he asked as he put his free hand around James's neck and steered him over to the chair. "Ticia, why don't you go to your room now while young Mr. Lupin and I have a little talk," he growled while glaring at James.

James whimpered quietly and tried to get out of the chair only to have Lucius raise his cane and pin his chest against the chair. "Oh God, Mr. Malfoy, please don't kill me," he croaked pathetically.

Teecie rushed over and grabbed her father's arm. "Dad don't! Let go of him! We didn't do anything wrong," she cried while tears filled her eyes.

Lucius's eyes glinted as he turned to look at her. "Ticia, say goodbye to Mr. Lupin. You will not be seeing him until you return to school," he growled.

Teecie burst into tears and threw her arms around James. "James I love you!" she wailed while kissing him. She hugged him until Lucius wrenched them apart.

"Go to your room, now," he hissed while leaning in towards James. "And now, young man, it's time for us to talk…"

Lucius waited until Teecie's cried were faded by the slamming of her bedroom door before rounding upon the young man. He stood in front of James and looked as menacing as possible. "Mr. Lupin, when we make choices in the heat of the moment, we suddenly find later that we've trapped ourselves into something we did not want in the first place."

James looked confused and thought for a moment before responding. "But sir, I'd never feel trapped when I marry Teecie. We're in love."

Lucius took a deep breath. "Ah, but we are so sure of things when we are young. Don't you think I was sure when I joined the Dark Lord? We make many indiscretions when we don't know any better."

James didn't know what this meant. "So sir, are you saying I shouldn't marry her?"

Lucius rolled his eyes. The boy really wasn't the smartest of people, when it came down to it. "All I am saying is rushing into things will not open options to you." James's blank look showed that he had no idea what he was getting at. "Let me ask you, James. Do you like Quidditch?"

James smiled. "Yes sir."

"And do you like having pudding?"

"Yes sir."

"But you know that eating too much pudding is unhealthy, right? And that if you did, you would no longer be able to play?"

James nodded his head.

Lucius smiled coldly. "Other choices in life are like that, James. They seem wonderful at the time, but down the road, we realize they might not have been quite the best of ideas."

James furrowed his brow. "So you're saying that Teecie's not a good idea?"

"I am simply saying that you are at a stage in your life where making a bad choice is far easier than you realize, and that you might do well to give things a great deal more thought before you follow through with them."

"But sir we've put a lot of thought into it. We've been using Muggle protection since we can't use magic."

Lucius took a step closer, leaned down to put his face right next to James's. "Mr. Lupin, perhaps you misunderstand me. At the moment, the bad choice you made was choosing to do so when you thought neither of my daughter's parents would be around. Because, you see, I don't intend to let you back onto the property for the rest of this summer," he says with a ferociously dangerous grin.

James frowned. "But you're not going to kill me? And you're not going to send Teecie to a convent?"

Lucius sniffed. "I would not presume to do something to you that would cause my family such anguish. And as for Ticia, that is not your concern. Now, I would suggest you tidy yourself up a bit. I think I will accompany you home. Just to ensure that you arrive safely, of course. And perhaps a chat with your father is in order, as well..." he said with another frightening smile.

James took a deep breath. "I don't think I need to tidy myself up sir, I just got out of the bath after all. And I can get home on my own just fine. And I don't think my father's home now anyway," he replied quickly.

Lucius patted James on the shoulder. "Ah, but I insist. And you should at least tie your shoes." He then summoned an owl, jotted down a note, and sent it off. "There, I'm sure your father will follow shortly, if he does not precede us to your house. And I'm sure he's taught you simple enough manners as to how to entertain a guest while they wait?"

James cleared his throat nervously. "I can make you some delectable crudites, sir."

Lucius stifled a laugh. This was not the time to blow his act. "Shall we go then?

James sighed, "I guess so..."

The two of them stood up and stepped to the fireplace before flooing to James's house.

During the time that Lucius was having a talk with Remus, Teecie was sobbing into her pillow. She felt completely alone in the world until Adriana came home and found an empty house. Adriana had walked around for a few minutes before hearing muffled cries coming from her daughter's room. She knocked, walked in, and asked what had happened. Teecie tearfully explained everything about how James had been coming over a couple days each week since the summer holiday had begun, and how they'd been caught.

Adriana shook her head and sat down on the bed next to her daughter. "Oh, Ticia, how could you?" she asked sadly. "We trusted you to behave yourself while we were gone. You betrayed our trust."

The two women sat on the bed in silence until Lucius returned to the house an hour later. "That damned Lupin man is entirely unreasonable!" he growled while walking into the kitchen and sitting down at the table. Adriana and Teecie walked into the room and sat down across from him.

Lucius took several deep breaths before turning to Adriana. "I expect Ticia has informed you of what happened today?" he began. When she nodded, he turned to his daughter. "Now, Ticia, I do not intend to yell at you over this. You know what you did wrong, and that we thought you were capable of doing better than that. You know that we felt we could trust you and that by breaking this trust, you have greatly disappointed your mother and me. I never thought you would do such a thing as this, Ticia, I really didn't," he said in a sad tone.

Teecie bit her lip and looked at her father. "But dad, what else did you expect us to do? We're sixteen, that's what we do. What did you want me to do, ask if James could spend the night or ask you and mum to go to a movie so we could shag on he kitchen table?" she cried.

A brief look of revulsion flickered through Lucius's face as he glanced down at the table his hands were resting on. He quickly moved his hands off the table. "You and James did _that_ on this table?" he asked cautiously.

Teecie cleared her throat. "Of course we did not. We would never do such a thing as that," she said quickly.

Lucius looked skeptical, and made sure to keep his hands off the table after that. His daughter was such a terrible liar, and he was quite surprised at that, given her lineage. He had no more to say to her at this time. "Go to your room now, and I do not want to see your face again until the morning," he growled.

Teecie pouted for a minute before standing up and marching off to her room, making sure to slam the door loudly behind her.

Lucius stared at the table for several seconds before standing up and walking over to Adriana. He grabbed her hands and removed them from the table. "Don't touch that, I'm taking it outside to burn it," he said gruffly while taking his wand out and lifting the table off the ground and floating it towards the door. "I'll go out and buy a new one tomorrow."

Adriana watched as Lucius did this. "But how are we supposed to eat breakfast?" she called out to him as he walked out onto the porch.

"We'll eat in the dining room," he called back.

Adriana couldn't be sure of course, but couldn't help but assume James and Teecie had used that table for the same purpose at some point in time. It seemed that Lucius did as well, for within seconds of his response, the dining room table came zipping past her, and out onto the porch as well. "We'll eat standing up tomorrow," was Lucius's last reply before starting a bonfire out on the grass.

The next couple weeks dragged past for Teecie. Not seeing James was very difficult, and working at the hospital wasn't helping. Mr. Cranke was acting even worse than normal. The only thing that made it tolerable, was Mrs. Goodbody. She was so kind to Teecie that it helped the day to pass faster. She was good at telling stories about her life. Teecie enjoyed hearing about her childhood, and how life was so different in the 1950's. Everything was so changed now, that Teecie wondered if Mrs. Goodbody recognized anything from her youth anymore.

Even though she was forbidden to see James, Lucius had allowed her to write to him, and spent most of her afternoons writing letters to him. This was her plan for when she got home one busy Wednesday morning after her shift, but those plans were soon forgotten when she saw a familiar face at the hospital.

Zeren was hunched over in obvious pain as he sat in the waiting room. Teecie ran over to him and sat down in the chair next to him.

"Zeren, what happened to you? Are you all right?" she cried while putting her hand on his knee.

Zeren grimaced. "Quidditch…fell…" was all he managed before a nurse approached them. Both she and Teecie helped him walk into an examination room.

"Do you want me to leave?" Teecie asked. Zeren didn't speak, but grabbed her hand in a tight grip, and shook his head.

Within minutes, a healer walked into the room and looked at Zeren's chart. "So you fell off your broom onto a stone walkway," he murmured. The healer proceeded to run a few tests on Zeren to make sure there hadn't been any internal damage or bleeding. When he was convinced of this, he gave Zeren a pain-relieving potion, and several vials of it for the next few days. "It was merely muscle bruising, my lad. You have nothing to worry about," the healer assured him.

Teecie smiled as Zeren sighed in relief, and squeezed her hand. She patted his shoulder comfortingly.

A short time later, Zeren was up and walking around again, fully able-bodied. He still had his arm on Teecie's arm, and quickly wrapped it around her shoulder as they walked to the door.

"So, what are you doing today?" he asked her with a grin.

Teecie shrugged her shoulders. "Not much. I was going to write to James, seeing as I'm not allowed to see him for the rest of the summer, but I can do that tonight," she replied.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear you and your boyfriend seem to have been parted," Zeren said sympathetically.

"I am too. I really miss him. I mean, my dad was really unfair," Teecie replied.

"Well, allow me to make it up to you. Shall we make an afternoon of this meeting then?" Zeren asked nonchalantly.

"Sure!" Teecie exclaimed.

Together, they left St. Mungo's and walked over to Diagon Alley.

Zeren insisted on paying for Teecie's lunch. He also treated her to ice cream, Butterbeer, and several bags of sweets. They talked about school, OWLS, and the classes they'd hopefully be taking next year.

Teecie found herself talking about James a lot of the time as well. She told Zeren about how they used to meet for lunch before they'd gotten into trouble, and how supportive he was of her. She didn't seem to notice the annoyed looks on Zeren's face whenever the conversation turned to James.

During such times, Zeren focused on more pleasant things, like Teecie's low-cut tank top, and the cleavage it revealed. He found it much more tolerable that way.

The two chattered away for the whole afternoon before it was finally time for Teecie to floo home. "Well I've had such a great day, Zeren. I really do enjoy spending time with you," she said with a smile before giving him a hug.

"It is always a pleasure spending time with you, Ticia," Zeren replied gruffly while staring at her chest again. He'd always found her extremely attractive, and was always somewhat upset that his parents hadn't approved of her for a match with him. He'd thought about her a lot ever since then, and knew from what he'd seen from her behaviour towards James, that she'd have brought him a lot of pleasure over the years at Hogwarts, and would have continued to do so long afterwards. He could tell by looking at Ticia, that she would be a most desirable bed-companion, and always hated the fact that he'd never been able to confirm those suspicions.

Sure he had a wonderful girlfriend. Morgaine was cute, polite, and nice, but a little…too nice. They'd been dating almost the entire last school year, and he'd never been allowed to do anything more than touch her bra. Through her blouse! Not even under it. He knew Ticia was more progressive than that. He knew she'd have let him sleep with her within a couple months of dating if she'd accept his offer. That Lupin brat didn't know how good he had it…

Yes Zeren had a girlfriend, and had enjoyed the pleasure of several girls at school over the years, but there was something about the one girl he'd never been allowed to have that drove him crazy for her.

After looking down at Ticia for several seconds, his boldness overtook him. Instead of a polite peck on the cheek, he leaned down, grabbed her by the shoulders, and pressed his lips to hers. His lips tingled as he touched her soft skin, and his heart began to pound uncontrollably. He felt like he could run a marathon with the amount of adrenaline pumping through his body. This was the best kiss he'd ever had. He was beginning to grow breathless from it when he began to feel the blood rushing below his waist at this time, and didn't want to stop.

Teecie, for her part, had no idea what was going on. Her mind had gone blank the moment Zeren had closed in on her, and things seemed to be going in slow motion. She wasn't quite sure, but she thought she'd remained motionless from the shock, until she'd felt Zeren's tongue exploring her mouth hungrily. And when she felt the familiar hardness pressing against her stomach, she felt panic set in.

Teecie began to squeal, and brought her hands up to Zeren's chest before pushing away from him. "Zeren, what are you doing?" she cried while gasping for breath.

Zeren straightened himself up and looked down at her in horror. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that," he whispered.

Teecie was still breathless, and trying to ignore the tingling sensation below her waist. She didn't like Zeren this way. Why was she feeling like this? "I love James!" she finally exclaimed, as though reminding herself of this fact.

Zeren nodded his head. "I know, but you have to admit, we could have been good together," he replied while pulling his robes around his body, and trying desperately to will away what was happening under them.

Teecie's mind was reeling from all of this. She wasn't sure what to do. "Whatever might have happened between us, Zeren, isn't going to now. I love James more than anybody else in the world. We're going to get married," she said firmly.

"Married?" Zeren scoffed, "Are you sure he's not just using you for sex?"

Teecie gasped. "Absolutely not! We talked about marriage long before I ever slept with him."

Zeren's eyes flashed. "So you do sleep with him," he growled.

"Of course I do! I'm his girlfriend!"

"For now, but you mark my words, Ticia, he'll break your heart one day, and where will that leave you?" Zeren fumed. "But just know that I would never do such a thing. I would never break your heart. I would always be there for you, and support you."

Teecie folded her arms across her chest. "Zeren Travers, what has come over you today? We were having such a good time before you…you…kissed me," she said accusingly.

Zeren raised his eyebrows. "I might have started it, but you let me kiss you for quite some time before stopping it," he replied.

"That's because I was trying to think of what to do, not because I wanted it," Teecie cried.

"Is that really why? Or maybe it's because you've never been kissed by a real man before and secretly liked it."

"A real man? Zeren, you're the same age as James. You're being ridiculous, and this conversation is over before you embarrass yourself any further."

Zeren glared at her. "Ticia, all I am trying to do is to get you to see the other possibilities available to you in life. You were very young when you met Lupin, and perhaps you only stay with him because he makes you feel safe and comfortable. You didn't date many boys before settling for Lupin. What if you'd have been just as happy with somebody else? What if there was somebody else out there who was really the 'right' person for you? But you'll never know because you never explored it. All I'm saying is that I'm happy to help you explore those choices you have. I know that if you gave me the opportunity, I could make you the happiest girl in the world. We could be great together, I know we could," he said, his voice softening after a while to sound quite caring.

Teecie folded her arms and sighed. Why did boys have to make life so complicated? "Zeren, I'm not going to leave James for you. I'm very much in love with him, and trust me, I know the difference between loving a person and liking them. I'm sorry I can't be more for you, and I don't want this to ruin our friendship. I think you deserve a girl who can love you the way you should be loved. Morgaine could be that girl. Why don't you go back to her and let her love you?"

Zeren's face screwed up into a fierce look before smoothing out once again. "Morgaine and I will not be together for much longer, I'm afraid. My parents have different plans for my future," he spat angrily.

Teecie stepped closer to him and put her hand on his arm. "Oh Zeren, I'm so sorry. That's terrible that your parents are making you break up with somebody who might be your one true love," she said sympathetically.

Zeren sighed. "Yes, well, this is what comes of living in the society that I do. There are things you must do that can't be helped. It's like paying the dues I suppose," he replied.

"Well it's not fair. I'm glad I'm not a part of that high society. I don't think money's worth it," Teecie said while giving Zeren a hug.

Zeren looked at her as though she were insane. "You always say the strangest things, Ticia," he said while shaking his head.

"I have to go home now before my parents return from the market," Teecie said while taking Zeren by the arm and leading him to a dimly lit corner of Diagon Alley. When she was certain they wouldn't be seen, she turned and looked up at him. "Zeren, we can never be together. But I know you'll totally find the right girl for you. All you have to do is keep an eye out for her, and you'll find her. And you know that I'll always be there for you. I think you're a great friend," she said quietly before raising her hand to his face and drawing it down towards hers. She gently pressed her lips to his, and gave him a kiss that lasted several seconds. After releasing him, she then pulled him into a tight hug. "That was for what might have been," she whispered in his ear before letting him go and walking away from him.

As she walked to the Leaky Cauldron to floo home, she turned and looked behind her, where Zeren was still standing, looking wistfully after her. She smiled, waved, and turned back to continue walking. She felt physically exhausted and emotionally drained by the time she returned home that evening.

After dinner, Adriana was sitting on the porch swing nursing a glass of lemonade while Lucius swung in the hammock and read a book. Teecie sat down next to her mother and laid her head on her shoulders.

"Mum, why does life have to be so hard all the time?" she asked quietly.

Adriana frowned and looked down at her daughter before smoothing some of the curls around Teecie's face. "What's wrong, dear?" she asked sympathetically.

"Well I ran into a friend after work today and we ended up spending the afternoon together. And after a great day, he tried to convince me that James wasn't good enough for me and that I should really be in love with him and that he'd be able to make me much happier than James ever could. And then he even had the nerve to kiss me!" Teecie confessed before moaning painfully.

Adriana petted Teecie's curls again. "And what did you do when he kissed you?" she asked carefully.

Teecie shrugged. "I told him to stop and that James and I were going to get married when we left Hogwarts." She remained silent for a few minutes before speaking again. "How did you handle having both father and Uncle Sev being in love with you at the same time, mum?" she asked curiously. She thought she noticed her father's head turn towards them after she'd asked this, but he didn't speak while Adriana was thinking.

Adriana took a deep breath and a large gulp of lemonade before talking. "I…I…always loved your father," she started, "but I also know Severus had feelings for me. I always played it off like he was just being friendly. I thought of Severus almost as a brother to me, and I didn't want to hurt him. I wanted to find him a woman worthy of his love, though I have failed in that duty to him…"

Teecie thought about this for a minute. "I like Zeren like a brother too, though when he kissed me…it did take my breath away…that sounds so weird if I don't love him…"

Adriana shook her head. "Now Ticia, don't worry over that. It's a perfectly normal reaction to a kiss, no matter who does the kissing. Your Uncle Sev did kiss me a couple times over the years before your father and I settled down, and it was always wonderful," she said quietly so Lucius couldn't hear.

Teecie gasped. Such a confession from her mother was shocking to hear. It was always strange to find out that ones parents has loves and lives before they'd met the other. Lucius didn't seem to have heard this, for he'd not reacted to any of it.

"But mum…what would it have been like if you'd chosen Uncle Sev over dad?" Teecie couldn't help but wonder at this thought.

Adriana looked thoughtful for a moment. "I don't really know. I never gave it much thought. I suppose it would have been a whole different life. Neither you or Kali would be here, and that would break my heart," she responded.

"And what made you choose dad over Uncle Sev?"

"Well Severus never tried to come between your father and myself. He was always very honourable in that way. And there was just something about your father…we were meant to be together. That's the only way I can explain it. I just knew it was right."

Teecie nodded her head and sat in silence next to her mother, letting the comforting words take effect on her. She soon felt much more at peace over the situation, knowing that she and James were in fact, meant to be together, and nobody would break them apart.

After a while, she stood up and walked down to talk to her father. He sat up in the hammock to make room for her while she sat down next to him. "Hi dad," she said.

"Good evening my love," Lucius replied. "So, it sounds like you're having some troubles with a young gentleman suitor. Is this something I need to take care of?" Lucius sounded somewhat light-hearted as he spoke, yet looked absolutely serious.

Teecie sighed. "I'm sure things will be all right now," she replied. "Zeren knows I love James."

Lucius perked up at this name. "Zeren? Is this the Travers boy Draco waxes poetic over? The very one he wishes had been a match for you?" he asked.

Teecie nodded her head. "We went out on a couple dates, and I met his parents, but they didn't approve of me."

Lucius sniffed. "Didn't approve of you? Of _my_ daughter? Just who do they think they are?"

"They think they're the top of the world, that's what. I don't want to live like that anyway, where people are ranked by how much money and political power they have. I'm much happier where I am," Teecie said while giving her father a hug.

Lucius smiled. "Don't let your brother hear you say that. And besides, you're good enough for any young man out there," he replied.

Teecie grinned and sat next to her father for quite some time afterwards. After a couple minutes, she sighed and looked up at him. Maybe this was a good time to talk to him about something. With a slight frown, she sighed again and spoke. "Dad, I think that grounding me for what James and I were doing isn't making us more mature. You want me to act more grown up, but punishing me like that is something you'd do to a little kid."

Lucius didn't speak for a moment, as though taking in what she'd said. "Do you feel that you ought not to have been punished at all?" he asked carefully.

Teecie shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose I did abuse your trust in me, but James and I just wanted to be together, and there isn't anything wrong with that," she replied honestly. "Keeping us apart for the rest of the summer isn't going to make us more mature, it's only going to make us more impatient and impulsive."

Lucius frowned. "Ticia, I am not going to take your punishment back, and that is final. You acted immaturely, and will be treated accordingly. Let this be a lesson to you to not do such a thing again."

Teecie whimpered and threw herself back in the hammock. "But I miss James! You don't understand! If he's not allowed to be near me then all the other boys will come after me. I know you don't want that," she wailed.

"Well then that will that will just help you to practice restraint. Young Mister Lupin won't like to hear that you've thrown yourself at other boys because you missed him."

"That is so mean, dad! How can you think that I'd be like that? I love James! And I think that was disrespectful of you to say that!" Teecie burst into tears at this.

Lucius rolled his eyes. "Now, Ticia, I didn't mean to imply that you were easy," he said, trying to console her without letting her get too much leverage over him. "I think that you need to work on controlling yourself more. You must admit that you don't always think before acting a lot of the time. This is a good time for you to improve that." He pulled her up into his arms, and gave her an encouraging hug.

Teecie wrapped her arms around his chest and cried onto his shoulder for several minutes. Lucius patted her hair and rocked her. "I know, life is tough sometimes," he murmured.

Finally, Teecie calmed down again, and allowed her father to help her to her feet. They walked into the house slowly, Teecie sniffling, and Lucius taking careful steps so he didn't lose his balance. Once they got to the kitchen, they joined Adriana at the new table for hot chocolate.

Teecie talked to her parents about working at St. Mungo's. Her time there was almost over. She only had about a week left before she'd be able to spend the rest of her holiday relaxing at home.

"I hope you weren't looking too forward to having a relaxing time," Lucius said with a smile, "I've been talking with Draco lately. He and Tanith want to go on holiday for a week by themselves, and the kids are going to be staying here for that time."

Teecie cheered. "That'll be so much fun!" she cried.

"And Reni and Peter wrote to ask if we'd watch Hunter at the same time while they go on holiday as well," Adriana added.

"It'll be like an adventure camp! We can all sleep in the hay loft," Teecie said, her mind starting to fill with all sorts of ideas for the children. There was only a week left of her internship, and then it would be time for fun and freedom.


	79. Camp Orendes

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm sure if Lucius didn't already have white hair, he'd be getting it now while dealing with Teecie! She is a handful! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter, and hope you like this one!

Bright Eyes: I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. Here's the next one. Happy reading!

Camp Orendes

Teecie was looking forward to her last week at St. Mungo's. She'd learned a tremendous amount over the holiday, mostly in how to treat patients, but also procedures as well. It had been an exhausting summer, and she was ready to relax and have fun with her family. The time away from the hospital would also hopefully allow her to write to James even more than she'd been doing so far.

Teecie missed James terribly, and looked forward to his daily owls. She fell asleep each night with his letters tucked under her pillow. James was always telling her how miserable he was without her. They also worried about what they would get on their OWLs, and how it would affect their futures.

Every time Teecie thought about her OWLs, her heart began to pound nervously. What if she didn't make enough marks to take the advanced courses, or Master Wilkes's healing class next year? What would she do if she couldn't become a healer? Helping others feel better was what made her truly happy. If she failed her OWLs, or her NEWTs, she'd have to rethink her career. Maybe she could learn to be happy being a homemaker or something like that. The very thought of it made Teecie's blood run cold with fear, though.

James tried to reassure her that she'd done fine, and not to worry, but that only brought her comfort for a short time. She also did her share of comforting James over his own OWL worries.

But OWLs were far from Teecie's mind as she prepared for her last Monday shift at St. Mungo's. Mr. Cranke had been even more difficult to work with lately. His health was failing rapidly, and he was taking it out on those around him. He had been somewhat nice to everybody, but now he yelled at and berated everybody around him, not just Teecie.

Mrs. Goodbody's family had finally come to visit her, so Teecie was forced to pay more attention to Mr. Cranke.

"Good morning, Mr. Cranke. How are you today?" she asked in a cheerful voice, while smiling at him.

Mr. Cranke frowned. "Good? What's so good about it? Just another day to suffer through," he sneered.

"But Mr. Cranke, you have medicine for the pain," Teecie reminded him.

"No medicine will take away the pain of dealing with you, you red-headed menace!" Cranke roared.

Teecie's smile faded. "What is your problem with me? I've always been nice to you, and yet you treat me like rubbish," she said.

Mr. Cranke looked furious. "My problem with you, girl, is that I knew your grandfather. I saw you with your father the day I came here, and I knew exactly who he is. Those damned Malfoys always thought they were better than anyone else, and you're no different. You prance around this room like you're some princess that we're all supposed to worship. You're just a spoiled, horrid Malfoy!" he roared.

Teecie was shocked at his outrage. She had no idea he'd been so angry with her family. "I'm sorry for what my grandfather may have done to your family, but-"

"You have no idea what he did to my family. He killed my son! He convinced my boy to join those bloody Death Eaters during the first war, and ended up getting my son killed! And I swear to you, you Malfoy brat, that if I still had my wand, I'd settle the score right now, and not even bat an eyelash at the thought! Now leave me be!" Crank screamed wildly, while Marie came into the room to see what was going on.

Teecie was shaking while taking all of this in. She'd never even met Janos, but knew he'd been a cruel man, even worse than her father had ever been in his past life. But she had nothing to do with that; why would Mr. Cranke take his anger out on her?

That evening, she cried and talked to her parents about it. Lucius wrapped his arms around her when he heard this. "I'm so sorry, Ticia. This is the worst part about my past, and the legacy of the Malfoy name. It causes a lot of anger in other people. They shouldn't take it out on you, though. You're completely innocent in all of my wrongdoings," he said while comforting her. "And unfortunately, it might happen again. My book is finally being published this autumn. I'm sure to receive a lot of hate-mail because of it," Lucius warned. "But you keep your head held high, and be proud to know you made good choices in your life."

Teecie felt better after this, and slept well that night. Tuesday went without event, but on Wednesday, something happened that she would never forget, as long as she lived.

The morning started normally for her. She brushed Mrs. Goodbody's hair, and chatted with her for some time before moving on to the other patients. Mr. Cranke was the last one she went to that day. His curtains were drawn, which wasn't unusual, but as she pulled them back, and looked at him, she was surprised to see he was still asleep.

"Mr. Cranke? It's time to wake up," she called out while walking over to him. Mr. Cranke didn't stir, nor did he move when she tentatively shook his arm. It was at that moment that Teecie realized he wasn't breathing. She gasped before turning and running out to the nurse's station in the hallway.

"Marie!" she cried in a wavering voice, "I think Mr. Cranke died!"

Marie and a few other nurses walked into the room, and began to examine him. It only took a couple minutes for them to decide that Mr. Cranke, had in fact, died.

Teecie wasn't sure how she felt about all of this. He'd been cruel to her, but in his own mind, he'd had good reason to. She couldn't help but feel sad over his passing. But that sadness was soon overtaken by the realization that she'd touched a dead body. Just the thought of it gave her goose bumps, and made the hair on the back of her head stand on end. Here was this dead person, and she was in the same room as him; she could see him!

Teecie jumped about a mile when a hand tapped her on the shoulder. She gasped and looked up to see Marie smiling sadly at her. "Ticia, I know this must be difficult for you. You have probably never dealt with a situation like this before, and if you feel you'd rather not be here right now, you can go home for the day. The other nurses and I can take care of this," she said kindly.

Teecie bit her lip. She'd definitely didn't feel ready to help, but didn't want to leave early either. "Is it ok if I just work with the other patients instead?" she asked.

"Of course you can. You just do what makes you feel comfortable," Marie replied. With that, she returned to the other nurses standing around Mr. Cranke's bed.

Teecie went over to Mrs. Goodbody, and sat down in the chair next to her. She spent the rest of the shift talking to her.

As she left that afternoon, Marie called out to her from the nurse's station. "Ticia, this was your first death. You owe us all pudding!" Teecie looked confused, and walked over to her. "We have a tradition in the healing world: for each new experience, your first birth, your first death, your first saved life, you have to buy pudding for the rest of the staff. Of course I was only joking, and you don't have to if you don't want to…but we nurses always love free food…" Marie explained.

That evening, Teecie cried again while telling her parents what had happened. Adriana was the one who wrapped her comforting arms around her daughter, and held her until she felt better. She also stayed up into the wee hours of the morning baking biscuits for Teecie to take to St. Mungo's the next day.

The next morning was strange as Teecie walked into the room that now had one empty bed in the corner. The day passed without any major events, though. And the nurses did indeed enjoy the biscuits Adriana had made.

By Friday, her last day, Teecie was in a better mood, and was ready for some fun. Instead of her regular shift, the nurses had brought in treats for all of the Hogwarts interns. They'd all done very well in their assignments, and the hospital staff was sad to see them leave.

Teecie enjoyed Butterbeer, cake, and ice cream, as well as nice long chats with her fellow interns, before running off to say goodbye to Mrs. Goodbody and the other patients one last time. She promised to write to Mrs. Goodbody before leaving that day.

That evening, Lucius took Teecie and Adriana to a wonderful restaurant in a nearby hotel. Teecie feasted on fettuccine with lobster, and loved every bite.

"I'm so proud of you, Ticia," Lucius said during the meal. "You worked very hard this holiday, and have shown that in _some_ ways, you are growing up," he said solemnly. "And you also have very expensive taste in food. I knew you'd have made a good Slytherin if you'd wanted to," he said with a smile.

Teecie spent her weekend writing letters to James and trying to process all that she had learned at the hospital. She took a lot of time writing notes so she could use them when she went to healing school.

On Monday, bright and early, Peter, Reni, and Hunter arrived before breakfast. Peter had several bags in his arms that he dropped on the floor with a sigh. "Honey, did you have to pack so much stuff for him? We're only going to be gone for two weeks," he said while stretching his back muscles.

Reni pursed her lips and put her hands on her hips. "Peter Weasley, don't you want me to give our precious child the best things in the world? And was I stopping you from using your wand to carry everything?"

Peter sighed, "No dear."

The two continued bickering while Hunter ran up to Lucius. "Hi grandpa! I'm ready to stay!" he cried excitedly while hopping up and down.

Lucius tousled his hair and smiled. "And we're very excited that you're staying," he replied.

Hunter sat down at the kitchen table and started putting slices of bacon on a plate while his parents talked to Lucius and Adriana.

Peter glanced at Hunter to see if he was listening to them before speaking in a low tone. "Now, Hunter has been going through a phase lately, where he won't go to sleep at night without a nightlight. He never had a problem before, but all of a sudden, he's having trouble with it."

"Oh, I'm sure he'll grow out of that, but we'll make sure to put a nightlight in his room," Adriana reassured him. She looked around at the bags at their feet. "And where is Flossy?" she asked, referring to Hunter's pet puffskein.

"Flossy died a couple weeks ago," Reni replied with a sigh.

"Oh, that's terrible, how did it happen?" Adriana asked.

"I put him in the toilet for a swim, but he got stuck when I flushed it," Hunter called out.

"You flushed Flossy?" Teecie asked.

"And made a terrible mess when the toilet backed up…" Peter replied. "But I sat him down and explained to him what happens when something dies, and I think he understood it as best he can." He sighed again. "Children are only innocent for so long before they have to start growing up," he said before shaking his head. "Anyway, I'm sure he'll have a great time here, and we'll be sure to send you a post card from Las Vegas in the Muggle post."

"Peter, we've got to go now if we want to arrive at the hotel on time," Reni said before walking over to Hunter and giving him a brief hug and a kiss on the cheek. Peter gave him a big bear hug and a huge kiss on the top of his head.

"Bye mummy, bye daddy!" Hunter called out while waving after them.

The rest of the family said their goodbyes to the couple before they left. When Peter and Reni had left, Adriana sat down next to Hunter and began to pile eggs and hash browns on his plate.

Everybody was eating their breakfast when Draco, Tanith, and their children flooed into the living room. Draco was admiring the new oak table when Lucius and the rest of the family walked into the room. "You've been redecorating," Draco commented.

Lucius shot a glance at Teecie, who looked at the floor, before replying. "Yes, I'd been thinking of replacing some of the furniture for some time now, and finally decided to do it."

The kids had no desire to stand around and talk about furniture, so they ran over to their grandparents and gave them hugs.

"Hello grandfather, I can't wait to have fun here this week!" Mel cried while giving Lucius a hearty hug.

"Yeah, Addie, it's going to be so fun!" Roo added after hugging Adriana.

Liss kissed Hunter on the forehead. Hunter, in turn, made a disgusted face and wiped at the spot where she'd kissed him. Liss giggled. "Girls are icky," Hunter stated.

Roo ran over to his cousin and put his arm around Hunter's shoulders. "Yeah, girls are icky! You'd better stay away from us this week, you girls," he said while pointing at Teecie, Adriana, and his sisters.

Draco frowned. "Now Rouvin, you know that isn't any way to speak to others. You make sure to behave yourself this week," he admonished.

Roo rolled his eyes. "Yes father," he muttered.

After Draco and Tanith spoke with Lucius and Adriana for a while longer, they hugged their children, reminded them to mind their manners before flooing back to the Manor to gather their luggage.

Lucius watched his grandchildren as they stood quietly around the table. They looked a little nervous now that all their parents had left. He clapped his hands suddenly. "All right everybody, let's go into the kitchen!" he called out while beginning to herd the children into the other room.

"Does anybody need breakfast?" Adriana asked when they'd all made it into the kitchen.

"I do!" Roo called out while sitting down at the kitchen table and looking expectantly at Adriana.

"And what would you like, Rouvin? We have sausages, scrambled eggs, bacon, and hash browns," Adriana said while the other children sat down at the table too.

"I want waffles," Roo replied.

"Well I'm afraid we don't have waffles today, dear," Adriana said, "how about some bacon and eggs?"

Roo folded his arms. "Can't you just magic up waffles?" he pouted.

"I don't magic food. I don't think it tastes as good. And besides, this is what's for breakfast today."

Roo narrowed his eyes. "But I want waffles," he stated firmly.

Lucius walked over to him and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Rouvin Black, I do not want to hear you talking back to Adriana or myself this week. Now you apologize to Adriana, and then you may get a plate and put your own food on it," he said firmly.

Roo looked up at him with huge eyes. From across the room, Hunter stared open-mouthed at his grandfather for a moment before scampering over to Adriana and hugging her legs. Roo, for his part, thought about his options for a moment, before looking over at Adriana. "I'm sorry, Addie," squeaked.

"Apology accepted," Adriana replied while hugging Hunter.

Lucius smiled. "Well done, Rouvin. Now you may make a plate of food for yourself."

Roo grabbed a plate and walked over to the counter where platters of food lay. Teecie thought she could hear him mutter something about "servant's work" and "wait till my father hears about this," but couldn't be too sure.

Soon afterwards, Mel and Liss made plates of food for themselves as well, and sat down at the table to eat. The rest of the family joined them, and within minutes, everybody was eating and talking.

Lucius and Adriana were given a long list of demands from their grandchildren. "I want to play Quidditch this week!" "I want to play in the hay loft!" "I want to swim in the pond!" "I want to ride the horse!" They assured the children that they'd get a chance to do everything they wanted over the course of the week.

When breakfast was over, Adriana shooed everybody out of the house so she could clean up. "It's a beautiful day outside! Go and play!" she commanded.

Hunter and Roo ran off on their own, away from the girls. Soon they were sword fighting with sticks and laughing. Liss sat primly on the back-porch swing, and read a copy of Jane Eyre, while Teecie worked on writing a letter to James.

Lucius and Mel sat in the hammock and looked at passing clouds. After a while, Adriana came out of the house, and sat down on the porch steps. "It's so beautiful today," she murmured while gazing up at the olive tree at the top of the hill.

Liss sighed and set her book down. "Adriana? Will you tell me how you met grandfather?" she asked quietly.

Adriana smiled and looked over at Lucius. "Well, we met in a little shop in Diagon Alley. He was scolding your father, who was about your age, and so I put a spell on his cane to knock him over, because he was just being too serious and needed to lighten up. So he was thrown to the floor, and…"she said before trailing off. "It's not a very romantic story really," she finally said. "We didn't really start off as good friends, but we grew to care for one another very much over time," Adriana concluded.

Liss sighed and smiled. "Well I think it's very romantic that you spent time together and tried to like each other," she said.

During this time, Roo and Hunter had wandered over to the pond while they fought with sticks. Lucius noticed this out of the corner of his eye, and cast a spell over the water to keep anybody from being able to go in any higher than their knees.

He was finally forced to get up from the hammock, though, to break up the fighting when Roo wouldn't stop whacking Hunter on the shins, so Hunter cracked Roo over the head with his stick, and sent him sprawling onto the ground.

Both of the boys had red welts all over their bodies when Lucius examined them. "Why must you play so violently?" he asked before holding up two fingers and asking Roo how many fingers he could see.

"Two, grandfather. It doesn't even hurt, really. I just fell to scare Hunter," he said while wincing as he brushed his fingers over the smarting bruise on his forehead.

Hunter sniffled, but tried to appear as brave as his older cousin. "I'm not hurt neither, grandpa," he declared. After a minute, the two boys ran off to play under the apple trees, leaving Lucius shaking his head in wonder, and thanking his Maker that Draco had never had a brother.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. The children roasted sausages and marshmallows on sticks outside in a fire-pit that Adriana had built. When they were all pleasantly full and growing sleepy, Adriana asked them where they wanted to sleep during the week. "Kalare's room is free, or we have some tents to sleep in, or you could sleep in the hayloft," she said, explaining the options to them.

"I want to sleep in Auntie's room!" Liss spoke up immediately.

"And I want to sleep there too!" Mel cried with a grin.

"And how about you boys? Would you like to sleep in Kalare's old room?" Lucius asked while shifting Hunter, who was nestled on his lap.

"Will you sleep in the hayloft with me and Hunter?" Roo asked Lucius. "It'll be the best, with no girls!"

Lucius smiled. "But what about Adriana? She might get lonely if I'm not there."

Roo looked confused. "But father says Addie's never lonely when you're not there. He says she always has somebody keeping her company when you're gone," he said innocently.

Lucius's smile fell, and he scowled. Both Teecie and Adriana gasped when they heard this. Adriana looked as though she'd been slapped in the face. She flushed and looked at the ground before getting up and rushing into the house, slamming the door behind her.

"Rouvin, I want you to know that what you just said was very rude, and I will be speaking to your father about this. That is a horrible thing to say about anyone!" Lucius growled while standing up and walking after Adriana.

Teecie looked disgusted as she glared at Roo. He still had an innocent look on his face, but she knew better than to think he didn't know he'd caused a lot of trouble. But at the same time, it wasn't really Roo's fault. Draco was the one saying things like that about her mother when his children were around to hear it. How could he say something like that about Adriana?

"Auntie, why is Yiayia sad?" Hunter asked, looking bewildered.

"She's sad because somebody said something mean about her," Teecie explained.

"That's not nice. Yiayia is good," he replied while standing up from where Lucius had set him in a chair, and trotting into the house to comfort his grandmother. Teecie could see him a minute later through the kitchen window, being held by Adriana as he wrapped his tiny arms around her neck.

Several minutes later, the three reemerged from the house, and made their way back to the campfire. Hunter and Adriana were holding hands, and he sat on her lap when she settled back into her chair.

Liss nudged Roo. "Say you're sorry, Rouvin," she hissed quietly.

Mel gave her brother a pinch. "Yes, dumbhead, apologize to Adriana," she growled.

"Yeah, Roo!" Hunter piped up.

Roo frowned and folded his arms. He bit his lip and scowled at everybody as they stared at him.

"It's all right. Don't make Rouvin do anything he doesn't want to," Adriana murmured.

Finally, Roo jumped up out of his seat, grabbed Adriana by the hand, and tugged on it. She set Hunter down, stood up, and allowed Roo to lead her up to the back porch.

Teecie and the rest of her family watched as Roo and Adriana spoke to one another for a couple minutes. Teecie smiled when she saw Roo give her mum a hug and kiss on the cheek. Adriana hugged him tightly, and a moment later, he ran back to the fire to rejoin the rest of the family.

"You boys had better get ready for bed now if you'll be sleeping in the hayloft. Hunter is almost asleep already," Adriana said after a while, when Hunter's head started to bob.

So with that, Lucius stood up, and walked with the boys towards the barn while Adriana summoned pillows and blankets, and followed after them.

Teecie stood up, and walked with Mel and Liss into the house. When Adriana returned from the barn, she helped transfigure chairs into beds for the girls to sleep in.

Each girl took turns in the bathroom, changing into their nightgowns, and brushing their teeth.

Even though all three were exhausted, they sat in their beds, chattering and giggling for at least an hour before falling asleep.

The next morning, the boys and Lucius came into the house for breakfast, with bits of hay sticking out of their hair. Mel and Liss shrieked with laughter at the sight. Teecie and Adriana joined in the laughter before helping the boys pick the straw out of their hair.

When Lucius was hay-free again, Adriana leaned in and kissed him good morning. Mel and Liss cooed and giggled while Roo and Hunter made gagging noises and wrinkled their noses. "Ew, grandpa, you kissed a girl!" Hunter cried.

Lucius looked closely at Adriana for a moment before turning to his grandsons. "So you're right, Hunter, I did kiss a girl," he replied with a smile. "But I love her, is that all right?"

Hunter shook his head, sighed, and rolled his eyes. "Grandpa, Yiayia is a girl. And we don't like girls," he explained carefully.

"Just you wait until you're older, Hunter, you might find you like girls more than you think," Teecie said while rumpling his hair.

"No I won't! I will never kiss a girl! Not like you and wolf-boy!" Hunter cried defiantly.

Teecie's smile faded narrowed her eyes. "His name is James. Don't call him wolf-boy!" she cried.

Hunter stuck his tongue out at her. Teecie growled and turned to her father. "Dad, did you hear what Hunter said? He's being rude! And he stuck his tongue out at me," she yelled.

Lucius was slicing a loaf of bread, and didn't turn around when he spoke. "Hunter, stop being rude to your aunt."

"But grandpa, you said wolf-boy last night!" Hunter cried indignantly.

"Dad, how could you?" Teecie screeched.

Lucius turned around and looked at his daughter. "I didn't mean anything by it. I was joking with the boys last night, and they didn't realize it wasn't meant to be repeated," he explained.

"That's no excuse! You shouldn't be calling him that for a joke or for real! I've been good ever since you grounded me, and I don't think it's right for you to talk about James that way!" Teecie was truly hurt that her dad would say things like that about James. With that, she ran into her room, threw herself on her bed, and began to sob.

Liss and Mel tiptoed into the room a minute later, and sat down next to her, petting her hair, and holding her hand.

"I think grandfather was very rude to speak of James so," Liss said comfortingly. "He just doesn't understand what a hero James is, and that he should be treated with more respect than that."

"Yes, Auntie," Mel agreed, "Lisandra told me all about how he saved her from a bully, and I think he's a hero too."

A minute later, there was a knock on the door. "Ticia, may I come in?" Lucius called out to her. Teecie nodded her head to Liss, who stood up and opened the door, making sure to glare at her grandfather while he walked into the room. Mel quickly jumped up, took Liss's hand, and left the room, closing the door behind them.

Lucius sat down next to Teecie. "Ticia, I want to apologize to you. What I called James was rude and inappropriate. He is a polite boy, even if he is much too fast with you, and I will make an effort to not call him names anymore," he said earnestly.

Teecie sat up and sniffled. "Is this something I'm going to have to deal with all my life after I marry James? Will you, Draco, and all the other guys in this family call him names and tease him? Am I always going to have to defend him to my family? I don't deserve that, and neither does James. He's going to be my husband soon, dad, and if you and the rest of the family can't handle that, then maybe I won't really be a part of this family any more. I will have James's family to call my own too, you know," she said in an angry tone.

Lucius frowned. "I'm afraid it will take time for us to accept the Lupins into our family. Old habits are indeed hard to break, and I had about forty years of them drummed into me before I met your mum. Unfortunately, I also did a good job of passing them onto your brother. I will try my best, though, I promise you that," he said quietly.

Teecie sighed. "I guess that's all I can ask," she said while standing up. "Come on, let's go eat breakfast."

Once the meal was over, Lucius herded the children outside for Quidditch practice. He summoned several quaffles, and a few Muggle tennis balls while the children got their brooms. Teecie had decided to play too, but seeing her attempting to raise the broom off the ground without success, Lucius rolled his eyes and suggested she help him throw quaffles to the younger children instead.

Teecie took the tennis balls and threw them to Hunter, who was proudly sitting on his practice broom a foot or so off the ground. He'd fly after the ball and try to catch it, with little success, but he seemed to enjoy it nonetheless.

The other children had fun chasing after the real quaffles Lucius threw at them. They'd occasionally throw them at each other, as well as giving one another advice on improving themselves. They spent several hours playing together, until it grew too hot to continue.

Adriana was waiting in the kitchen with glasses of cold lemonade for them by the time they went back into the house. Everybody sat around the table, eating sandwiches and sipping their drinks before heading back outside for more practice. The entire rest of the day was spent playing Quidditch.

The next day was spent swimming in the pond and playing in the hayloft. Lucius was so exhausted at the end of the night that Adriana wouldn't let him sleep in the hayloft, but made all the boys stay inside. She gave Lucius a full body massage, and with a good night's sleep, he was up and ready for the next day bright and early.

As it turned out, though, it wasn't that necessary. It poured rain the whole day and everybody was stuck indoors the whole time. Teecie spent most of her time in her room responding to James's latest letter. He'd informed her that Sirius and Pamela's wedding had been put off by a few more months because of some disagreements about arrangements. Sirius was apparently a little upset that Pamela had been making all the arrangements without asking what he wanted. The wedding would take place during the Christmas holiday instead of at the end of the summer.

The children spent a couple hours running around the house and being extremely noisy and rowdy. Lucius finally put a movie in the DVD player to quiet them down. They quite enjoyed the Princess Bride, with the girls sighing over the romance, and the boys cheering on the fighing, but once the movie was over, they became rowdy once more.

There was a bit of a debate over the next movie to watch. The boys wanted to watch The Hobbit, but the girls wanted to watch The Sound of Music. "We could watch Peter Pan. Not the animated version, but the live action version," Lucius suggested hopefully.

"But grandfather, we've already seen that one ten times already!" Mel cried.

Lucius shrugged. "I know, but…that Captain Hook is just so fascinating," he replied.

"And he's handsome too," Adriana added. Liss giggled at this while looking at Lucius.

Lucius turned to look at her carefully. "You think he's good looking, do you?"

Adriana smiled. "Yes, I think he's quite captivating," she replied.

Lucius folded his arms. "Do you think he's better looking than I am?"

Adriana thought for a moment. "I think you two are similar in some ways. Maybe that's why I think he's handsome-because he looks like you," she finally said.

Lucius smiled. "Well that makes total sense. Though I must say I'm a bit better looking than the chap playing him. I mean, just look at him, and then look at me. Which one would you choose? There's really no comparison."

Adriana grinned. "Well since he's not here, I guess I'd have to choose you, wouldn't I?"

Liss giggled again at this, and caught Lucius's eye. "Oh, you think this is funny, do you?" he asked in mock anger.

Liss laughed. "Yes, it's terribly funny, grandfather!" she replied.

Lucius smiled and walked over to her. "Well you wouldn't find it so funny if Captain Hook made you walk the plank, would you?" he roared heartily while picking Liss up and setting her back down on the sofa. He turned to the rest of his grandchildren. "Who else wants to walk the plank?" he bellowed while holding up his right hand and making it into the shape of a hook. The children began to scream loudly and run around the room while Lucius followed after them.

After several minutes though, the kids turned the tables on him by ganging up on him. With his unstable foot, he toppled to the ground within seconds, laughing as the children tickled him and sat on him.

"Grandpa's a good chair!" Hunter cried while bouncing on Lucius's chest.

This went on for a short time before Adriana intervened and picked up the children off of Lucius so he could breathe properly once again.

"All right everybody, let's just sit back down and watch another movie," Adriana called out while walking over to the case holding all the DVD's. At random, she pulled out a well-watched copy of The Parent Trap and set it in the player. The children began to gather around the sofa again as the movie began to play. The rest of the day passed quietly after that.

On Friday, Lucius, Hunter, and Roo spent the day building a tree house on the edge of the property. The boys wanted a place they could go to that was all their own, somewhere that the girls weren't allowed. A tree house seemed to be the perfect solution. While they were busy doing that, Adriana took Teecie, Liss, and Mel shopping in London. They tried on countless dresses throughout the day.

While shopping, Adriana and the girls went to a fancy restaurant for lunch. Adriana was impressed with everybody's manners in public. Mel and Liss acted like perfect young ladies, and smiled excitedly when Adriana complimented them.

Teecie was too busy thinking about the next letter she was going to write to James to notice anything unusual at the restaurant, but Mel seemed to see something that caught her eye. She gasped and walked away from the group as they were preparing to leave for more shopping.

"Grandmother! Uncle Snape! What are you two doing here?" Teecie heard Mel ask a nearby table. "Why are you having lunch together?"

By now, Adriana and Liss had walked over to the table as well. "Severus, Narcissa, how wonderful to run into you two today," Adriana said with a polite smile.

Snape remained silent, and let Narcissa do the talking. "Adriana, how are you doing?" she asked.

"Oh I'm fine, I'm just taking the girls out shopping for the day. All the grandkids are staying with us this week, so we thought we'd have a girl's day out. They boys are back home with their grandfather. I think they're building a tree house," Adriana replied with a smile.

Narcissa's eyebrows rose as she took this information in. "Lucius building a tree house…" she murmured. "You must make sure to take a few photographs when you return home."

"Yes, Adriana, you can put them in your annual Christmas letter," Snape added with a slight sneer.

"Grandmother, you look very beautiful today," Liss said while gazing at Narcissa with a dreamy look on her face. "Some day when I'm old enough, I shall do my hair just like yours."

Narcissa smiled. "Thank you, child. That is a wonderful compliment," she replied.

Liss looked at Snape after that, and grinned. Her face flushed and she began to giggle. Teecie didn't speak, but smiled shyly at Uncle Sev as well. He glared at the two of them before turning away and looking at Adriana.

"Where are you off to next?" he asked pointedly.

"There are several other dress shops we wanted to look at, and then I thought we'd stop by the sweet shop before returning to Diagon Alley to floo home," Adriana said while putting her arms around Mel and Liss. "All right, girls, why don't we leave Severus and your grandmum alone to enjoy their lunch, shall we?" she said while gently pulling them away from the table.

"Goodbye!" Mel and Liss called out behind them. Teecie walked away from the table with a smile, and as she glanced over her shoulder, she gave Uncle Sev a little wave, at which he scowled and turned away.

Teecie couldn't help but wonder what all of this meant. She'd caught the two of them twice over this summer holiday at lunch. How many times had they gotten together that she didn't know about? If they were this comfortable with one another now, how much further would it go? What if they really decided to marry one day?

That night at dinner was interesting. The boys were excited about the tree house, and were telling everybody about it. "But you'll never see it!" Roo cried before laughing.

Liss didn't want to be left out of the important news, and decided to tell the boys what they'd missed that day. "Guess what!" she cried, "Today at lunch we saw grandmum eating with Uncle Snape!"

Roo looked at her while taking a bite of his corn on the cob. "So? What were they eating?" he asked.

"It doesn't matter what they were eating, it's that they were eating together that's important!" Mel added while glancing at Lucius.

Lucius had stopped eating his steak and was looking down at his plate. He had a stunned look on his face, as though he'd just been punched. Teecie wasn't sure what the look on his face meant, but Liss seemed to. She stood up, wrapped her arms around Lucius, and kissed his cheek. "She was so happy today, grandfather, be happy for her," she said in a quiet voice.

Lucius patted Liss's arm. "I am happy for her," he murmured before gently unwrapping her from him. "If you'll please excuse me," he said while standing up, "I need to attend to some business in the barn." With that, he walked out of the dining room, and out of the house.

Adriana sighed and looked around the table. "Why don't we play indoors tonight?" she suggested light-heartedly while standing up to clear the table.

That evening, Teecie, Liss, and Mel tried on all their new clothes while Roo and Hunter built a fort under the dining room table with some old blankets.

Adriana slipped out of the house at one point in time, and went outside to check on Lucius. She found him sitting under the olive tree. "It's been quite a while since you've been up here last," she said with a smile while sitting down next to him.

Lucius leaned in to kiss Adriana's cheek. "I have a lot to think about right now," he replied. "Not a day goes by that I don't remember what I did to Narcissa. The best thing I probably ever did to her was leave her. And now she's leaving me. It's strange, I didn't think it would ever happen, and now that it is, I have to admit to feeling a little sad," he said sheepishly, unable to look at Adriana as he spoke.

Adriana wrapped her arms around him, and held him in silence for a minute. "I understand," she finally replied. "You two do have a child together, and a long past. Even if most of it was unpleasant, it's still there, in your memories."

Lucius took Adriana's hand and squeezed it tightly. "And now is the time to start looking towards the future. Our future…" he whispered in her ear.

Adriana sighed, and leaned against Lucius's chest. "I do like that idea," she said.

Lucius grinned. "So, let me ask you, when my wife grants me a divorce, will you marry me?" he chuckled.

"Oh, how utterly romantic of you! Such a proposal!" Adriana laughed.

Lucius held Adriana tightly in his arms. "But to be serious now, if a day should come when I am no longer bound to my past, would you do me the honour of marrying me?"

Adriana kissed Lucius before answering. "I would love to be your wife one day."

Lucius stayed out under the olive tree for a couple more hours. As much as he wanted to marry Adriana some day, a part of him that he didn't want to admit was having trouble accepting this. His rational half said this was the best for everybody involved, but his irrational half couldn't help but feel jealous over Snape for moving in on his wife. Narcissa was still married to him, and even though it made no sense, he didn't want to just give that up suddenly.

After a while, he went back inside the house, and was treated to a fashion show by the girls before going to bed.

That night, while the girls slept in Teecie's room, and the boys slept in their fort, Lucius and Adriana made love in their own bedroom. Though Adriana's dreams that night were of the future, and the happiness that awaited them, Lucius found himself facing a rather sleepless night.

Over the next few days, though, Lucius found that his irrational side grew a little smaller, and easier to contain. It was a good feeling, letting Narcissa go her own way, to have the happiness she had long deserved. It was time to truly start over, and move on with his new life. It all started with letting go of his marriage.

A/N: While the scene with Marie the nurse coaxing Teecie into bringing treats to the hospital the next day after Mr. Cranke died, might have seemed callous or opportunistic, this is actually a real tradition. In the American fire fighting and emergency medical profession, it is a tradition for any big "first" that happens to a new employee, to be celebrated by that person buying dessert for his or her co-workers. I come from a family heavily involved in the fire fighting community, and so this just felt like the natural thing to have happen after one of Teecie's big "firsts" in the medical world.


	80. Year Six Begins

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm glad you enjoyed the Peter Pan references. I giggled the whole time I wrote that! And I'm glad you liked the conflict that Lucius is going through, it's something ElfFlame and I worked on together to develop more fully, so she'll be glad to hear that too! And on another note, since the Draco piece you reviewed is a one-shot, I'll respond to it here. I did like the idea of showing Draco in a time where he was very uncomfortable. It's basically like boot camp for him, and I think he's a better person for having gone through it. Well, here's the next chapter, I hope you like it!

Shining Bright Eyes: I'm glad you liked the Peter Pan movie, it's one of my favorites too! I don't think Teecie's read the whole book, she's probably read parts of it, but I don't think she's quite ready to read it. It will probably take several more years before she's ready for that. And I'll respond to your review to the Draco story too. I'm so happy that you enjoyed it! It was always something I wondered about too, how Tanith and Draco met, so I just finally decided to write it. And I hope you like this chapter as much too! I had quite a few problems writing it, and I'm glad it's posted and over with now! Enjoy!

Year Six Begins

The rest of the grandchildren's visit to the property flew past. When Draco and Tanith returned from their holiday, their children were so upset to leave, that they were able to convince their parents to stay for supper. "You can tell us all about your trip!" Liss cried excitedly while taking Draco's hand and pulling him over to the sofa.

Draco seemed quite at ease that evening. His holiday, and time alone with his wife, seemed to have completely refreshed him. "Well, we stayed at the villa in Greece, and spent most of our time in the spa. And some wonderful new restaurants have opened since the last time I was there," he explained to his family.

"Did you get us any presents, father?" Roo asked with a grin.

Draco folded his arms and looked carefully at his children. "Well, that depends on whether or not you three behaved yourselves this week," he said before looking over at Lucius.

Lucius smiled. "The children were nearly perfect the entire time, son. You've raised fine children, and should be very proud of them," he replied.

Draco smiled and looked back at his children. "Very well then, we bought presents for everyone," he replied while Tanith stood up and walked over to a large bag they'd set in the corner of the room.

"We got everybody something," Tanith said while bringing the bag over to the dinner table and opening it up. She handed out three small boxes to Mel, Liss, and Teecie.

Inside the boxes were matching pearl necklaces, though Liss's had a purple tint to it, Mel's a green tint, and Teecie's pink. The girls were breathless while marveling over their beautiful gifts. It took them a while to find words to thank Draco and Tanith properly.

"And for the boys…" Tanith said while pulling out two large bundles, and setting them before Roo and Hunter. Inside each bundle was a round wooden shield, and matching wooden swords with rounded tips. There were also matching helmets for them to wear too. "Now I expect you two not to hurt anybody. These are for display," Tanith explained while watching the boys drool over their new toys.

Next, she took out several small jars and gave them to Lucius. "We figured you should check out your competition," she said while he looked at the jars of gold and amber coloured Greek honey.

"Thank you very much," Lucius murmured while holding the jars as though they were filled with precious jewels or treasures, not honey.

Finally, Tanith took out two bottles, and handed them to Adriana. One was a bottle of ouzo, and the other, olive oil. "A gift from your family's homeland," Tanith said.

Adriana smiled. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at Tanith. "Thank you," she whispered.

Tanith smiled as well. "It was Draco who picked out the olive oil," she replied.

Adriana looked at Draco with surprise showing on her face. "Draco…thank you…" she said quietly.

Draco cleared his throat. "It was the least we could do for taking care of the children for so long," he said just as quietly. Draco had received an owl from his father on their second day, telling him about what Roo had said about Adriana. He felt it was a good idea to smooth things over a bit.

Finally, when pudding was over, it was time to return to the Manor. The children said their goodbyes, and slowly gathered their bags. Teecie couldn't help but feel sad to watch them floo home.

Hunter stayed for the last week of the summer holiday. He loved to be the sole attention again, as he was used to that at home.

Most of his time was spent with Lucius. They milked the cows, fed the chickens, and even looked at the bees together. Lucius charmed Hunter to have a shield around his whole body so that no bee could sting him.

During this time, Teecie continued to write to James. They both missed each other terribly, and couldn't wait to see each other on the train ride to Hogwarts. At the same time, she found her thoughts turning to Zeren as well. Their kiss hadn't seemed like so much at the time, but she found herself thinking and even dreaming about it. This made her feel guilty and confused, and so she continued to write to James, hoping to chase away the almost constant desires for another boy.

Finally, Sunday, the last day of the holiday, arrived. Teecie spent the day packing her trunk. Adriana washed all of her school clothes, and lengthened the hems of her skirts and robes since Teecie had apparently grown a centimetre or two since the end of last year.

Adriana also made a lovely crown roast of pork dinner that night. Teecie went to bed that night feeling pleasantly stuffed.

The next morning was chaotic as usual for the first day of school. Hunter ran around screaming over the excitement. "I get to go on a train!" he cried over and over again.

"Only Ticia is going on the train today," Lucius tried to explain while setting a bowl of porridge down on the kitchen table and calling his grandson over to eat his breakfast. Hunter's face fell, and his lower lip began to tremble when he heard that terrible news. He was so upset, he only managed to eat a few bits of porridge that morning.

Finally, it was time to leave for the station. Adriana packed the car as everybody got inside it for the trip to King's Cross. This was one of the only times she used magic on the car, for their home was too far from London to reach the station on time.

Hunter loved being in the car as it flew over homes and other cars. He clutched his shield in excitement, and squealed with delight, though those were somewhat muffled as he'd insisted on wearing his helmet as well. The sword, though, had stayed at home, at Adriana's insistence.

Lucius found a trolley for the heavy trunk once they arrived at King's Cross. The station was quite full when they arrived, so Adriana held Hunter's hand tightly. "I don't want to lose you," she explained when he'd complained about it.

Teecie looked around for James once they'd gotten to Platform 9 3/4. It took a few minutes, but she finally spotted him and waved at him. "James!" she screeched at the top of her lungs before running towards him. He met her halfway, and picked her up in his arms to kiss her. "I've missed you so much!" she cried in between kisses.

While Teecie and James were snogging, Tanith and her children had met up with Lucius, Adriana, and Hunter. Roo seemed to have insisted upon wearing his helmet and shield as well, for within minutes, the two boys were butting heads and trying to see how strong the helmets were. Lucius separated them a very short time later.

Once that had been accomplished, he walked over to James and Teecie, and separated them as well. "You two are behaving improperly in public," he growled in a warning tone. He walked in between them to where the families were talking. "Now, I know you two will behave yourselves in school this year. I know there won't be any reason for anybody to write home to us," he continued. "As young adults, I know how important it is for you to be treated like adults. So I know you will act like mature young adults this year."

Teecie and James remained silent this whole time, trying to take in what Lucius was saying, but were finding it difficult to think of anything other than each other. Teecie thought James had grown taller since the last time she'd seen him. James thought Teecie looked even hotter now since they'd been forced apart.

"Do I make myself clear?" Lucius finally asked as they met up with their families.

"Yes," the both mumbled in unison, though not having heard a word he'd said.

Hunter and Roo were running around by this time, and Mel and Liss were trying to keep them under control while Tanith, Adriana, and Tonks chatted together.

Liss broke off from the chase and joined James and Teecie. "We should get going," she said excitedly.

The three children said their goodbyes to their families before boarding the Hogwarts Express.

During the commotion of the hugs and kisses goodbye, Roo grabbed Hunter by the hand and rushed over to the train. "Come on, you like trains, don't you?" Roo whispered to the younger boy.

"Of course, but should we?" Hunter asked with wide eyes.

"Sure, it'll be fun!" Roo replied while stepping up onto the train. Hunter looked over his shoulder before grinning and running after him.

Liss, Teecie, and James walked onto the train a couple minutes later, and found Patty, and Zeren in a compartment. Paige, as a prefect, was sitting in the compartments with the other prefects. Everybody exchanged greetings while a few more people entered the compartment.

The train finally pulled out of the station, and the students chattered about their holiday adventures.

A half hour later, the door of the compartment opened, but they didn't see anybody there. A moment later, they saw a small helmeted head creep out from one side of the door. The small person looked around, and then quickly ran into the room. "Lissy? Auntie Teecie?" a small voice asked from behind the helmet.

Teecie and Liss looked incredulously at the figure. "Hunter?" Liss gasped, her eyes wide as saucers.

At this point in time, another, slightly larger, helmeted figure crept into the room as well. "Roo?" Teecie cried while jumping up to clasp her hands on his shoulders.

Hunter took his helmet off. "We sneaked on and then it left," he explained.

Teecie and Liss exchanged shocked looks while the younger girl burst into tears. "Rou-vin, wh-what were you thin-thin-thinking? Mum must be wor-woried sick, and fath-father is going to k-kill you!" she cried. With that, she collapsed back onto the bench and sobbed. Carl scooted over to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a comforting hug.

Roo shrugged his shoulders and scrunched his nose. "It was an accident," he said unconvincingly.

Teecie scowled and took him by the shoulder. "Well, you're going to sit by me for the rest of the trip," she hissed while trying to push him over towards the bench.

Roo struggled out of her grip. "I won't sit by a girl!" he cried while looking around and smiling. "I'm going to sit by my good friend Zeren," he continued while shooting a glance in James's direction. With that, he ran over to Zeren and sat down next to him.

Hunter, on the other hand, seemed far more remorseful, and took Teecie's hand. "I wanna sit with you, auntie," he whispered. Teecie led him over to the bench and he settled quickly between her and James.

"Well I'll send an owl to Mrs. Black and Miss Orendes. They must be quite upset," Patty said while walking around the compartment, looking for a quill and parchment. Within minutes, she had a note tied to her owl's leg, opened the compartment window, and let the owl flutter outside the room and off on its journey back to King's Cross.

An hour later, one of the train employees entered the compartment. "So, here are the two stowaways," the man said with a look of amusement. "We've just received a message from your families. Professor Black will meet them at Hogsmeade and take care of things from there." With that, he turned and walked out of the compartment, shutting the door behind him.

Hunter shuddered and wrapped his hands tightly through Teecie's. Roo, however, sat up straight. "I'm not scared of father," he replied boldly while looking up at Zeren.

Zeren raised his eyebrows. "You should be," he replied in a clear voice.

Roo took a deep breath before folding his arms. "Well I'm not," he said defiantly.

When the trolley rolled past, Teecie tried to buy food for the boys, but was stopped by Zeren. "Please, I insist," he said, "It's the least I can do to help out during this time."

Zeren beckoned to the boys to pick out whatever they wanted. Both Roo and Hunter filled their pockets and hands with sweets before returning to their seats.

James glared at Zeren the entire time he ate his lunch, and put his arm around Teecie, as though making sure Zeren didn't steal her away from him right there on the train. Roo saw this and made sure to thank Zeren loudly for his gift.

"You sure must be rich!" Roo said pointedly. "I bet any girl would be lucky to end up marrying you."

Zeren shrugged his shoulders, but looked at Teecie. "My wife, whoever she ends up being, will live like a queen," he replied.

Teecie made a point of looking away from Zeren the entire time, but Portia didn't. She smiled at him and began brushing her robes off. "How much money does your family have?" she asked while batting her eyes at him.

"Enough," Zeren replied with a wink and a grin.

The rest of the train ride passed slowly, with nobody speaking very much. From the amount of fidgeting Teecie could see from Roo, she knew he was, in fact, far more nervous about his father's reaction than he let on.

Hunter enjoyed his time on the train, making sure to show James his helmet and shield. James taught him how to play Exploding Snap, though Hunter was a little scared of the noisy explosions.

Roo and Zeren joined the game, the entire room was watching as they played the game. James and Zeren, though, played as though their lives depended on it.

"You lose again, Travers!" James cackled after winning two games in a row.

Zeren scowled at James while trying to catch Teecie's eye. "That's because I was distracted," he growled.

"It's because you're not good at it," James shot back.

Teecie was talking with Patty, and didn't react to this, though Zeren had hoped she'd tell James to be nicer or something. But every time he'd tried to get Teecie's attention, she looked away. He wished he could speak to her alone.

Ever since their brief kiss in Diagon Alley, Zeren had realized that he was more in love with Teecie than he had originally thought. He'd spent the rest of the summer holiday thinking, dreaming, and fantasizing about her. He'd built her up to be no less than an actual goddess in bed. He'd slept with several other girls over the years at Hogwarts, but none of them compared to the Ticia of his fantasies. He knew he'd never be quite satisfied in his life unless he got the opportunity to sleep with her. In his fantasies, Ticia had always been so grateful and delighted over his love-making abilities. She'd always told him what a lousy shag Lupin was in comparison…

But Zeren's thoughts returned to reality as he felt the sudden jolt of the train pulling into Hogsmeade station. Everybody began to stand up and find their bags to take on the carriages to school, before walking out of the compartment.

Roo walked closely to Zeren as they left the train. Teecie and James were walking with Hunter, each holding one of his hands. Roo didn't like the fact that Hunter was getting all of his auntie's attention, so he steered Zeren over to the group, and took Teecie's free hand in his. Liss stood on the other side of James, looking pensive as they slowly walked onto the platform, and over towards the imposing figure at the far end.

Teecie could see Draco standing with his arms crossed. Even though it was too dark to see his face, she knew he must be fuming with anger over what the boys had done. She felt nervous to see her brother this angry. She couldn't remember a situation that had made him this angry since the time she'd run away to be with Owen, and he'd gone to bring her back to school. She could tell the boys were terrified by the way they clung to her. Hunter was already whimpering and burying his head in Teecie's robes.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the small group reached Draco. Teecie could see his face was white with fury.

"Hello father," Liss said after a minute of stony silence.

Draco looked at his daughter for a second, and then swept his gaze over to the other people standing in front of him. "Mr. Travers, Mr. Lupin, you may be excused," he said tersely.

Neither boy needed a second warning to let them know their services were no longer needed, and quickly retreated to the carriages.

Draco continued to glare at the rest of the family. After a minute, both Liss and Hunter burst into tears. "Don't kill Rouvin, father! He's just a little boy!" Liss cried while throwing her arms around her brother.

"I'm sorry Uncle Draco!" Hunter wailed while throwing himself at the older man's feet and continuing to cry.

Draco tried to disconnect himself from his young nephew, but was unable to. "Ticia will you get him off me?" he finally snapped. "And take him to the school with you as well. Bring him to my office when you arrive," he instructed while Teecie carefully unwrapped Hunter and led him away from Draco.

With that, Draco put a very firm hand on his son's shoulder, and looked down at his daughter. "Lisandra, go with your aunt and nephew to the school. Now," he instructed his crying daughter, who let go of her brother and ran after Teecie.

When only Draco and Roo were left, Draco looked down at his son. "Rouvin, I have a carriage waiting for just the two of us. I do not want to hear a single word out of you until we reach the school. Do you understand?" he hissed furiously.

"Yes sir," Roo replied.

"Good," Draco barked, "Now march!" With that, he walked off the platform, his young son struggling to keep up with him.

Draco lectured Roo the entire ride up to the school. "Your mother and I will discuss an appropriate punishment for you tonight. This is not over yet," he said while walking his son up the stairs and into the dungeon.

Hunter's trip had been far less traumatic. He'd been awestruck at the sight of Hogwarts. He'd been just as amazed over Nili, the house elf sent to watch over him and Roo while Draco attended the Sorting feast. The boys ate sandwiches in Draco's office, with Nili cleaning up after them that evening.

Teecie was quite subdued during the entire feast. The fun of watching the younger children was marred by the anxiety she felt for her nephews. As she looked at Draco, who had joined the ceremony only a couple minutes late, she could tell that he was still furious. She couldn't help but hope he wasn't too harsh on Roo. He was just a little kid after all. The poor boy was probably frightened to death, wondering what sort of punishment awaited him.

Teecie was so distraught over the situation, that she was only able to snog James for a half hour that night before she had to go ask Draco what had happened.

Draco was sitting in his office, writing instructions for his classes, when Teecie knocked on the door and poked her head into the room. "Are you OK now?" she asked cautiously while stepping inside and shutting the door.

Draco snorted. "Hardly," he replied, "But I assigned him the punishment of writing lines for the next month. That ought to straighten him out."

"And Hunter?" Teecie asked.

Draco shrugged. "He's only four, and hardly capable of knowing right from wrong. Your parents have him now," he explained, "Adriana is probably giving him a bath and a hot meal before singing him to sleep with lullabies." Though he made it sound like hardly a just punishment, Teecie couldn't help but notice he'd called her mum by her actual first name. She was smart enough though, to not mention it, for Draco had probably not even realized he'd said it. She decided to change the subject and see if that cheered him up at all.

"So I get the results of my OWLs tomorrow…Do you think I'll get into Advanced Potions?" she asked quietly.

Draco nodded his head. "I don't see why you wouldn't. I'm sure you did quite well on your OWL," he said.

"I hope so. I'm pretty nervous about what classes I'll end up in," Teecie confessed.

"I don't understand why they changed the OWL results to the first day of school. In my day, we received them over the summer holidays, instead of making you wait and prolonging the anxiety. But everything has changed since I was a student here…" Draco trailed off before returning to Teecie's concern. "And I'm sure you'll get into all the classes you need to further your medical career."

"Thanks," Teecie said while standing up to hug her brother. "You know, I like this new, laid-back Draco. You should keep him around more often."

Draco smiled slightly. "Yes, well, it's time for you to get some sleep. You have to get up early in the morning," he replied while walking her to the door.

Teecie walked back to her dormitory that night feeling relieved, and filled the twins in on everything that had happened as they unpacked their trunks.

The next morning, the girls dressed for the day, and went to breakfast early, hoping to get their OWL results earlier than anybody else. Professor Lupin was at the Professor's table, with an armful of parchments. The girls saw this, and couldn't resist. They ran up to the table. "How did we do on the OWLs?" All three girls cried out in unison while looking slightly crazed.

Lupin was startled at the sudden noise. He set his parchments down and smiled. "Girls, you'll find out soon enough. Why don't you go enjoy breakfast now?" he said before going back to the task at hand of figuring out everybody's schedules.

Teecie and the twins sighed and walked slowly back to the Gryffindor table. James was waiting for them when they sat down. "So dad's not saying anything yet, is he?" he said while dishing himself up a plate of sausages, "I tried to get information out of him all summer, but he wouldn't tell me anything."

Teecie looked up to watch Lupin, and saw him with a sad look on his face as he checked over one of the papers. She had to wonder what that meant. Was it hers? Did she fail something horribly? Was she not going to get into one of her classes that she needed to become a healer? Her stomach fluttered nervously, and any hunger she may have felt, dissolved as the nerves took over.

James noticed this, and gave her a quick hug. "Don't worry Teecie, everything's going to be fine," he assured her. She smiled and joined the conversation after that. The rest of the meal passed pleasantly before Professor Lupin made his way to the table and began to hand out timetables to the students.

"The professors will have the books you students need, and you'll just need to tell your parents what they owe for them. We find this is easier for the older students to have one less thing to worry about over the summer holidays," Professor Lupin explained as he walked around the table to hand out the rest of the papers to the sixth year students.

Teecie was shaking by the time her head of house walked over to her and handed her the results as well as her schedule. She bit her lip as Lupin held out her OWL results. "I can't look," she whimpered.

James patted her shoulder. "Go on, I know you did fine," he said encouragingly.

Teecie took a deep breath before holding the parchment up in front of her. "I passed!" she shrieked after a moment. "All A's, O's, and even two E's!" she cried happily. "I'll be able to get into all the advanced classes. I can be a healer!"

Patty and Paige were just as happy with their OWL results, though somewhat less vocal about it. Neither girl had as high career goals as Teecie, though the thought of impressing their father was quite important to them.

James looked at his results last. Teecie held his hand as he scanned the parchment. He didn't say anything for almost a minute, and then he folded the paper up, stood up, and walked out of the room. Teecie looked worried and felt confused as she stood up and ran after him. She caught up to him on the landing going up to Professor Lupin's office.

"James, what's wrong?" she asked quietly.

James was pale, and his lips trembled as he looked at Teecie. "I didn't…" he trailed off in little more than a whisper.

"Didn't what?"

"I didn't…pass the Potions OWL…I can't take Advanced Potions…" James croaked. "I won't be able to become an auror now…"

Teecie gasped and her eyes grew wide. "Oh James, there must be some mistake. Let's go talk to your dad. Maybe he can straighten this all out," she said while taking his hand in hers and leading him to the office.

Professor Lupin was sitting at his desk, looking withdrawn, and pale. He seemed to be expecting the young couple as they walked into the room and sat down across from him. "James, Miss Orendes," he said in greeting.

James looked up at his father, and his lips trembled again. "How long have you known, dad?" he asked.

Lupin sighed and clasped his hands. "A week now. I didn't say anything because I wanted to give you as much time as possible before you found out. I'm sorry, son," he replied.

"Isn't there anything I can do to get into Advanced Potions? What will I do if I don't? I have to get in to become an auror. What will happen if I don't become an auror? There isn't anything else I want to do," James said with panic in his voice.

Remus shook his head. "Professor Black won't allow anybody who failed the potions OWL into his advanced classes. I'm afraid you will have to spend some time rethinking your life choices, James," he said in a quiet voice.

James bit his lip and folded his arms. His hands shook as he did this. "Dad, what am I going to do?" he asked, thinking not only of his classes for the year, but his now-dashed hopes and dreams for the future. What would he do with his life if he couldn't become an auror?

He looked at Teecie, feeling humiliated over his future, and her great success. She was going to become a healer, and now he was going to be nothing of any great importance. He could only imagine how Professor Black would gloat over this. He might even forbid him from seeing Teecie anymore because of it. Professor Black didn't want a loser to date his sister.

Teecie saw how worried he looked, and squeezed his hand encouragingly. "Don't worry James, I'll talk to Draco today to see if he'll make an exception for you," she said quietly.

That morning, James walked Teecie to the dungeons, and scowled to see Zeren waiting at the door. "So I hear you didn't make it, Lupin," he smirked before putting his arm around Teecie's shoulders. "Don't worry, Lupin, I'll take good care of our Ticia," he said in a low, menacing tone. With that, he gently pulled Teecie into the room, and shut the door in James's face.

Teecie was fuming by the time she reached the desks. "Zeren Travers, how dare you talk to James like that?" she hissed angrily while sitting down near the front of the class. When Zeren made a move to sit next to her, she set her book bag down on the seat to block him. "Don't even think about it," she said.

Zeren frowned slightly. "Come on, Ticia, I didn't mean anything by it," he said while picking up the book bag and setting it down on the floor. "Honest," he continued while sitting down next to her and smiling sweetly.

Teecie bit her lip and scowled. After a minute, she picked up her book bag and moved to the other side of the room. Zeren would have followed her, but Professor Black walked into the room and signaled for the start of class.

"Good morning, class," he said calmly while picking up a small stack of books and handing them out to the students. "This is the text we will be working from. And while I find it a priceless reference book, the people at Flourish and Blotts have decided it is worth precisely 7 galleons and 3 knuts. You'll be sure to inform your parents of this."

The rest of the class was far more intense than normal, but Teecie found she quite enjoyed the challenge. It looked as though it was going to be an interesting year.

She walked to Draco's desk at the end of class, and waited until he'd finished speaking to the other students who'd stayed to talk to him. "Draco, I need to ask a favour of you," she'd asked in her most desperate tone. "I need you to make an exception for James so he can take this class. He didn't place high enough on his OWL to get in."

Draco raised his eyebrows upon hearing this. "He didn't?"

"No, and if he can't get in, then he can't become an auror. That's all he's ever dreamed of being."

Draco sniffed. "Ticia, part of life is learning to deal with disappointment. We can't always have our dreams come true," he replied coolly. The fact that Harry Potter's head was still firmly attached to his neck, and not stuck to a pike in the Hogsmead village centre, was a testament to this.

"But Draco, how will he support me when we get married if he's not an auror?" Teecie pouted.

Draco frowned and sighed. Ticia always needed such careful treatment when it came to dealing with her feelings. She had quite a blind spot when it came to Lupin's imperfections, which were many. But he couldn't be too blunt with her and risk offending her. No, he had to humour her. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked down at her.

"Ticia, I understand that you are upset over the problem James is having, but I cannot make an exception for him. It wouldn't be fair to the many other students who didn't pass their OWLs as well," he said quietly before pulling her into an embrace. "I am sorry, but I also know that James will find something else to do for a career. He is a bright lad, and will be all right."

Teecie let her brother hold her for a few minutes. She knew there wasn't anything to be done, and that James was just going to have to live with his dashed dreams of being an auror. "I'm just worried about him," she mumbled.

Draco patted her head. "I know you are. But he'll be all right," he replied.

"Thanks," Teecie said before picking her book bag up and turning to leave.

James was waiting for her outside the room, and rushed over to her. "Well?" he asked eagerly.

Teecie looked mournfully at him, and slowly shook her head. "I'm sorry," she whispered before hugging him.

James didn't know what to think. It seemed as though he was incapable of thinking at the moment. He was stunned. His life, while only a day before, had been almost perfect, was now in a complete shambles. He had a feeling that it was going to be a terrible year.


	81. Breaking Apart

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm amazed at myself to have made it this far! And I'm so glad you enjoyed the last chapter. I really had fun writing it. I hope you like this chapter too. There are a lot of changes that are going to come with sixth year…

Shining Bright Eyes: I'm so glad you enjoyed the last chapter! It was tons of fun to write. In response to your questions, I don't think Teecie questions why Draco is the way he is. To her he's always been that way, so it doesn't feel odd to her. And as for the red hair, I had to think about it for a long time while writing that detail. It makes much more sense to me that the red hair would have crept in from the Malfoy side of the family, but in the end, I decided that it was a bit of a joke between Lucius and Adriana. After Teecie was born, both of them were shocked to see a redhead, and that was the funny answer they came up with. I hope that answers your questions! And I hope you like this chapter! Happy reading!

Breaking Apart

A/N: This is the last chapter to be posted before the Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S., so I thought I'd say Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers at this time. I hope everybody has at least one thing to be thankful for this year, and will enjoy the holiday in their favorite way. Happy Thanksgiving!

Teecie was busier now than she'd ever been before at Hogwarts. Her "free" periods were spent studying and working on the vast amounts of homework she now had. Not just potions, but all the other advanced classes were demanding a lot of her time and energy. And the new element of Master Wilkes's healing lessons proved to be quite a challenge to her. She'd dropped History of Magic, Care of Magical Creatures, Astronomy and Runes in order to take all the advanced courses, as well as Wilkes's class.

In spite of all that, though, she still had time to worry about James. He had slipped into a depression after hearing the terrible news of his failed potions OWL. He had gotten into all the other advanced classes, though, and was nearly as busy as Teecie was with homework. They'd been so exhausted the first two nights of school, that they'd not had a chance to be together, and both were looking forward to that again.

James and Teecie decided to take the night off on Wednesday, and spend the evening together in the Room of Requirement. They figured they'd have more space to themselves there.

The room didn't disappoint them, and James and Teecie spent several hours making passionate love to one another. James was far more intense than ever before, and Teecie wondered if he was trying to prove something to her.

"James, you know I love you no matter what your job is, right?" she asked carefully while he lay in her arms, spent and breathless. Sweat glistened on his muscular arms and broad chest.

James looked into Teecie's eyes for a moment before looking away again and resting his head on her breasts. "I know," he finally whispered. He didn't speak again after this, but became lost in his thoughts. He was enjoying the time he had left with Teecie, for he knew that it was going to end. Professor Black was too strong a man to fight, and Zeren wouldn't stop until he'd gotten what he wanted. Now that he was no longer going to be an auror, he had no chance against either of them. Marrying Teecie was only a dream.

They were both too exhausted to make love again, and fell asleep in one another's arms. The next morning, they woke up and took a shower together before going downstairs for breakfast.

Over the meal, they had a chance to forget about their problems for a while. One thing everybody was looking forward to this year was the Lake Party. The younger, less busy students would be in charge of planning it. Teecie, for one, as well as Paige, liked the thought of not having to worry about it. The older students enjoyed watching the younger students work on planning the party. They were intent on making it just as good as it had always been before.

That day in Potions class, Zeren sat at Teecie's side. He had managed to get himself back in her good graces by apologizing to her sincerely the next day. Teecie did enjoy spending time with Zeren, and since he was very good at potions, it made sense for them to be partners. Draco seemed most pleased over this. He took every opportunity he could to encourage them.

Zeren insisted that they meet out of class each day, during a mutual free period, to discuss their work. He felt it was good for both of them. Teecie knew it would probably upset James, but thought it was a good idea as well. They met in the library for their free hour after potions class.

Teecie was correct in thinking this would displease James, for he got into a shouting match with her the day he found out. "I can't believe you're doing this to me!" he yelled angrily in the Gryffindor Common Room.

"James I didn't do anything to you! I need somebody to study with and he's in the class!" Teecie cried in response.

This seemed to be the wrong thing to say, for James's eyes narrowed and he folded his arms before growling at her. "Thanks for rubbing in that fact, Ticia!"

"James I didn't mean to make it sound like that, but it is the truth. Zeren is just a friend, and you have nothing to worry about. I love you, so stop getting so upset!"

"Don't tell me what to do! If I want to be upset, then I'm going to be upset! Don't I have every right to be upset right now?"

"Yes, of course you do, James. I'd be very upset too if I was in your shoes, believe me. I don't know what I'd do if I wasn't able to become a healer," Teecie said consolingly.

"Only you don't have to worry about that, do you? I have nothing to work for anymore. I might as well drop out of Hogwarts!" James growled while looking around to see if the entire room was staring at him.

"No James, of course you should stay at school. Don't even talk like that!" Teecie cried while wrapping her hands around James's arm. "Please don't be serious about this."

James yanked his arm out of her grip and scowled at her. "Just leave me the hell alone, Ticia," he hissed before running out of the room and leaving Teecie feeling scared and confused over what was happening.

James continued to run until he was outside and on the grounds. He looked around to see where he should go next, and started to run again, blindly, for what felt like eternity. His side ached and his lungs felt ready to burst from the cold air by the time he stopped and realized he'd left the school grounds, and had made it all the way to the orphanage in Hogsmeade. He could hear the sounds of happy children playing inside the large house, and from one of the front windows, he could see his Uncle Harry playing with the kids.

James stood on the front step of the orphanage for several minutes before knocking on the door. A couple minutes later, Harry opened the door and looked quite surprised to see the boy. "James, what brings you here? Aren't you supposed to be in school?" he asked with concern in his voice while ushering James into the room.

James shrugged his shoulders as they walked into Harry's office. "I've just had a bad week and a row with Ticia," he mumbled.

Harry frowned as James sat down on the sofa. "Want to tell me about it?" he asked while pouring two cups of tea for them.

James took a deep breath and told him everything about failing his potions OWL, and how now Travers was putting the moves on Teecie. "I mean, Uncle Harry, I love Ticia more than anything in the world, but let's face it, she's easily swayed. If I don't have an impressive career to keep her attracted to me, what's to keep her from running off with Travers?" he asked before taking a large swig of scalding hot tea and choking on it.

Harry waited for James to stop coughing before speaking. "Well James, I think you should know Ticia well enough by know to either trust her completely, or not. From what I know of her, she doesn't seem the type to sleep around on you," he said slowly. "Perhaps your confidence has been shaken from all of this, but I don't really think she's going to run out on you."

"Maybe, but you don't know what Travers is like. He's the worst ever. He always tries to best me at everything, and I know he wants to get with Teecie. He's not going to quit until he gets what he wants from her. He's my worst enemy," James spat angrily.

Harry sighed. "I'm sure I know nothing about anything like that," he said dryly.

"I have to have a good job or Professor Black won't let me marry Teecie. He won't make an exception for me to be in his advanced class."

"Count yourself lucky on that part at least. But as for Ticia, you're going to have to work on your confidence about her. You cannot worry about what people might do to stand in your way from her. I mean, think about it, you're a Gryffindor, don't ever forget that. It's your birthright to not give a damn about any of them and do what you think is right. Don't lose the spirit of the lion in your heart, James, use it. Use it to get what you want in life," Harry said while leaning forward and smiling. "So you can't be an auror, I for one can tell you it's not all it's cracked up to be. There are plenty of other jobs in law enforcement that are just as important."

James looked skeptical and folded his arms. "What other sorts of jobs are there?" he asked with a frown.

"Well there's regular police work, and more specialized work," Harry said. "Ask your mother about it, I'm sure she can help you out."

James shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe…" he mumbled.

The two talked for another half hour or so, until James needed to return to Hogwarts for dinner. "You don't want to get in trouble with Snape now, do you?" Harry said as he saw James out the door.

"You mean Professor Snape, right?" James corrected with a chuckle. He'd heard over the years about how it always grated on Harry to have been forced to be nice to the Headmaster even though he hated him. "And no, I can't really afford that now."

Harry rolled his eyes, but smiled. "Everything will be fine. Just try to relax and enjoy your time at the school," he called out as James walked away, back to Hogwarts.

James wasn't in much higher spirits by the time he returned to the school as when he left. But he smiled at Teecie anyway when he saw her in the Great Hall, and sat down next to her. "I'm sorry I rowed with you," he murmured while giving her a hug.

Teecie wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry too," she whispered in his ear.

The rest of the week was a little more pleasant after that. James was a little more cheerful after writing a letter to his mother for advice on career choices. He laughed and joked around with his mates again. Teecie was very happy and relieved to see this. She, for her part, was very busy still. She was having difficulty finding the time for all that needed to be done.

Zeren was a very demanding potions partner. He'd begun to insist that they eat lunch together and study on top of the time they spent together each morning. "Professor Black is really asking a lot of us, so we need to put in every effort possible," he said while grabbing Teecie's hand one day at lunch and dragging her away from James.

Teecie tried to take Zeren's hand off of hers, but he was too strong for her. "Zeren, stop!" she finally cried. Zeren didn't seem to be listening to her as he pulled her past the professor's table. Teecie dug in her heels and pulled back against him, causing him to stop. "Zeren, I don't want to go study now, I was busy eating with James," she yelled while trying to pull her hand away again.

Zeren sighed and let go of Teecie's hand. "All right, I'm sorry Ticia," he said quietly while looking around to see how many people were looking at them. "It's just that we really do need to focus on our potions class. It's so demanding this year," he said with a smile.

"Well I'm eating lunch with James today," Teecie replied coolly. "And I would appreciate it if you wouldn't grab me like that again."

Zeren frowned and sighed. "All right, Ticia," he replied grudgingly, "I'm sorry I grabbed you like that. I just wanted to get some more studying done today. That's all."

"Maybe tomorrow at lunch," Teecie replied with a smile. "I just need to spend today with James."

Zeren smiled. "Well then, I'll plan on tomorrow then. You can join me at the Slytherin table," he said before patting her shoulder.

By now, James had reached them. He looked furious as he wedged himself between Teecie and Zeren. "Just what the hell are you trying to do?" he growled at Zeren.

Zeren smiled triumphantly and crossed his arms. "I was just making a lunch date with Ticia," he gloated. "And now that it's settled, I'll be on my way. Good afternoon, Ticia," he said before making a bold move and kissing Teecie's cheek.

Teecie gasped as Zeren walked away. James looked more furious then he'd ever looked before, and she was unable to catch up to him as he ran after Zeren. James narrowed his eyes and stepped close to Zeren. "Stay away from Teecie or I'll make sure you regret it," he hissed.

Zeren rolled his eyes and sighed. "Lupin, give it up," he said lazily, "You're just no match for me. Why don't you go find a nice Hufflepuff girl to settle down with? You know, someone who'll be more comfortable in your…reduced salary range. Someone who'll cook and clean, and pop out a few puppies for you." With that, he turned and started to walk away.

James looked ready to kill Zeren as he caught him by the hem of his robe, and yanked hard on it, sending him stumbling backwards, though still on his feet. By the time Zeren turned to face James, both boys had their wands out and pointing at one another. "Stay away from Teecie," James growled again while angry red sparks shot out of his wand.

"You don't own her. You're not her husband," Zeren replied while taking a step towards James. "You can't stop me from seeing her if I want to."

James turned deep red as he took this in. "If you try to take her from me, I'll…" he trailed off while clenching his fists.

Zeren grinned. "Who said anything about taking? If I had the time, I'd have her begging me to free her from your mediocrity," he said lightly. "I mean, that kiss we shared over the summer holiday proved to me that-"

By now, James seemed to have lost the ability to be reasonable, for he tossed his wand on the ground, and ripped his robe and tie off before tackling Zeren, and sending them both sprawling onto the floor before the other boy had a chance to finish his statement.

Zeren's wand was knocked out of his hand, and he was barely able to deflect James's punches with his arms. Zeren's left eye was swollen shut, and his lip and nose were bleeding by the time the first professor could get to them.

"Break it up! Get off of him!" Charlie Weasley yelled as he grabbed James by the arm and tried to pull him off of Zeren. James was too aggressive to stop, though, and Remus had to step in and grab his other arm in order to move him.

James was cursing and lunging at Zeren while Professor Bones and Master Wilkes rushed over to help Zeren. The blood-flow stopped immediately with a simple wave of Wilkes's wand. Both of the adults helped walk Zeren up to the Hospital wing after he was able to stand.

Professor Snape had motioned for Charlie and Professor Lupin to take James up to his office. James was still struggling against the two older men as they hauled him out of the Great Hall.

Draco, in the meantime, had seen the shocked and horrified look on Teecie's face, and walked over to her. "Are you all right?" he asked quietly while putting a hand on her shoulder.

Teecie's face crumbled and she began to cry, but before he could do anything, both Liss and Paige ran up and swept her out of the room.

Teecie was sobbing by the time they reached the main staircase. She sat down and buried her head in Paige's comforting arms, while Liss smoothed out her aunt's curls. "Oh Auntie, how terrible. That Travers was asking for it for sure," she murmured. "James wouldn't do anything like that for no good reason."

"It was sort of romantic too," Paige added cautiously. "I should think it would be lovely to have two boys fighting over me." This only made Teecie cry louder, so Paige stopped talking.

Teecie had never seen James like that before. She'd actually been scared of him while he'd been hitting Zeren. He was uncontrollable when he got that angry. She couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he ever got that angry at her. Of course the fact that Zeren had probably goaded him into it had something to do with it, tooShe decided that she was upset and angry at both of them.

By the time lunch had ended, Teecie had finished crying. She walked with Paige to their Advanced Charms class. Neither James nor Zeren was there, which didn't surprise her too much.

After classes that afternoon, Teecie went to see Professor Lupin. He seemed shaken over what had taken place earlier that day. "Where is James? How much trouble is he in?" Teecie asked frantically.

Remus took a deep breath before responding. "He's in his dormitory, sleeping. Snape gave him a calming draught. He's been banned from the Lake Party this year, and given three weeks of detentions with Snape. He'll have to write lines and essays, and whatever else is asked of him," he explained wearily while rubbing his temples. "And I have grounded him for a further month after his detentions end. He will not be allowed out of his dormitory after dinnertime."

Teecie bit her lip and folded her arms. Such a harsh punishment for a fight! Three months of not being able to see him after dinner…It felt like she was being punished, too.

"And Zeren? Is he in any trouble?" she asked after a minute.

"No, James attacked him. Everybody saw what happened," Lupin replied.

"But Zeren must have been asking for it. James wouldn't just attack somebody!" Teecie cried. "He should get a detention or two as well."

"It doesn't matter what Mr. Travers said, Ticia. They were only words, and James shouldn't have given into his feelings," Remus replied.

Teecie sighed and shook her head in wonder over the turn of events that the first week had brought so far. And the week wasn't even over yet.

When she'd finished talking to Professor Lupin, she decided to pay Zeren a visit, to give him a piece of her mind. As she arrived in the Hospital wing, Zeren smiled broadly upon seeing her. "Hello Ticia," he croaked.

Teecie frowned and took a good look at him. All the bruises and welts he'd gotten had been repaired by Wilkes, and he seemed to be back to normal. "How do you feel?" she asked while folding her arms.

"I'm fine," he replied. "I'll be able to go back to classes tomorrow."

"Well, that's very good to hear," Teecie replied sarcastically. "And you're life will be back to normal, no punishments, no problems. James on the other hand, is grounded forever because of what you must have said to him. What did you say to him?"

Zeren shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing shocking really," he said calmly. "You know he just can't stand the idea of me being anywhere near you. I told him that we were going to continue being potions partners and he'd just have to get used to it. He didn't seem to want to deal with that in a mature fashion, and chose to attack me instead."

Teecie narrowed her eyes at him and glared at him for a minute. "I'm sure that's hardly how you put it to James, and that he was very much justified in giving you a pounding," she finally snapped at him. "Why do you have to be so mean to him? Why can't you just leave James alone?"

Zeren shrugged again. "He just makes it so easy. He asks for it," he replied.

Teecie was fuming by now. "Zeren Travers, you do this all the time! You act like a jerk to James, and then you apologize to me and I stop being angry with you. Well not this time. This time, Zeren, you've gone too far. James is in two months worth of trouble because you can't keep your stupid mouth shut," she cried. "I'm very angry with you, and I think you ought to be ashamed of yourself. I ought to stop being your potions partner and your friend forever!"

Zeren looked down at his hands, the first sign of remorse he'd shown all day over what had happened. Professor Snape had visited him that afternoon, and had warned him about the instigation of the fight. The Headmaster had been less than pleased that the fight had occurred and that Zeren had obviously said something to set James off. And now here Teecie was, angry with him. It was time for some damage control.

Zeren sighed and looked pitifully up at Teecie. "Look, Ticia, I'm really sorry that I got James into trouble. It's just that I'm so jealous of him that I lose my mind," he said quietly while frowning pathetically.

Teecie tilted her head and looked thoughtful at this. Finally, she sighed and sat down next to him. She took his hand in hers, and smiled sadly. "Zeren, I'm so sorry that this is torturing you so badly, but you have to understand that James and I are together, and nothing is going to change that. I thought we'd already talked about this over the summer," she said quietly.

Zeren grasped her hand tightly, and entwined his fingers through hers. "I know, but I just can't help but want to be with you. I will always treasure our kiss as one of the highlights of my entire life," he whispered before biting his lip and looking at her with a mournful look on his face.

Teecie smiled sadly and patted his cheek with her free hand. "I will always treasure our friendship, Zeren," she replied.

Zeren grabbed her other hand and pulled her down in front of his face. "If only I could have one last kiss," he said while gazing into her eyes.

Teecie tried to pull her hands out of his grasp, but he was too strong. "Zeren, I can't…" she murmured. Her heart began to pound as she looked into Zeren's steely blue eyes.

"Kissing isn't cheating. Kissing is OK," Zeren whispered while pulling her ever closer to him.

Teecie's heart pounded even harder, and her body throbbed with desire as she allowed Zeren to draw her ever closer to him. Her mind went blank after that.

Zeren put one hand on the back of Teecie's head, and pulled her face towards his. He kissed her for several seconds before letting her go. He was most pleased to see that she didn't break away from him, but continued their kiss. She rested both of her hands on his chest, and moaned quietly while her tongue entwined with his.

The two remained this way for a couple minutes, and it wasn't until Zeren moved his hand under her shirt, and started touching her bra that she finally broke their kiss.

"Zeren, that's not kissing!" she cried while jumping up and lowering her shirt again.

Zeren sat up slowly and reached a hand out to her. "Ticia, I'm so sorry," he replied sullenly. "I just got so carried away with my passion for you. I'm just such a horrible person," he said.

Teecie watched as he reached out for her. She sat back down and hugged him tightly. "You're not a horrible person. I'm so sorry I do this to you. I wish you didn't like me at all," she murmured into his ear.

Zeren wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto the bed next to him. "Thank you," he said before smiling and drawing her back into a kiss. He and Teecie resumed their kissing for some time after that. He was in the middle of leaving quite a sizable mark on her neck, when she pulled away again.

"Zeren, I need to go now," she said quietly.

"Don't go," he whispered while sitting back up and wrapping his arms around her. The two kissed for several more minutes before she tried to leave again.

"I haff go," she said as best she could with Zeren's tongue wrapped around hers.

"Nnn-nnn," he replied.

"Mmm-mmm," she said while pulling away from him and standing up. "I really am sorry, but I have to go now." With that, she wiped her mouth off and turned to leave. "Zeren, this was just a one-time thing," she whispered before walking out the door.

"Of course, Ticia. I enjoyed the evening," Zeren called out after her. After she had gone from his sight, he leaned back on his pillows and smiled. It wouldn't be too long now before he was doing that with her every night. That, and more…

As Teecie slowly walked back to her dormitory that evening, she was overcome with feelings of guilt for what she'd done. She'd spent at least an hour making out with a boy who wasn't James, and she'd enjoyed every second of it. Zeren made her feel different than James did. James was safe, and she knew she could always count on him to be there for her. She loved everything about him. With Zeren, there was a sense of the unknown about him. There was a bit of danger in being around him. Teecie found that appealing for some reason.

Zeren was a very intense kisser, and she found herself wondering what he would be like in bed. Just the thought of that made her feel ever guiltier over what she'd done. But she couldn't stop thinking about it. She'd been with James off and on since they were eleven years old. She was only sixteen now. Perhaps her mum had been right in saying that this was the time in her life to explore other avenues.

Teecie's head reeled, and she felt dizzy as she allowed herself to think this. What would it be like if she and James broke up again and she went out with Zeren? Would Zeren be a better boyfriend than James?

Her head and heart were pounding again as she climbed the stairs up to Gryffindor Tower. James loved her, and she loved him, so why did she keep thinking about Zeren? Why had she allowed him to talk her into kissing for over an hour tonight? What was wrong with her? Maybe she could just forget it eve happened, and continue being happy with James. He didn't ever have to find out. There was no reason for him to, and Zeren wouldn't tell him, not if he knew what was good for him.

She had just decided to forget anything had happened, when she entered the Common Room, and found James sitting on one of the couches, waiting for her. "James," she squeaked while blushing furiously.

James stood up and walked over to her. "Teecie, I'm so sorry that I got into a fight today," he said apologetically. With that, he wrapped his arms around her, and gave her a kiss.

Teecie's heart felt like it was about to jump out of her body and sink through the floor. She was unable to speak after James had finished kissing her, and had stood back up to gaze at her. She noticed he had an odd look on his face as he looked at her carefully. She bit her lip as he narrowed his eyes and folded his arms.

"You smell different," he finally announced.

"Do I?" Teecie gasped.

James nodded his head. "You smell like cologne. And, your lips are swollen," he continued.

Teecie instinctively brought her hand up to her mouth, and pressed it against her lips.

"Who were you with tonight?" James asked quietly.

Teecie dropped her hand and opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come out.

"You were with Travers, weren't you?" he asked while looking carefully at her again. He reached out his hand, gently lifted her chin, and took a deep breath. "He's left his mark on you," he growled. "You let him give you a hickey? And you didn't even try to cover it up! I can't believe this. How long has this been going on?" James was yelling now.

Teecie backed away from him. Her mind was reeling and she couldn't think of what to say.

"He told me about your little encounter over the summer," James yelled. "Did you shag him too? Have you been seeing both of us at the same time? Shagging both of us?"

Teecie shook her head. "It was only kissing," she whispered while looking at the floor. "Only the one time over the summer, and tonight. That's all," she continued.

James was fuming by now. "I always knew you had some feelings for him, but I thought you had better control than this. I can't believe you're such a slut!" he screamed.

"James, I-" Teecie started. She had no idea it would be this painful.

James folded his arms again, and set his jaw. "I think this is a sign, Ticia," he interrupted tersely. "I failed my potions OWL, and now Travers is able to spend all his free time with you. He has much better prospects for a career than I do. You deserve him," he said calmly. "He'll treat you like a princess, and you'll live in luxury. I'd never be able to do that for you."

Teecie's jaw dropped as she listened. Was he breaking up with her?

"I will always love you, Ticia. And know, that I, for my part, was always faithful to you. But I think it's time we both face reality, and see that our futures are too different now to keep this up," James said coldly. Deep down, from the very bottom of his soul, he'd known this day would come. "You go to Travers, freely, with my blessing."

Teecie was still trying to take all of t his in. "But James, I love you and want to marry you. But…" she trailed off quietly. "I'm just so young James. I don't know why I want to kiss Zeren and get to know him better. I think something is wrong with me."

James put his hands on her shoulders before speaking. "There's nothing wrong with you at all, Ticia. You're just realizing that I'm not the right man for you. Travers can offer you so much more. I can tell that you two will be very happy together," he said quietly.

Teecie started to cry. "But James, why do we have to break up?" she sobbed. "I really do love you, I know it."

James took a deep breath. He knew he'd always been more eager to settle down than she had been. He had to do this, for both of them. "I know that, Ticia. That's why I think we should spend some time apart. I have to figure out what's going on in my life, and my future, and so do you. We're both young, and curious about other options life has to offer. Why don't we take the time to do that now, while we're still young?"

Teecie was still crying, but tried to compose herself. "So if we do this, we could still get back together?" she sniffled. As much as she loved James, she had to admit that the thought of freely exploring other avenues, did have quite an appeal to her.

James nodded his head. "If things don't work out for you and Travers, and you can't find anybody better, of course we can get back together. I doubt that I would ever find anybody better than you," he said before kissing her forehead.

"So this is temporary?"

"Only if you want it to be."

Teecie started to feel as though a huge weight was being lifted from her. James was telling her to be with Zeren, and she could still go back to him if things didn't work out. She would be allowed to explore her feelings for Zeren fully, and decide for herself which one she loved more. The more she thought about it, the more she realized she owed it to both James and Zeren to do this. If she didn't, she's always wonder if she'd made the right decision. That could lead to trouble later on if she wasn't careful. It was much better to try now, when there was much less at stake, and less people standing to get hurt by it.

"James, I…" she whispered.

"Just go, Ticia," James whispered back.

Teecie took a deep breath before nodding her head. She wrapped her arms around him, and gave him one last kiss, before walking up to her dormitory.

That night, James, Teecie, and Zeren stayed awake until the wee hours of the dawn, contemplating their lives, and what lay in store for their futures.


	82. Day By Day

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Shining Bright Eyes: I'm glad you liked the last chapter. Here's the next one for you to enjoy!

Arsinoe de Blassenville: Since you tend to review my chapters while being signed in, I can now reply instantly, so I'll do that from now on. I know the boys are sort of manipulative right now, but I think she'll be ok in the end. Here's another chapter for your reading pleasure.

Day By Day

A/N: This will be the last chapter posted until the new year, so I'll take the opportunity to wish all my wonderful readers out there a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! And if you don't happen to celebrate Christmas, then Happy Holiday to you, whichever holiday that might be!

The next morning, Teecie felt like she'd had the strangest dream, and that what had happened the night before, couldn't possibly be the reality in which she was now living.

James was sitting with his Quidditch team at breakfast that day, so she sat with Zeren at the Slytherin table. He was in very high spirits, insisting on buttering Teecie's toast for her, and dishing up a plate of food for her as well. "So, what happened after you left?" he asked quietly.

Teecie shrugged her shoulders. "He realized what I'd done with you. He suggested that we take a break from each other so we can see what else is out there," she replied calmly.

"Did he now?" Zeren said while glancing over at the Gryffindor table. That was the first wise decision Lupin had ever made.

"We didn't break up, and I still love James. It's just that now I can…" Teecie trailed off.

"You _and I_ can…" Zeren added.

"Yes," Teecie whispered.

Zeren grinned and put his hand on hers. "You won't regret this, I promise."

Teecie felt slightly uncomfortable at Zeren's touch, but smiled feebly, and bit into her toast. With a quick glance over at the professor's table, she caught Draco's eye. He furrowed his brow as he saw Zeren holding her hand. She watched as he looked over at James, who was looking sullen, but making no moves. Draco looked confused, but returned to his breakfast as though he'd seen nothing out of the ordinary. He'd get to the bottom of all this in good time.

Draco wasn't the only one to notice Teecie and Zeren together. Morgaine, Zeren's girlfriend until a month ago, saw the two eating together. She bit her lip as her face fell at the sight. Portia Weasley was sitting across from her at the table, looking just as sad at the newest couple. When Morgaine stood up and quickly ran out of the Great Hall, Portia followed soon afterwards. Neither Teecie nor Zeren noticed any of this.

Teecie's first class that Friday, was her healer training class with Master Wilkes. There were five other sixth and seventh year students in it as well. This was, by far, her favourite class, over all her other classes she'd ever taken in her years at Hogwarts. It was here that she studied and practiced charms and spells that she would someday use in her job.

The class also gave Teecie a chance to forget about her troubles for a while, and enjoy learning new skills. The first quarter would be spent learning the basics of healing. They'd study herbs, equipment, and general spells, as well as study Muggle healing techniques. "It's always good to check out what the competition is doing," Master Wilkes chuckled as he explained all of this to them.

Teecie felt that she was a bit of an expert in Muggle medicine, for she had been born in a Muggle hospital, and had watched shows like ER and Casualty all her life. Master Wilkes, though, showed them some pictures of equipment Muggles used, explained what it was for, and then showed them what the Wizarding world used to do the same thing.

"Let's start with something quite simple," Wilkes said while opening his medical bag and pulling out a small stick. He handed it around, and upon closer inspection, Teecie could see a blade at the end of the stick. "This is called a 'scalpel', and Muggles use this during operations. A Muggle surgeon cuts a person open with this in order to get to the ailing part of the patient. This can cut through skin, muscle, and other tissues such as internal organs, but isn't strong enough to cut through bone," he said calmly. Many of the pureblood students who'd been raised in the Wizarding world, grew pale and looked horrified at the idea of having to cut someone open. Teecie, though, found it frightfully fascinating.

On Friday afternoon, after classes ended for the week, Teecie sat in the library with Zeren, and told him about everything she'd learned that day. He sat patiently, and listened to everything she said, and though he was bored to tears to hear about it, he didn't tell her that. Instead, he changed the subject when she'd finished talking.

"Ticia, that's great that healing excites you so much," he said while taking her hand in his and kissing it. "And there is something else to excite you. Tomorrow is the Lake Party. Would you do me the honour of attending with me?"

Teecie looked at Zeren carefully. Her heart began to pound as she thought about it. James wouldn't be there, and if she came with Zeren, everybody would see that they were sort of…together now. Was she ready for such a commitment? She had only broken up with James the night before. It seemed so sudden. But this is what she had wanted, right? Now was her chance to be with Zeren freely.

Slowly, Teecie began to smile. "All right Zeren. I'd love to go with you tomorrow," she said in a quiet voice.

Zeren grinned. "You won't regret this Ticia, I promise," he replied before leaning forward and kissing her. He stopped, however, when the librarian tapped him on the shoulder.

"This is no place for that sort of thing," she hissed fiercely before walking away again.

Zeren grabbed Teecie by the hand, and quickly led her out of the library. "We'll find some place quiet," he said while leading her down the stairs.

As the two of them looked for an unused room somewhere, they ran into Draco as he left the Headmaster's office. "Mr. Travers, Ticia, to what do I owe this pleasure?" he said calmly.

"We were just trying to find a quiet place to study, Professor Black," Zeren explained while letting go of Teecie's hand.

"I see, and Mr. Lupin doesn't have a problem with this?" Draco asked.

Teecie cleared her throat, and put her hand back on Zeren's. "James and I have decided to…take a break for a while," she carefully explained.

Draco stared at the two for almost a minute before responding. "Did you now? Well, that is a most…unexpected development," he murmured. He turned to Zeren and nodded his head. "Very well then, carry on with your studying." With that, he turned, and walked off to his office.

Once in his office, Draco poured himself a congratulatory glass of Italian Ambermead, and began writing out plans for what he hoped would be the wedding of the year once Ticia and Zeren finished their education at Hogwarts.

In the meantime, Zeren and Teecie finally found a room that was empty, and went to work. They snogged for a half hour before leaving for dinner.

Teecie was surprised at how easy it was to be with Zeren so soon after her break-up with James. Zeren had a way of making her feel very relaxed, and she loved spending her time with him. She could tell that she was going to enjoy her time with him the next day.

Saturday started off beautifully, and continued to grow even more warm and sunny as the hours before the party, passed. Teecie had bought a new emerald green bikini for the occasion, and put it on before finding her sandals, parasol, and beach towel, and heading down to the lake.

She was one of the first people there, and set her beach towel out by the edge of the lake. As she lay down on her towel and began to enjoy the warm sun, the younger students started setting up for the party. It was fun to watch other people setting up the party and not have to take any part in it.

Many other students began to arrive over the next hour, including Zeren. He smiled upon seeing Teecie and set his own beach towel next to hers. "Hello, Ticia," he said in greeting.

"Hi Zeren," Teecie said while standing up to give him a hug.

Zeren gazed at Teecie's scantily clad body for a few moments after hugging her. He decided she looked really good in green, but couldn't help but want to see what she looked like without the bikini on at all. He thought he'd die when she bent over to take her sandals off before sitting back down on her beach towel. Her backside was exquisite, and he couldn't wait to get his hands on it.

When he'd sat down next to her, he pulled out a bottle of sunscreen from his book bag. "Would you like some?" he asked quietly with a grin.

"Sure, I forgot that!" Teecie replied while lying down on her stomach.

Zeren cherished the minutes he spent rubbing lotion into Teecie's body. He ran his hands up and down her back, and made sure to touch every inch of her that wasn't covered by the bikini. "You have lovely skin," he murmured in Teecie's ear while massaging her back.

Teecie smiled to hear this, and turned over. "Thank you, Zeren, but don't you think you should put lotion on this side too?" she asked coyly.

Zeren's eyes grew wide, and he clenched his hands into fists, accidentally sending a large amount of lotion splattering onto Teecie's stomach. "Oh, God, I'm sorry," he muttered while quickly beginning to attempt to rub the lotion in. Teecie didn't respond, but giggled at his touch.

It was at this moment, that they were interrupted by a shadow falling over them. Looking up, they saw the imposing figure of Draco looking down at them. He frowned and folded his arms. "Mr. Travers," he said calmly, "do you really feel that your actions are appropriate for such a public setting?"

Zeren immediately removed his hands from Teecie's stomach. "Sir…I…Ticia here, well, she spilled her lotion, and I had to help her…" he trailed off.

"I see. Perhaps next time you will think to use a cleansing spell instead," Draco replied. "Feel free to do so now." With that, he turned and walked away, making very certain to hide the smile he felt threatening to erupt onto his face.

Zeren took a breath of relief before taking his wand out and using a cleansing spell to clean up the spilled lotion. "That was really close," he said breathlessly while putting his wand away again.

Teecie smiled while sitting up again. "He was really calm for Draco," she replied. "I keep forgetting how much he likes you."

Zeren sat next to her, and smiled as well. "Really? I guess he sees what a good match the two of us make," he said quietly.

Teecie shrugged her shoulders. "I guess so. But your parents don't approve of me, so that's that," she said just as quietly. She didn't want Zeren to get the idea of marriage in his head. "Today is a fun day, with no thoughts or worries for the future, all right?"

"Of course. No worries at all," Zeren said while moving closer to her, until one of his legs was resting against one of hers.

The two of them sat like that for some time, just staring out at the pristine lake. They chatted about school and what they thought would happen during the party. After a while, though, Patty and Paige joined them with beach towels of their own. Soon, they were all chattering loudly to one another, and laughing over each other's jokes.

When everybody had arrived, the party started. Zeren and Teecie walked around, arm-in-arm, talking to all their friends. They also spoke to their professors, who seemed to be enjoying themselves.

As Zeren was off getting a plate of food, Teecie was surprised to see a girl she hadn't spoken to in years, walk over to her. Roxanne Zabini, one of the bullies who had ruined the first few years of Teecie's schooling, sauntered over to her. "Well, well, well, it seems as if the lowly garlic-eater is trying to work her way up in society," she said in greeting. "I see you've dumped the werewolf and have moved over to the higher side of life. Travers is quite the catch." Roxanne glanced over at Zeren, and smirked. "And I should know…"

Teecie crossed her arms and glared at the girl. "How dare you call me that name! Roxanne Zabini, you may not be as crazy as Lisette was, but you are ruder than she ever was! And of course you know what a good catch Zeren is, you've been with every boy in the school!" she cried angrily.

Roxanne raised an eyebrow. "Touchy, touchy, Orendes. I haven't been with _every_ boy in the school. For example," she said before grinning, "I haven't been with your James. But maybe I should…"

Teecie took a step closer to Roxanne, but was unable to say anything in response before Zeren returned with their food. "Roxanne, why don't you go find some of the friends in your own year. Ticia and I are here together today and we don't need you ruining the party for us," he said coldly while taking Teecie by the elbow and leading her away from the younger girl.

"I'm sorry, Ticia. Was she harassing you?" Zeren asked quietly as soon as they had moved behind a tree to be alone.

"It's fine, Zeren. Really," Teecie replied while taking the plate of food he held out for her. "I just need to remember not to lose my temper." With that, she picked up a cucumber sandwich and took a dainty bite out of it.

"I'll remind her later to leave us alone," Zeren said before eating his lunch.

Teecie and Zeren chatted together for quite some time while they ate. When they had finished, Zeren leaned in to kiss Teecie, and they snogged for a long time. After a while, Zeren broke away from Teecie. "Would you like to go for a ride in one of the boats?" he asked while standing up and holding his hand out to her.

"Sure!" Teecie cried with a grin. The two of them trotted down to the lake's edge, where Zeren found a boat for them, and dragged it over to her. He held it steady as she stepped into the bow, and walked to the seat at the other end. When she was seated, he pushed the boat out onto the water, and stepped inside, sitting down in the middle and taking up the oars. They scraped along the rocks for a few seconds before floating freely away from the lake's edge.

Zeren let them float for a couple minutes as he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. He'd been wearing a loose-fitting white shirt that he'd kept unbuttoned in order to keep the sun off his skin. Teecie couldn't help but notice that the way he rowed the boat really accentuated his muscular body. His forearms flexed with each stroke, as well as his chest, and it made her heart flutter at the sight. She set her legs over the edge of the boat, leaned back, and relaxed as Zeren did the hard work of rowing.

Zeren loved to see Ticia enjoying herself around him. It pleased him to see her so comfortable. "Are you having a good time today?" he asked after a while.

Teecie was dangling her leg far enough over the edge of the boat, that the giant squid was able to reach a tentacle out and tickle the bottom of her foot. She laughed for a minute before pulling her leg back inside the boat and looking at Zeren. "I'm having a great day!" she cried.

Zeren grinned. "I'm glad to hear it," he replied while continuing to row them around the lake slowly. "I've been enjoying myself as well."

Zeren set down the oars and moved to sit next to Teecie when they'd made it more than halfway across the lake. She smiled as he wrapped his arms around her, and pressed his face to hers. She put her arms around his shoulders, and returned his kisses. They leaned back against the side of the boat, and snogged for some time, until they tipped too far and flipped the boat over.

Teecie was enjoying the feel of Zeren's arms around her waist, when suddenly she was plunging into the cool lake. It was startling to be under water, and she felt herself beginning to panic as she tried to swim up to the surface. It wasn't long before she felt the unmistakably strong, yet slippery, tentacles of the squid as it gently pushed her to the lake surface. She watched as it helped Zeren, and then turn the boat upright. Then the squid lifted the pair and set them gently back into the boat. Before leaving the two to themselves again, the squid patted Teecie on the head with one of its strong tentacles. She laughed as it slid back into the water.

Zeren, however, didn't appear to be as amused by the accident. He scowled angrily while taking his wand out and retrieving the oars. When that was finished, he used a spell to propel the boat back to shore. It went so fast that they were back on land within seconds.

"Zeren, don't be upset. It was funny!" Teecie said as he held his hand out to help her out of the boat.

"It was hardly funny, and I would very much appreciate if we would never speak of this again." With that, Zeren turned and walked away to a quiet shaded area among the trees. Teecie watched as he sat down and folded his arms. She was reminded of the times she laughed at Rose, her cat. Rose was highly sensitive to such treatment, and would shun her for hours afterwards.

Teecie sighed and rolled her eyes. "Slytherins," she muttered to herself before walking back to the water and joining a group of students playing volleyball. She let two hours pass before going back to Zeren and sitting down next to him.

"Are you all right?" she asked while cuddling up next to him, laying her head on his shoulder, and wrapping her hands around his.

Zeren had been looking upset still, but smiled when Teecie did this. He moved closer to her, and wrapped his arm around her waist. "I'm fine now," he said quietly. "I just needed some time to myself. But now I'd rather be with you."

Teecie smiled and squeezed his hand. "Well I'm glad of that. I would hate it if the handsomest boy here didn't want me near him…" She began to nuzzle his ear with her nose.

Zeren chuckled and leaned down to kiss her. Teecie moved and leaned back until she was lying on the grass. She wrapped her arms around Zeren as he settled comfortably on top of her. As they kissed, he ran his hands though her hair, and reveled in the feel of her soft skin against his. Every nerve in his body felt like it was on fire as he gazed down at the very willing girl beneath him.

Teecie was enjoying herself very much, and trying very hard not to feel guilty at the thought that James wasn't there. She hadn't had much time to think about him since their break-up. Sometimes she felt like she was cheating on James, but a bigger part of her didn't care. And that scared her.

She was starting to feel overwhelmed by her emotions, when she heard the sound of somebody clearing their throat. Teecie gently pushed Zeren away from her, and sat up to find Liss standing in front of her, with folded arms, and an upset expression on her face.

"Father asked me to find you," she said coldly. "But I can see you've already been found."

Teecie looked at Liss, who looked very warm in her modest black one-piece bathing suit that was covered by a long black shirt. She could tell that Liss hadn't heard about the break-up. "Liss, this isn't what it looks like," Teecie said quietly.

"Oh? So you're not lying on the ground with a boy on top of you who isn't your boyfriend, and snogging him to death?" Liss asked while narrowing her eyes.

"Yes, I mean I am doing that, but…" Teecie took a deep breath, "James and I have decided to take a break for a while."

Liss's eyes grew wide with shock. "But Auntie, James is the best boy there ever was. How can you trade him for…" she trailed off while glancing over at Zeren.

"James and I just decided that we're too young to be so exclusive. We just need a break from each other, that's all," Teecie assured her niece in a quiet voice.

Liss sniffed with disapproval. "I hope you know what you're doing, because it sure doesn't look like it to me," she muttered before turning and storming off back to Draco.

Teecie had never seen Liss that angry before, and felt terribly upset over it. She bit her lip, and drew her legs up to her chest, resting her chin on her knees. Was she really doing the right thing? Did she really even know what she was doing?

Zeren also seemed upset over what had just taken place. "How can she really like Lupin more than she likes me? She doesn't even know me," he said in an insulted tone. It wasn't a good sign to be so disliked by Professor Black's daughter. He'd have to make sure to spend some time with Lisandra over the next few months, to show her what an outstanding person he was, and why he was a much better match for Ticia than Lupin could ever hope to be.

Zeren saw how upset Ticia was, and put his hand on hers. "Are you all right?" he asked while squeezing her hand comfortingly.

Teecie shrugged her shoulders, and sighed. "I do feel sort of guilty about all of this," she admitted in a whisper.

Zeren hugged her, and kissed her forehead. "It's my fault. I've been pushing you too fast. I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"It probably would help to slow things down a little," Teecie replied while standing up. "And I should probably go and see what Draco wants."

Liss seemed to have left by the time Teecie arrived to find Draco standing alone at the refreshment table. "Hi Draco," she said while picking up a cucumber tea sandwich and taking a bite.

Draco smiled, but quickly frowned when he saw her bikini up close for the first time since the morning. "I wish you would have a little more modesty, Ticia. Your outfit certainly leaves nothing to the imagination," he muttered.

Teecie smiled. "I should think you wouldn't approve of boys imagining about me either, though," she said with a giggle.

Draco's frown deepened. "The point is, at least they wouldn't be looking at you," he replied.

"They'd just be lusting for me in their minds. Fantasizing about me in the shower…" Teecie said evilly.

Draco paled at this. "Must we continue to speak of this?"

Teecie shrugged and grinned. "You brought it up."

"I'm beginning to wish I hadn't," Draco replied.

"What did you want anyway?"

"I just wanted to see how your day was going. You seem to be spending all your time with Mr. Travers today."

"Everything's going just fine. I've had a great day so far."

"I'm glad to hear of that. Mr. Travers is a gentleman who will treat you very nicely. I'm sure you won't find much fault with him." Draco could hardly contain his enthusiasm over the match. He knew that with a little more training, and being more mature, Ticia would surely impress Zeren's parents. He hated that he'd pushed a meeting with the Travers family when Ticia had been far too young and immature to handle it. He blamed himself for the fact that she and Zeren weren't already pledged to marry.

Teecie smiled at Draco. "He is a nice boy," she admitted after a minute. "I don't think Liss approves, though. She was pretty upset when I told her James and I were taking a break."

Draco furrowed his brow. "She did seem pretty upset over something earlier, but wouldn't tell me why," he replied. "She'll get used to it in time. I wouldn't worry about it too much."

Teecie ate a few more sandwiches and talked with her brother for a while longer before leaving again. "Oh, Ticia," Draco called out to her as she walked away, "You might consider covering up your outfit a bit more. Most Slytherin men enjoy a mystery." Teecie rolled her eyes before running off to join her friends. Within minutes, she was swimming with Paige, Carl, and Rey. Zeren joined in after some time, and soon, everybody was laughing and having fun again.

The rest of the day passed pleasantly. There was a large bonfire in the evening, and the students toasted marshmallows and told scary stories in the dark. Zeren and Teecie cuddled together on a log, and joined in the tales of terror. Though Teecie hadn't experienced anything very scary before, she did have fun making stories up.

When the bonfire was over, everybody traipsed back into the school, and headed for their common rooms. Zeren escorted Teecie up to the seventh floor, and enjoyed several minutes of kissing her goodnight.

The two were deep into a kiss, when Professor Lupin walked up the stairs to the landing, with James. James saw Teecie and Zeren snogging, and froze. Remus saw James stop moving, and looked at him carefully, trying to assess he situation. He assumed that James would attack Travers again, and was surprised to see the sad look on James's face. It was a look of such defeat, that Remus's paternal instincts welled up, and he felt the strong urge to give Travers a thrashing himself. Instead, he put his arm around James's slumping shoulders, held him close to himself, and walked with him to his own quarters.

Once there, James sat down at the writing desk, and began to cry quietly. "I just can't compete with him anymore. Teecie's made her choice, and I just have to move on with my life," he murmured. "I have no job to look forward to when I leave school; I've lost the only girl I wanted to marry. I have no future. I might as well drop out of school, and just live at home with you and mum forever."

Remus sat down next to James, and patted his shoulder. "Well now, I'm not so sure that is a very good idea," he said calmly. "Your mother and I love you very much, and we want what's best for you. Hiding out at home for the rest of your life because things stopped going your way for a while, isn't a very healthy way to live. This year just started off on the wrong foot, but you'll get back on track," he reassured James while giving him a hug.

James shook his head, and sniffed. "It just feels like I'm totally out of control right now. I don't know how to fix it," he admitted.

"You do have a lot to sort out. This is the age when that happens, and I went through it, your mother went through it, and you'll get through it too. I'll tell you what," Remus said with a smile, "why don't you go home next weekend and spend some time discussing career options with your mum? I'll make the arrangements with the Headmaster about your detention."

James wiped his eyes and looked at his father. "Really? I could go home for the weekend?" he asked excitedly. "It would be good to get away from everything, and mum would be the best one to talk to about other career options," he replied while feeling slightly better. "Maybe she can give me advice about Teecie. I feel like she stabbed me in the heart. Am I really that horrible of a guy that she'd want to leave me for Travers?"

Remus sighed and rubbed his now-throbbing temples. "James, you and Ticia are both very young. You've been so set on being with her that you haven't spent time with anybody else. Ticia just needs to see what else is out there before settling down. There isn't anything wrong with her for that. You would do well to follow her example and have a relationship or two with another girl. You may not see it now, but you may come to regret to egret not having done so later on. You might be surprised to find it helps your relationship with Ticia, if and when you two decide to reunite."

James thought about his father's advice for a while. The thought of kissing and sleeping with a girl who wasn't Teecie just seemed so wrong to him. Though, the more he though about it, the more he realized that there were several girls at the school that he found attractive. If Teecie could go off with another guy, why couldn't he find another girl? It would be interesting, he decided, to see what it was like to sleep with a new girl. Maybe it was different depending on who you were with. He'd always just assumed it felt the same.

"Dad, can I ask you something personal?" he finally asked timidly.

Remus took a deep breath before nodding his head.

"Is it…well…does it feel different to…you know…be with a different girl…you know…in that way…" James trailed off awkwardly.

Remus took another deep breath. He'd always encouraged his sons to come to him with any problems or questions, and though it made for uncomfortable moments like this, he felt it was vital to allow them the chance to come to him. This was a particularly delicate matter, and he debated for a while over whether to encourage James to be less sexually active with a new girlfriend since he was so young, or to concede the fact that James wasn't going to stop now that he'd already started.

"I think you will discover that being in a relationship with another girl will be different on every level. You will communicate with her differently, and go through unique experiences that you won't have with anybody else. And as for intimacy, well…I think that is something that you will discover on your own," Remus said quietly.

James bit his lip and nodded his head. "When I was going out with Candace, she was very different from Teecie. She was much more demanding," he replied. "I'm glad I didn't sleep with her." He thought a little bit more about some of the other girls at Hogwarts, and seriously considered whether or not they were girlfriend material.

One particular girl stood out to him: Roxanne Zabini. She looked very different from Teecie, with light brown skin, and long black hair. She had lovely black, almond-shaped eyes, and always wore her skirts as high as possible, and her shirts as low as possible. She would definitely be a very different experience from Teecie.

After a while, James thanked his father, and went to his dormitory. That night, he tried something new. He fantasized about Roxanne, and didn't feel guilty about it. By the next morning, he was convinced of which girl to approach. He even decided to talk to her that morning at breakfast, if possible. Perhaps breaking up with Teecie hadn't been the worst thing in the world after all.

A/N: The title, Day By Day, is taking from a line from the song, Getting to Know You, from the play and movie, The King and I.


	83. James Moves On

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

James Moves On

A/N: This chapter deals with underage sex. Please read with discretion.

James went down to the Great Hall the morning after the Lake Party, and scanned the Slytherin table for Roxanne. He spotted her at one end of the table, talking to a group of girls. His heart began to pound at the thought of approaching her with so many other Slytherins around. He took a deep breath, held his head high, and marched over to the Slytherin table.

Once there, he made sure to make eye contact with Roxanne, and smile suavely. "Hey Zabini," he said casually.

Roxanne smiled seductively at James, and quickly rearranged her blouse so it showed off more cleavage. "Well, hello Lupin," she said in a throaty voice. "Won't you join me?" With that, Roxanne patted the empty space next to her.

James smiled, and hurried over to her side. "I'm so glad you are finally free to join me," Roxanne said coyly while dishing him a plate of food. "Your former girlfriend always had her claws in you, and never let anybody else have a turn."

"I had no idea you were so interested in getting to know me," James said while tucking into his heaping plate of food.

"Oh, I want to get to know all about you," Roxanne purred while scooting up next to him, until their arms and legs were brushing against each other's.

James grinned and wriggled his eyebrows. "And I look forward to getting to know you," he replied through a mouthful of bacon.

The other girls sitting with them began to chatter around James. He noticed that they all wore low-cut tops that showed off ample amounts of cleavage. He was starting to feel better by the minute about the break-up.

At one point during breakfast, James looked down the table, and saw Teecie snuggling next to Zeren. He felt a slight twinge of longing for her, but Roxanne soon engaged him in a conversation about Quidditch, and he quickly got over the pain.

When breakfast ended, Roxanne asked James to help her with her homework. "We can go down by the lake and work under the trees," she said quietly.

Since there was no Quidditch practice that day, and because James was allowed out during the day during his grounding, he agreed heartily. Roxanne grinned, grabbed him by the hand, and pulled him out of the school.

"But Roxanne, we don't have our school books with us," James called out while being dragged down to the lake.

"Oh we won't need those for the studying we're going to be doing," Roxanne giggled.

James grinned as he realized what they'd be doing under the trees. He wouldn't mind doing that sort of "studying" all the time!

When Roxanne had found a tree she liked, she let go of James's hand, and sat down in the grass. She patted the space next to her, and James sat down quickly.

After they were both comfortable in the grass, Roxanne unbuttoned her blouse all the way, and smiled. "You have no idea how long I've had my eye on you," she said while leaning in to kiss him.

James only had several seconds to look at Roxanne's lacy green bra before she was snogging him, but it was enough to make him grow hot and cause his heart to start pounding. He wrapped his arms around Roxanne's waist, and pulled her tightly against himself, kissing her like he'd never kissed anybody else before-not even Teecie. He let his hands wander over Roxanne's body, and was pleased to discover that no part of her seemed off limits to him.

James took his time, and compared Roxanne's body to Teecie's as he went. Roxanne was considerably larger in certain areas than Teecie was, and Teecie's waist was slightly thicker than Roxanne's. James decided that he enjoyed having more to hold on to around the waist.

After several minutes of kissing and groping, James discovered that Roxanne wasn't wearing anything under her skirt. "It saves time," she murmured in his ear with a grin as he looked at her in surprise. James wasn't used to other girls being so forward with him. He barely knew this girl, but it didn't stop him from feeling very attracted to her.

Roxanne seemed to sense James's attraction, for she began to pull his shirt off, breaking away from their kiss only long enough to get the shirt over James's head. When that was finished, she moved her hands down to his pants, and began to take them off as well.

Nothing she did made James feel awkward or uncomfortable; he felt incredibly turned on to see a girl who wasn't Teecie so eager for him. He couldn't help but find that incredibly exciting. He assisted Roxanne until he was kneeling in front of her with nothing more than his boxers on.

Roxanne smiled, and ran her hands up and down his chest. She stopped and twirled her fingers through the few hairs James had growing on his chest. "Oh James, that's so sexy and manly," she purred. "You are so gorgeous, did you know that?"

James felt more proud right now than he had in a long time. Teecie hadn't notice the hair, but Roxanne saw it right away. He grinned and kissed her while reaching down to help her out of the skirt.

Neither seemed to be self-conscious at all to be out by the lake, completely naked, and ready for action. Roxanne put a protective spell on herself before lying down underneath the tree. James sat there for a minute, and gazed at her body, taking all of the curves in. Meanwhile, Roxanne reached out, and put her hand around him. They both moaned with longing. Before James had the chance to do anything, though, Roxanne sat back up with a smile. "James, you really should enjoy the company of more girls than just Orendes. I can assure you, you have what it takes," she said coyly before lowering her head to kiss him elsewhere.

James gasped, and sat back as she continued her task. He'd only ever had Teecie do this to him before, but Roxanne seemed considerably more skilled at it.

When Roxanne stopped and rearranged herself back on her robes on the grass, James grinned at her. He quickly moved over until he was on top of her, looking deeply into her black eyes. He kissed her gently before starting. His heart pounded to see a different girl under him than Teecie. It did feel different as well. It was difficult to explain, but Roxanne felt different, and didn't move or sound the same as he was used to with Teecie. It was a thrilling experience, and he found himself hoping to repeat it many times.

Roxanne seemed to be enjoying herself as well, and was a very active participant in their experience. Both were completely breathless and covered in sweat by the time they'd finished.

James sat up and leaned against the tree, trying to catch his breath. After a minute, he reached over for his clothes, and began to put them on. Roxanne did the same thing. She smiled at him the whole time they dressed. "You know, James, you're probably one of the most skilled boys at this school," Roxanne purred as she slipped back into her skirt and began to button her blouse.

James's cheeks burned to hear this, but he puffed out his chest with pride anyway. "Really?" he asked. "Well, I have had experience at it."

Roxanne smiled while picking up her robe. "Well, you've had _some_ experience, but now's the time to get more," she said seductively. "Don't worry, I'll be gentle with you." With that, she turned and began to walk back to the school.

James grinned and thought about what else he and Roxanne would do together. It felt good to have a girlfriend again.

Over the next few days, James and Roxanne were inseparable. Roxanne certainly did know quite a bit that James didn't. She seemed to know where every broom cupboard in the school was, and introduced James to many of them in between classes. James ended up being late to class afterwards, but he couldn't have cared less.

Every day at lunch, James and Roxanne would eat a hurried lunch among the group of Slytherin girls who all seemed to find him attractive. They even took turns sitting next to him and flirting.

When James and Roxanne finished eating, they hurried off to the Room of Requirement for some fun. Roxanne always managed to make each experience unique. They tried out different techniques, and positions, and James found he really liked having a variety of things to try. He'd never known that there was any more ways of doing it than just the one main way he and Teecie did it.

James found his thoughts returning to Teecie less and less as the week went by. Even though they had a few classes together, his mind was always on Roxanne, and when their next encounter would be.

He couldn't exactly say he was in love with Roxanne, but he did quite enjoy the time they spent together. He also couldn't say he'd really gotten to know her as a person, for they didn't talk much whenever they were together. He could safely say, though, that he had gotten to know just about every inch of her body.

James thought Roxanne had a beautiful body, and loved every minute he spent with her. So on Friday, when he received a note from her telling him to meet her under the bleachers on the Quidditch pitch when classes let out, he was very excited.

Giselle Knight, the girl who'd given him the note in their Herbology class, smiled at him. "Looks like she's got something fun planned for you," she observed.

James grinned and nodded his head. He spent the rest of the afternoon looking forward to his next tryst with Roxanne.

When classes ended, and James rushed over to the bleachers, he was very surprised to see Giselle walk over to him several minutes after he arrived. "What's wrong?" he asked quickly, with a look of concern.

Giselle smiled coyly while walking up next to James. She stood very closely to him before speaking. "Roxanne told me to tell you that she got detention, and can't meet you today," she purred. "But she told me to come instead. She says she doesn't mind."

James's eyes grew wide as he heard this. Roxanne wanted him to be with another girl? She was OK with that? He'd never really considered the rest of her friends as possibilities since he was already seeing Roxanne, but the more he looked at Giselle, the more he thought that it was time to rethink that.

Giselle was in his class, though he'd never really paid any attention to her before now. She had white-blonde hair, and very alluring green eyes. Her blouse was even lower-cut than Roxanne's was.

James smiled, and took a deep breath. "Well, if that's what Roxanne wants us to do, then we'll just have to do it," he replied before leaning in to kiss Giselle.

Within minutes, the two were rid of their clothes. James had Giselle pinned against the wall, while she had one of her legs wrapped around his waist.

Giselle seemed to have the habit of talking very lewdly as they had sex. James had never experienced anything like that before, and wasn't sure what to make of it. Did that mean he was doing a good job, or a bad job?

He needn't have worried, though, for she thanked him several times when they'd finished. "James, you really are amazing," she said with a smile.

They went at it a couple more times, before a voice interrupted them an hour later. "What is going on here?" a shrill voice rang out, causing both James and Giselle to stop and look to see who it was.

Roxanne was standing not too far behind them, with her hands on her hips. "What are you doing, Giselle?" she cried.

Giselle smiled triumphantly. "I just wanted a turn with him, that's all. You were hogging him," she replied innocently.

Roxanne frowned. "Well next time, ask first. Maybe I wanted him this afternoon," she said calmly. "Or, better yet, invite me along."

James felt mortified over having been caught in the act with a different girl. He also felt both highly uncomfortable, and slightly turned on by the conversation the girls were having. Did they really want to sleep with him at the same time? He'd heard of things like that, but wasn't sure if he was ready for something like that now.

He also thought it was sort of rude that the girls were talking about him as if he wasn't there, or didn't matter at all. He started to wonder if they'd just been using him all along.

James pulled away from Giselle and started to put his clothes back on. Roxanne finally spoke to him as he buttoned his shirt. "Listen, James, I'm not angry with you. I don't care what you do when we're not together," she assured him while swatting at his backside playfully. "Oh, and speaking of being together," she continued, "I've had loads of fun with you, but I just can't be exclusive with you anymore. I'm not that good with commitment, you see. But that doesn't mean I can't work you into my schedule for a nice good shag every once in a while."

James's jaw dropped open to hear Roxanne speaking that way about their relationship. "I don't believe this, Roxanne," he said slowly, "is that all this was for you? A good time?"

Roxanne rolled her eyes. "Of course. But admit it, James, you were just in this for the fun of it too," she replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "You didn't get to know me or Giselle at all before shagging us, so you really don't have much to complain about."

James was floored by this. Everything she'd said was true. Had he really had sex with two girls this week that he didn't even know? And not just any girls, but the kind of girl who'd probably already slept with every other boy at the school.

He started to feel sick to his stomach at the thought. Had he really been as good as they said he'd been? Or did they say that to all the boys?

Roxanne seemed to sense that he was thinking that, for her next words brought a small amount of comfort to him. "You really are a good shag, you know. I really would miss not getting to be with you again sometime," she said sincerely.

"The same goes for me too," Giselle added while putting her skirt on. "That was the best shag I've had all week."

James looked carefully at the two girls, and saw them in a whole new light. They didn't seem nearly as attractive to him as they had an hour ago. How could they stand to live like this? James had only been doing this for a week, but he already felt dirty and hollow. How could they stand to be so loose?

James felt very sobered as he walked back to the school for his detention with the Headmaster. He thought about how far he'd fallen over the school year, and that he didn't want it to continue. He was very grateful for the chance to return home over the weekend. Maybe he'd find something to help him straighten his life out again.

In what could only be described as an insane, or suicidal move, James decided to talk to the Headmaster about his problems. He had to talk to somebody, and Professor Snape was right there. He took a deep breath before setting his quill down and looking up. "Headmaster, I need to ask you a question," he called out seriously.

Snape set his book down and looked skeptically at James. "What question do you need to ask?" he asked cautiously.

James bit his lip and sighed before speaking. "Have you ever been filled with a complete sense of hopelessness? Like there's no future at all in the world for you?"

Snape remained motionless for a minute before responding. "Yes, I have," he said quietly.

"How did you get past it?"

Again Snape was quiet for a minute before answering. "You must believe in yourself to get through your problems, Mr. Lupin. And you must also trust the others in your life to do the right thing. That, Mr. Lupin, is not easily done, but one must still try."

"But what if…" James trailed off.

"You cannot live your life thinking of what could be, Mr. Lupin. You deal with what is in front of you, and then move on to the next. That is the only way to get through this life."

"But it's just so hard. It's just so painful…"

Darkness flickered across Snape's features for a moment. "Mr. Lupin, if this is the most painful thing in your life that you must deal with, then consider yourself very lucky. Life is simply a series of painful events, each one passing to one more traumatic and horrible than the last, until you wish you'd never been brought into the world," he growled.

James looked at Snape in horror. "Then why are you still alive? Why haven't you killed yourself a long time ago?" he asked quietly.

Snape raised an eyebrow as he considered this. "It does have its positive moments. That is what you learn to focus on in life, Mr. Lupin. That is what gives you strength to continue," he replied.

James considered all of this for a while. Could he trust Teecie to do the right thing? What was the right thing? Was it being with him? Or with Zeren? Would he be able to get through this horrible time and enjoy the good times that he would have again? "Professor, don't you think-" he began before getting cut off.

"I think, Mr. Lupin, that your time with me is over for tonight," Snape interrupted. "You will be returning to your home tomorrow for the weekend. I trust that you will return to school Sunday evening somewhat more enlightened and with a better idea of your future." With that, he stood up and walked to the door. He opened it up, and motioned for James to leave.

James quickly stood up and hurried to the door. "Thank you very much, Headmaster. I really appreciate this," he said while Snape nodded his head and shut the door in his face.

James returned to his dormitory that evening, and spent the rest of the evening thinking about his life, and preparing for his weekend visit home. The next morning, he flooed home as soon as he'd eaten breakfast. He knew from past experience that his mum was not the best cook, and if he wanted a proper fry-up, to let the school elves do it. He was well-fed by the time he arrived home to his mother's awaiting arms.

"How are you doing, love?" Tonks asked while kissing James on the cheek.

James hugged his mother, and rested his head on her shoulder for a moment. His mum always had a way of making him feel comforted. "My life is pretty shoddy right now," he finally admitted quietly.

"Well, we'll try to get that straightened out a bit," Tonks said cheerfully. "I have a lot of pamphlets from the Ministry that we can look over. There really are quite a few options in law enforcement, you know."

James sighed and sat down on the sofa. "It's not just the job, mum," he said mournfully. "It's Teecie too. Did you hear that we broke up?"

Tonks nodded her head while sitting down next to her son. "Your father told me," she replied. "I'm sorry that she's upset you. Maybe someday, when you're both ready, you'll get back together."

James sat in silence for a long time. He thought about the misery he was living in now, and wondered if he'd ever be happy again. "I feel as though a dementor has invaded my soul, and is going to suck all the happiness out of me till I die," he moaned finally.

Tonks frowned and hugged her son again. "I'm sorry you're having such a hard time with this," she murmured. "Oh, I do have something that might cheer you up, though," she continued, "Your brother wrote to me the other day, and told me that he'd like you to be one of the groomsmen at his wedding."

James perked up at hearing this. "Really? Is Peter going to be one too? That would be fun," he said.

"We'll get you robes to match the rest of the wedding party, and you'll look so handsome," Tonks said with a smile. The two continued talking about the wedding for a while longer before Tonks took out the pamphlets and handed them to James.

James hadn't considered anything other than being an auror before. Some of the other options did sound interesting though. Law enforcement had a vast amount of choices, but one that stood out to him was the "Child Protective Agent." This was a person who assisted the Children's Advocate Department by accompanying them to a house of an abused child. Often times a parent could get violent when their child was being taken from them, and a law-enforcement officer was quite an asset.

"I like the idea of helping children," he told Tonks while rereading the pamphlet.

Tonks smiled as she brushed the hair out of James's eyes. "It takes a really special kind of person to work with children. It can be upsetting to know that there are abused children in the world, and even more so to see the evidence of it," she said carefully.

"I know, mum," James replied with a shrug.

Tonks beamed to hear this. "I think you should definitely keep it in mind," she said.

By the time James had finished reading the pamphlets, he felt a lot better about his career choices. There was plenty to choose from.

James felt so much better that he made lunch for his mother. "Oh, you're such a good boy," Tonks cried as she sat down to a club sandwich and a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup.

"I learned a few skills in the cooking club at school," James said before biting into his sandwich. Thinking about the cooking club made him think of Teecie, and he was suddenly overwhelmed with longing for her. It was so debilitating, that he quickly lost his appetite. After a while, he went to his room, and lay down on his bed.

Why did everything remind him of her? He felt as though Teecie had died and left him alone in the world. It was the most terrible feeling in the world, and seeing her with Travers only made it worse. The thought of her kissing him, and sleeping with him, was terrible. It plagued James's mind the entire afternoon.

He'd been sulking in his room for about three hours, when he was interrupted by a voice. "So, you're having girl troubles, eh?"

James sat up and looked around his room, and saw a figure standing in his painting of an Asian jungle. "Oh, hey Padfoot," he said sullenly in greeting. He'd talked with Padfoot several times since his father had taken the painting back home after first year. He'd never understood why his dad had been so upset, for Padfoot had a wealth of good advice to give people.

Padfoot smiled and folded his arms. "So what's wrong?" he asked.

James sighed. "My girlfriend wanted to snog this guy at school that I totally hate, so I let her go. We decided to take a break for a while. She just needs to see what being with somebody else is like for a while," he replied quietly.

Padfoot's jaw dropped open. "You mean you just handed her over to this jerk-off?" he cried. "What where you thinking? Are you mad? You should have challenged the guy to a duel or something. Anything but give her to him! I can't believe it!"

James threw himself back on his bed and covered his eyes with his arm. "Oh quit it, Padfoot!" he cried. "Don't you think I feel bad enough? I mean, I had sex with two girls I don't even know, this week. Two! Can you believe it?"

Padfoot remained quiet for a minute before answering. "Well, James, it's not a bad start, really. But with a little more practice, you'll be able to double that easily," he replied.

"Padfoot, shut up! I can't believe you," James growled.

Padfoot shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Try to help a guy…" he muttered. "You know what?" he asked loud enough for James to hear, "We used to call your dad Moony at school. I think it's time I gave you a name too…How about…Broody? I think that's fitting."

"This is my life we're dealing with, and you're making jokes! What's wrong with you?"

"Didn't your dad ever tell you? This is who I am, Broody," Padfoot said with a shrug. "And you know who you are? You're a whipped man. You let that girl keep you wrapped around her little finger, and cry like a baby when she tosses you aside for the next dupe. Oh, she's good alright, very good. I wouldn't be surprised if she did that to this guy for a while before she picks another boy to shag."

"Teecie doesn't control me! And I am not whipped! You just don't understand what it means to love somebody, so you assume it's all fake. But it's not! It's the truest, purest love there ever was," James moaned.

Sirius made a gagging noise, and wrapped his hands around his neck as though he were choking. When he stopped, he took a breath, and spoke. "My God, you sound like James! And I don't mean in a good way! You're just as lovesick as he was. I can see it all now…you're going to marry this girl, and you'll have all sorts of kids together. So many that you'll forget their names! Just like Prongs probably ended up doing…"

James didn't have the heart to remind Padfoot of what really had ended up happening to Prongs, and remained silent instead. Maybe he was right in one respect, maybe Teecie would end up marrying James. They'd have four kids. All boys…well, maybe one girl, to keep Teecie happy…

James was lost in thought for a while after that. He imagined his possible future with Teecie and their children. But his happiness soon turned to sadness as he realized that his dreams might not come true, and Teecie might not ever come back to him.

Padfoot looked at James and rolled his eyes. "Look, Broody, I can tell that Teecie breaking up with you is pretty much the end of the world for you. I could help you, you know; help you get through this tough time. If you take me back to the school, I'll get you through this, until that girl comes crawling on her knees for you to take her back," he said with a grin. "Oh, yeah, Teecie on her knees…" he mumbled to himself with a wistful look on his face.

James looked at Padfoot for a minute. Should he take him back to the school? Padfoot did know a lot about girls, and maybe he'd be able to give James some good advice. Perhaps James could have some fun until Teecie came to her senses and returned to him. "All right, I'll take you with me tomorrow," he finally replied.

Padfoot grinned. "This'll be great. You won't regret it. I promise," he assured James. "We'll get you through this. Before you know it, all will be right in your world again."

James smiled wanly and sighed. "I sure as hell hope so," he murmured.

The rest of the weekend passed slowly, with James spending time with his mum, and working on his schoolwork. He also talked with Padfoot whenever he had the chance. It felt good to have somebody who understood what his problems were.

On Sunday evening, James snuck into his father's study and took Padfoot's picture off the wall by the desk. He slipped it into his schoolbag before hugging his mum goodbye, and flooing back to Hogwarts.

"I trust you found the guidance you've been lacking," Professor Snape said in greeting as James walked into his office and over towards the door to leave.

James stopped and turned towards Snape. "Yes, I believe I did, sir. Thank you for allowing me to return home for the weekend. I should be better now," he said quietly. There was a muffled sound emitting from his schoolbag, and James quickly put his hand over it to stifle it as best he could.

Snape eyed James carefully, trying to see what the noise had been, but didn't pursue it any further. "Very well, you may go and return to your house now. I'm sure you have a lot of homework to finish." With that, he turned in his chair, and returned to his paperwork.

When James had returned to his room, he took Padfoot's portrait out of his bag and set it on his desk. "You almost got us caught!" he hissed.

Padfoot rolled his eyes. "That was him wasn't it? Snivellus, I could recognize his voice," he replied. "What I wouldn't give to see what he looks like now."

James shrugged his shoulders. "He probably looks the same. Just bigger and older now," he said.

"And just as ugly I bet."

James shrugged his shoulders again. "I dunno." He took his books out of his bag, opened them, and set to work on his Charms essay that was due the next morning. Padfoot, mercifully, was quiet while James wrote.

The next morning, Padfoot smiled as James got ready for the day. "Now, just make sure to talk to at least three girls today. The more girls you talk to, the better," he advised.

James took that advice, and talked to four girls during his breaks and meals that day. He joined a group of girls at the Hufflepuff table, and flirted shamelessly with all of them.

Some of them even sat in the Quidditch stands as he went to his practices over the next several days. Padfoot convinced him to spend time with them as well, so James enjoyed the pleasures of two other girls that week. He decided that under the bleachers after practice was a great time for such activities, and the girls seemed to be turned on by his sweaty Quidditch uniform.

By week's end, he felt just as terrible and dirty as he had the week before. The thrill of the moment soon wore off to be replaced by a self-loathing that he couldn't get rid of. All of Padfoot's "good" advice just pressured James into trying things that didn't help him to feel any better.

During the next couple weeks, James felt that his life was spiraling out of control. He began having bouts of insomnia, and his appetite waned. He stopped seeing any of the girls at the school, for he found his desire for sex had disappeared to wherever his appetite for food had gone to.

It wasn't long before Remus noticed the dark circles under his son's eyes, as well as the slipping grades in his class. After a couple days, he called for James to visit his office after classes for a talk.

"James, son, what's the matter?" he asked James with a look of concern.

James looked at his father before his face fell, and he began to cry. Whether it was foolish or not, he confessed to Remus of his after-school "adventures" from the past couple weeks. "It's terrible dad. I just want to die," James moaned after he'd finished.

Remus frowned and quickly wrapped his arms around his son. "I don't like to hear you talk that way," he said. "Sure you did some things you regret now, but you learned from them, didn't you? You know what you're comfortable with, and what you're not. It's good to know what your limits are." Remus hugged James again. "But what I can't understand, is why you let yourself do things you weren't comfortable with. You said you weren't happy after the first round of…experimenting."

James cleared his throat and looked at the floor. "I was just taking the advice of somebody," he said quietly. "I guess it was bad advice…"

"I'm glad you can recognize that," Remus said.

"Me too," James sighed. "But what does that make me? What good am I as a man if I can't even shag girls when they throw themselves at me? And Teecie dumped me. I must be some sort of freak."

Remus frowned. "There is nothing wrong with you, James. Just because a man doesn't want to sleep with every female he has the opportunity to sleep with, doesn't make him wrong in any way. It means he has boundaries, and doesn't mind staying within them. You have nothing to feel insecure about," he assured his son.

James rubbed his forehead. "Nothing makes any sense anymore. Teecie made everything so…right. I just thought we were meant to be together forever. I can barely remember a time that she wasn't there. I know it sounds crazy, but I feel as though I've known her forever. Since before we were born. I feel as though I've known Teecie for thousands of years, and that we have to be together if we want to have happy lives."

Remus smiled sadly. Perhaps James and Teecie had been soul mates from a past life. Maybe they'd been both lucky and unlucky enough, to have found each other at such young ages. He couldn't help but wish they'd had the chance to live their lives separately for a while longer, and to experience more of life apart, before they'd met. But it seemed as though fate had other things in store for them.

Remus hugged James. "I wish I could take the pain away from you, and make you feel better," he said in a hoarse voice, "but I can't. I can't help you out of this, except to support you, and listen to you. I wish I could do more. I wish I could wave my wand, and say a spell, and this would all go away. You'd be happy again." He paused for a minute, thinking of what else to say. "Maybe now is the time to enjoy Quidditch. Have fun with it. The exercise and time with your teammates would do you some good I think."

James considered this for a while. "That does sound like fun. Maybe I'll have a better year than last year," he replied with a small smile.

Remus and James talked about Quidditch for an hour before leaving for dinner. For the first time in a couple weeks, James was able to eat a full meal. He made sure to keep his eyes away from the Slytherin table, for he knew he'd be unable to handle seeing Teecie and Zeren together. That night, he managed to sleep well, and was in high spirits the next morning.

The Hogsmeade weekend had finally arrived, but James didn't have any desire to go. He knew Teecie and Zeren would be there, and wanted to avoid them. He had so much homework anyway, that he decided to take the time to get caught up with it.

After breakfast, he gathered his books, and headed over to the library. There weren't many people there on a Saturday morning, especially when so many of the older students were heading to Hogsmeade, so he had his choice of desks to set up on. He chose one by the windows, and took his books out of his bag, and put them on the desk.

James had been working for over an hour on his Charms essay, when somebody sat down at the table next to him. He glanced over to see who was there, and saw somebody he recognized. Chloe Winthrop, a Hufflepuff in his year who was also on their Quidditch team, was taking sheets of parchment out of her bag and putting them on the table before her.

James found his glance lasting quite a bit longer than he'd realized. Chloe had lovely olive-toned skin, and dark brown hair that she had cut into a page-boy style cut. Her clear blue eyes sparkled with the morning autumn sun, and made her look elfin in a way. After a while, she seemed to notice James staring at her, and smiled at him.

"Good morning, Lupin. Too much homework to go to Hogsmeade?" she said in a laughing voice, though there was no teasing whatsoever in her attitude.

James smiled and nodded. "You too?" he asked casually.

"Unfortunately. I did hope to get some Quidditch practice in this afternoon," Chloe replied with a smile. James couldn't help but notice that she had the most perfectly shaped mouth, with very kissable red lips.

"Really? I need to get some practice in too. Maybe we could practice together."

Chloe smiled again and nodded her head. "I'd really like that. It's always more fun to have another person to practice with," she said. "And speaking of which, what did you say for the second part of the Charms essay?"

Chloe moved over to sit next to James, and soon they were deeply embroiled in their homework. James really enjoyed working on his homework with her. She was very smart, and quite helpful with their work. And Chloe found that James had a wealth of information about Defense Against the Dark Arts. He helped her master a couple of the latest spells and counter curses they'd learned over the past few weeks. And as neither of them was in Advanced Potions, they didn't have to worry about that.

Before either of them knew it, it was lunchtime. They packed their books and parchments, and headed to the Great Hall together to eat. They sat at the Hufflepuff table with a few of the younger students, including Liss, who seemed to be very excited to see James and Chloe together.

James wasn't thinking about it, but if he was, he'd have been surprised at himself at how easy it was to talk to Chloe. She was very friendly and talkative, and knowledgeable about Quidditch. Her passion for it was even greater than James's. They seemed to lose themselves in talking about the sport, and had been finished with their lunch for over an hour before realizing they were the last ones in the Great Hall.

"Are you ready to practice now?" Chloe asked as she stood up.

James jumped up next to her, and took her book bag out of her arms. "Sure, let's go!" he cried with a grin.

When the two reached the front door into the Main Hall, they stopped as the door opened before them. James was quite surprised to see Teecie burst through the door, with Harry Potter holding onto her arm. "I could have handled it, I'm sure, Harry," Teecie said as they walked past the pair and down the stairs to the dungeon.

"She's a Skeeter, and that's all you need to know about her. You couldn't have handled her, trust me," Harry replied tersely as they disappeared down the stairs.

James stared after them for a minute before Chloe tapped him on the shoulder. "Are you OK?" she asked quietly.

James nodded his head, and turned back to look at her. "Yes, I'm fine," he replied while opening the door for Chloe.

By the time they made it out to the pitch, James was fine again. He and Chloe flew around for a while before setting to work at practicing. They spent hours playing together, and laughing over their mistakes, and by the end of the day, both felt as though they'd known each other their entire lives.

James walked arm-in-arm with Chloe back to the school for dinner. They ate at the Gryffindor table with some of his friends, and talked about Quidditch.

By the time James returned to his dormitory that evening, he felt as though there was hope for his life. Chloe would hopefully be a friend he could continue getting to know better. He couldn't help but think about how pretty she was as well. She looked very different from Teecie, but that didn't stop him from finding her attractive.

That night, James fell asleep while imagining what it would be like to get to know Chloe very well. He couldn't wait.


	84. Driven to Distraction

This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!

Driven to Distraction

A/N: After a long talk with ElfFlame, she has convinced me to change the rating on this story to M. While I feel that the earlier years of this story don't warrant such a high rating, the later years do need it. And so, the rating will be changed. If there are any readers of this story out there who are under 17, I would ask you to read with discretion.

-Foodie

The day after the Lake Party, Teecie slept in late. She was exhausted from all the fun she'd had with Zeren, and had ended up staying up late into the night to work on homework. It was less than a month into the school year, and she was already feeling overwhelmed with her work load. Zeren was a good studying partner, but now that they were seeing one another, they spent most of their private time snogging.

Once Teecie had dressed for the day, she went downstairs to the Great Hall for lunch. Zeren was waiting for her with a plate of shepherd's pie. He smiled and slid the plate over to her while she sat down next to him. "Good afternoon," he said in greeting before kissing her cheek.

Teecie smiled and tucked into her meal. She took one of her books out and propped it up against a jug of pumpkin juice. As she ate her shepherd's pie, she read her book, From Fireflies to Dragon Eggs: Potions Theories by Jayne Washburn. It was a fascinating book that explained why each element of a potion worked the way it did, and how it differed when combined with other ingredients.

Draco had assigned a four parchment essay on several chapters of the book, and Teecie had yet to find the time to read them. But it seemed as though it was not meant to be, for Zeren reached over and took the book away from her, and set it down next to him. "Ticia, this is a time for us to talk, not for studying," he said with a grin.

"But Zeren, I have to get some work done. I haven't done any homework all weekend, except for last night," Teecie replied with a slight frown.

"Don't you want to spend time with me? Time that isn't full of books and homework?"

"Of course, but I do need to get the homework done too."

"You have this afternoon. I can help you. But for now, let's just enjoy ourselves. When you're done eating, maybe we can go off somewhere alone…"

Teecie was about to explain to Zeren that she didn't have time for such things, when she noticed Roxanne walk into the school from the main door. She was followed seconds later by James, who was tucking his shirt into his jeans and looking guilty.

James walked out of Teecie's sight, but Roxanne came into the Great Hall, noticed her, and sauntered over to her. "Well, fancy meeting you here, Ticia," she said while sitting down and putting a pile of food on her plate. "I'm famished. I've had quite a busy morning, you see," she said while taking a bite of shepherd's pie. "James is quite energetic."

Teecie's eyes narrowed while Roxanne was speaking. She suddenly found that her appetite had disappeared. "So you have another boy to add to your already extraordinarily long list of conquests," she said coolly. Roxanne didn't say anything in response, except to smile broadly before taking another large bite of her food.

Teecie thought about what this meant. James had actually shagged another girl. He'd actually done it. What did he think of Roxanne? Was she better than her? Would James think that Roxanne was so much better that he'd never take Teecie back again? Maybe this had all been a terrible mistake, and she should run back to James and beg him to take her back.

Zeren seemed to be reading Teecie's mind, for he put his hand on hers, and squeezed it gently. "Come on, let's get out of here," he murmured.

Teecie nodded her head, and followed behind him quickly out to the Main Hall. "Where should we go?" she asked.

Zeren looked around for a minute. "It's too risky to go to my room on the weekend…" he replied. "And I'm sure the Room of Requirement is in use…"

"Well, we can't go to my room," Teecie added. "But I know of a place that might be available. I just hope it's still accessible." With that, she took Zeren by the hand, and led him up the stairs to the room that Teecie and Kali had run away to several years ago when they'd learned the truth about their father.

Teecie was surprised to find that the room was still accessible. She'd been certain that Uncle Sev would have had the room sealed off after what she and Kali had done in her third year.

Both Teecie and Zeren had to climb carefully through the hole in the wall, for they were almost too large to fit. She led the way up the stairs, using her wand as a torch to create light.

The room looked exactly as she remembered it looking from three years ago. The overstuffed furniture was still strewn about the room, covered in large slipcovers to keep them from getting dusty. It still felt as cozy and safe as it had the first time she'd ever gone there.

Zeren looked around, taking in all the sights for the first time. "So this is where you hid," he murmured. "I remember when you ran away. I was really worried for your safety."

Teecie smiled sadly over the still unhappy memories. "I didn't know that," she whispered.

Zeren saw the look on her face, and walked over to give her a hug. "We don't have to stay here if you don't want," he said before kissing her.

Teecie shook her head when they'd finished their kiss. "No, I'll be fine," she replied. "It'll be good to replace the bad memories with much better ones." Zeren grinned at this and leaned in to continue kissing her.

After several minutes, they moved over to the bed and sat down, in order to be more comfortable. They snogged as intensely as they had the day before, and when Zeren put his hands on Teecie, this time, she didn't tell him to stop.

Zeren's hands were warm and comforting, and he seemed to know where to put them in order to make Teecie feel extremely relaxed and pleasant. Neither wasted too much time before taking their clothes off, and Teecie was quite surprised at how nervous and self-conscious she suddenly felt to have a boy she'd known for so long, but who wasn't James, looking at her.

"Lovely, just lovely," he said while taking her hands in his, and opening her arms out away from her body. He gazed at her for several minutes.

Teecie took the opportunity to admire Zeren at the same time. He was very muscular, and powerful-looking. She found her heart pounding as she looked at him, and thought about what was going to happen very soon. He was definitely…well endowed. Her heart pounded even harder to see it.

When a few minutes had passed, Zeren pulled Teecie into another embrace, savouring the feel of her delicate skin against his. Teecie didn't know how long she could handle this without losing her mind. James never made her feel quite this way before. Owen had, but only because that had been her very first time.

Zeren took his time with Teecie. He knew it was his duty to give her pleasure before he received any himself. He could tell from her reactions, that he was succeeding. He couldn't help but wonder if Lupin had ever managed to get such reactions from her. Probably not. The git probably couldn't tell her belly button from her…Suffice it to say, Zeren could most definitely tell the difference, and made sure to prove that to Ticia.

Teecie was certain that neither James nor Owen had ever made her feel the way Zeren did. His attention to detail was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before.

After quite some time, Zeren pulled away from Teecie, grinned and sat back in the bed. "Your turn," he said gruffly. Ticia had certainly proved herself to be a pleasure to bring pleasure to. He couldn't help but imagine getting to do this with her every day, and deciding he'd be perfectly content.

Ticia started off timidly, but soon warmed up to him. Zeren had been with many girls already, and couldn't help comparing her to them. He had to admit to himself, when he looked down to see her mouth busy at work, that she had only average skills in that department. He decided he'd have to work with Ticia in order to improve herself.

But when she had finished, and Zeren had moved so that he lay over her, he realized that she was very skilled at actual love-making. He loved how vocal she was. It helped him gauge how well he was performing. And for some reason, his climax was more intense than he remembered it being for quite some time. By the look of it, Ticia's had as well. They lay breathless in one another's arms for quite some time afterwards.

Zeren couldn't help but feel a thrill over the thought that his seed was now inside Ticia. Nothing was going to happen, of course, but he felt as though he'd claimed her for his own. It was a symbol of how Lupin was no match for him.

Teecie felt more calm and satisfied than she had in quite some time. James had made her feel really stressed out since the school year had begun. She knew it hadn't really been his fault, but his failure to get into Advanced Potions had thrown him for a loop. Still, it was nice to enjoy herself, and not worry about insulting or upsetting him.

And now she had also fulfilled her desire for Zeren, and satisfied her curiosity as well. She had not been disappointed either. Zeren was more than skilled at what they'd done, but Teecie couldn't help but miss the way James made love to her. Even though Zeren paid full attention to Teecie, she couldn't help but feel that he'd approached it like he was trying to solve a mathematical equation, or a puzzle. When James made love to her, he lost himself completely in the experience. Zeren made her feel like they were conducting a business transaction. It was just something she'd have to get used to over time.

Zeren regained enough of his energy to start kissing Ticia again. After a while, the kissing led to more love-making, in which he took more mental notes about their performances. He definitely had some things he wanted to work with Ticia on, and looked forward to it greatly. There were also several points in which she was perfectly skilled, and he could thoroughly enjoy.

By the time their afternoon tryst was over, both Teecie and Zeren were famished. They dressed and straightened up their hair before leaving the room to go to the Great Hall for dinner.

Teecie noticed that Draco was staring at them as they sat down at the Slytherin table. He was looking at them as though trying to read their minds. She hoped he couldn't, for he probably wouldn't like what he saw. He'd probably try to force her to marry Zeren if he knew what they'd been doing all afternoon.

The rest of the evening was spent trying to get caught up with her homework. The next morning, Teecie was in the middle of her Charms lesson, when James slipped into the room ten minutes late. He had a goofy grin on his face, and she couldn't figure out why.

That afternoon, James was late to their Transfiguration class, and Teecie noticed that his tie was askew, and the bottom button of his shirt was undone. She'd seen him in the hallways with Roxanne, and couldn't help but wonder if he'd been late to class because he'd been with Roxanne. The thought disgusted her. It didn't occur to her that James probably felt the same way when it came to her and Zeren.

Zeren and Teecie soon fell into a pattern that worked well for both of them. They spent their free period together, snogging and shagging, and after their free time after classed ended for the day, working on schoolwork. Zeren insisted that Teecie come to his Quidditch practices, though he didn't mind that she took her books with her. And she found his glistening body even more attractive afterwards as well. It led to several afternoon trysts behind the bleachers when Zeren's practices ended.

A few weeks passed this way. Teecie didn't even notice that her marks were slipping until Draco asked to see her after class one morning. "Ticia, I must express my concern over your marks from the past month," he said while crossing his arms. "I am not certain that you are putting forth the full amount of effort truly needed to succeed in Advanced Potions. I have to assume the rest of your classes are receiving the same lack of attention. Is there something troubling you? Or distracting you?" he spoke sternly, yet kindly at the same time.

Teecie bit her lip and looked at the floor. Had her marks really gotten that bad in such a short time? "It's nothing, really Draco, I…I'm just dealing with James and Zeren right now, that's all," she replied.

"Mr. Travers should know better than to distract you from your schoolwork. Is he demanding too much of your time?" Draco's eyebrows rose as he spoke.

Teecie shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I can tell him I need him to spend less time with him, though I do so love to be with him," she replied coyly.

Draco was overjoyed to hear this, yet was careful not to let it show. "Well, just remember to spend your time wisely, Ticia. You must decide now what your priorities in life will be. You cannot be a healer and a girl who doesn't make good marks at the same time," he said while patting her on the shoulder. "I would hate for you to not see your dreams come to fruition because you chose to socialize too much."

Teecie nodded her head in agreement. "I know Draco. I'll make sure to use my time better in the future," she replied before hugging him. "Thanks for looking out for me."

When she left Draco's classroom, she really had a lot to think about. She couldn't allow Zeren to distract her too much from achieving her goals. While she enjoyed her time with him, it wasn't worth it if she didn't make the marks she needed.

Telling Zeren this, however, was more difficult. When she joined him at the Slytherin table for lunch that day, he dished her up a plate of food, and doted upon her for a minute before returning to his lunch. Teecie was so flattered when he did kind things for her that she found it difficult to tell him they needed to spend less time together. But she mustered the strength to anyway.

"Zeren," she said while putting her hand on his leg and squeezing gently. "Zeren, I talked with my brother today, and he says my marks are slipping a little. I need to spend more time revising, but I can't seem to find the time to do so. I'm already staying up till one in the morning every night to get the work done." She sighed and shook her head. She'd learned early on that having Zeren make decisions for her was the best approach to keeping him happy. And by telling him that Draco was displeased, Zeren was more likely to be willing to change. "I just don't know what to do," she ended with another sigh.

Zeren frowned and ate a few bites of his lunch while mulling it over. It wouldn't do to displease his head of house. Professor Black was very protective of his loved ones, and wanted them to be happy. Zeren would have to make the sacrifice, and spend less time with Ticia. It seemed as though it was the only way to ensure he didn't anger Professor Black. And he also knew Ticia wanted to do the best she could in her classes, so if he wanted her to be happy, which he did, it was worth what he'd have to give up.

Zeren cleared his throat before speaking. "Well, I suppose you don't have to attend my Quidditch practices anymore. And I guess we'll have to keep our meetings during free periods work-related for the most part," he said with a frown. He didn't enjoy the prospect of losing time with Ticia. She'd improved vastly since they'd first become intimate. He also quite enjoyed teaching her new techniques that he'd learned over the years. Ticia seemed to enjoy herself immensely as well.

Teecie didn't like the thought of losing that time to shag either, but she had to decide which pleasure was greater, that, or achieving her life's goals. Her time with Zeren was an immediate pleasure. It was also fleeting, and in the end, left her feeling slightly hollow inside. And while becoming a healer would take years of hard work, the payoff would last a lifetime. She knew it was the better of the two, and was happy that Zeren would work with her to achieve this.

"Thank you, Zeren," she said before kissing his cheek and moving her hand further up his leg. "This will really help me out a lot." And with that, she proceeded to "thank" him while finishing her lunch. Zeren had an amazing ability to control his reactions, and nobody ever realized what was going on.

With the extra time to study, Teecie found her marks quickly improved. She was still amazed, though, at how much time it really took to do the work for all her classes. She was taking advanced courses in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Potions, Herbology, and Transfiguration, as well as her healing course with Master Wilkes, who never failed to assign less than two chapters of reading per class.

Teecie did manage to find some time to be alone with Zeren. On the weekends, after dinner, she would spend her evenings with him in their secret room. They soon began spending the whole night together.

Back in Teecie's dormitory, Paige knew not to expect so see her there on weekend nights. Paige had relaxed her attitude towards her prefectship, however, and it wasn't a problem anymore. Besides, she was already used to Patty not being there on the weekends, for she'd been sleeping in Daniel's dormitory since the year began.

Teecie loved the feeling of waking up in Zeren's strong arms. But still, her heart longed for James. She couldn't help but hope that someday, she and James would wake like that every day, not just the weekends.

One Saturday morning, the week before the Halloween Hogsmeade trip, Teecie received an owl from her parents. She'd been enjoying herself with Zeren, and waited to finish before reading the letter. Once she'd finished, she and Zeren sat up against their pillows, and read it:

Dear Ticia,

Your mother and I wanted to give you advanced warning about something that may have an impact on your life for a while. My book is finally going to be released. I'll be in Flourish and Blotts in London next Saturday for its first day on the shelves. My publisher is convinced that people will want autographed copies, and has made me promise to do a book signing. She has also assured me that this will create a stir with the media. There will most likely be talk about it in the Daily Prophet, and I don't want you to be upset by anything negative that might be said about me. A lot of people still harbour anger towards me, and rightfully so, and will not be willing to forgive me.

I know you're very busy right now, with school and social activities, and I apologize for the trouble this will probably cause for a little while. I'm sure it won't last for too long, and who knows, maybe nobody will be interested in it after all.

Write to me if you have any questions. I love you.

-Lucius

Teecie felt her heart begin to pound while reading the letter. This would cause problems, no doubt. Zeren seemed to be thinking the same thing, for he sighed and shook his head. "Not going to be interested? He must be kidding himself. Every witch and wizard in Britain, and probably all of Europe, will want a copy," he said. "He'll make a fortune."

Teecie shook her head. "All the money he makes from his honey, and the book, he gives to Harry Potter and the orphanage," she informed him.

Zeren snorted and shook his head in amazement. "From Death Eater to philanthropist; what a world we live in," he murmured.

Teecie nodded her head. "It's a good sort of world, isn't it?" she replied.

Zeren wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "It's a very good world."

Not everybody had as good a feeling about it, though. Draco called Teecie into his office on Monday to talk with her about it. "I don't think it's a wise idea for you to go to Hogsmeade this Saturday," he announced firmly. "What with the newest branch of Flourish and Blotts there, there's bound to be a heavy media presence. I myself have already been contacted by the Daily Prophet for an interview."

"Are you going to do it?" Teecie asked curiously.

"Certainly not," Draco said tersely. "This family hardly needs more attention."

"But it might be good to tell your story too."

"I think not," he finally said, ending that part of the discussion. "And I do not want you speaking to anybody either."

Teecie laughed and rolled her eyes. "Nobody's going to be interested in me," she giggled.

Draco's eyebrows rose. "This book talks about your mother and you girls as well," he replied seriously. "I can assure you there will be an interest in you and every aspect of your private life. You'd do well not to speak a word to any member of the press. This is not a suggestion, Ticia, it is a direct order for you to obey."

Teecie nodded her head. "I won't talk to anybody, but I want to go to Hogsmeade. Zeren's going to go with me. I really want to spend time with him since I'm so busy with schoolwork now," she replied calmly.

Draco smiled and sat down in his chair before speaking again. "Well I suppose if Mr. Travers will be escorting you, there won't be a problem. You will still need to remain aware of the media presence."

Teecie nodded her head. "Of course I will," she said with a grin.

The rest of the week flew past quickly. Teecie's time was completely consumed with classes and the overwhelming amount of schoolwork she now faced. But on Saturday, she put her worries aside, and was determined to have a good day with Zeren.

After a hearty breakfast, the two walked, hand-in-hand, down to the village. Teecie was taken aback when she saw James walking with a Hufflepuff girl in their year. He looked calm and happy, something Teecie hadn't seen in quite some time. She watched as they walked into Honeydukes together, before walking with Zeren to the apothecary for supplies.

Teecie and Zeren spent a whole hour talking to the apothecary and getting advice on a potion project they were working on. Draco had assigned the students to work in pairs, and invent their own potion. Zeren and Teecie were trying to make one that would allow its drinker the ability to see in the dark. "We think there would be a large market for it in Knockturn Alley." Teecie explained to the apothecary with a smile.

It was during this time, that Teecie noticed a commotion across the street. The newest branch of Flourish and Blotts had a line of people standing outside the shop. Her heart flittered to see a poster bearing a picture of her father's book, hanging in the front display window.

Zeren was still deeply engrossed in the conversation, and didn't notice when she slipped out the door to get a closer look. Patty, Daniel, and Paige were all standing in line when she arrived. "Isn't this exciting?" Paige cried.

"I liked your father a lot the time I met him," Patty added.

When Teecie looked at Daniel, he seemed flustered. "Your mum's hot and I heard there's a picture of her in the book," he finally blurted out stupidly.

Patty glared at him before slapping him upside the head. Teecie blushed and moved to join the line before being grabbed by the arm from behind and dragged away from her friends. "Lucius Malfoy's daughter does not have to stand in line for a copy of the book," an enthusiastic employee cried while pushing Teecie to the main register. "Perhaps you'd like to autograph some books for our patrons," the man said cheerfully while taking a pile of books and setting them down on the counter in front of her. He then turned to the crowd. "Everybody, I'd like you to know that Miss Ticia Orendes, one of Lucius Malfoy's daughters, has joined us for the book release," he cried happily.

Most of the students in the crowd smiled and waved, but the Hogsmeade inhabitants of Hogsmeade seemed quite excited at the prospect of a free autograph. Teecie was shocked to see how many people were in the store. They were looking at her expectantly. Finally, she smiled weakly and waved to the crowd. "Hi," she said quietly.

The happy employee led Teecie behind the counter, and summoned a stool over for her to sit on. She took her favourite gel ink feather pen from her handbag, and sat down. Everybody seemed so excited at the idea of getting a signed copy of the book. Most people were polite when speaking to her, though a few were quite demanding or asked her very personal questions that she thought were rude to ask in public.

Ten minutes into the signing, Teecie came face-to-face with a very strange-looking woman. She had dark brown hair tied up in some sort of odd beehive style, and square-rimmed glasses with blue jewels encrusted in them. She had slender hands with claw-like fingers, and a big toothed smile that showed off a diamond affixed somehow in her left eyetooth.

The first thing she did when she reached the counter, was extend her hand to shake Teecie's. "How are you dear, it's such a pleasure to meet you," she said in a quiet tone. "I've always been interested in the Malfoy dynasty, and it is just a dream come true to get your autograph today."  
The woman grabbed a book and thrust it into Teecie's arms. "If you could sign it, 'To Twyla Skeeter, my best friend and confidant,' I would be delighted," she said.

Teecie looked at the odd woman for a moment before responding. "All right," she murmured before signing the book as requested.

Twyla grinned and quickly produced a blank sheet of parchment. "And now, if I could just get you to sign this for me, I'd love to give a copy of your autograph to my brother Bernie," she said. "And if you can put the date right next to it so I'll remember when this happened, that would be wonderful."

Teecie wanted to be rid of Twyla as quickly as possible, and eagerly signed the bottom of the parchment, hoping she'd soon leave. "Thank you dear," Twyla said with a wide grin. "I'm sure we'll meet again." With that, she turned, and sauntered out of the store.

Teecie continued with the autographs for a while longer before Zeren fought his way up to the front, next to her. "What's going on?" he asked, looking at the crowded shop.

"I got stuck signing autographs. I have no idea how it happened," Teecie replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Do you want to leave?"

"I'd hate to disappoint all these people…"

"Well, I'll stay with you then."

"No, I'll be fine. Why don't you keep going through town and I'll meet you later at the Three Broomsticks for lunch, all right?"

"I don't know…your brother wanted me to stay with you…"

"Don't worry, there's nobody here from the Daily Prophet."

"Well…all right. I suppose nothing will happen." Zeren kissed Teecie's cheek, and made his way out of the shop, leaving her to continue signing autographs.

After an hour, the line had dwindled, and almost everybody had gotten their books signed. When all the books had sold out, Teecie left the shop in order to meet Zeren. She was startled to find Twyla Skeeter waiting for her outside the door.

"My dear," Twyla simpered while wrapping her arm through Teecie's. "I have been standing here reading this book, and I am just heart-broken to hear about your childhood. To have lived with such an abusive monster as your father…It's amazing you're sane."

Teecie shook her head. "No, no, my father never abused me. He'd changed long before I was even born," she corrected the woman.

Twyla gasped and clutched at the gold pearl necklace at her chest. "So he's still controlling you to this day! I bet he forced you to do the book-signing, didn't he?"

Again, Teecie shook her head. "He doesn't even know I'm here. He's a good man, now," she replied. "You should just read the book, it'll explain everything."

"And how romantic, falling in love with his courtesan…" Twyla went on, "Your mother sure is a lucky woman to have been taken from that life."

Teecie's jaw dropped open. "My mum was not a courtesan!" she cried.

"So your father kept slaves for such practices? And fell in love with your mother, and granted her the gift of freedom. And no wonder your father loves her, she is quite a beauty!"

Teecie couldn't believe how stupid this woman was! "My father never had sex slaves!"

"But he did own slaves."

"He had a house elf once, a very long time ago. But he was set free."

"I can only imagine why…"

"I don't know why he was set free. He's never had another elf since. My mum doesn't approve."

"Oh, I see. Your mother is the jealous type, then? I'm sure she's nearly insane with anger towards your father's wife."

"Not really, they were sort of friends once. My mum told me they went shopping a couple of times together."

"So your father encouraged his wife and slave to do things together…"

"Not really, they just enjoyed one another's company. My mum doesn't have too many women friends, but does like them."

Twyla's eyes lit up to hear that. "Oh really…does your father like to watch them together?" she asked curiously.

Teecie was confused by this question, and shrugged her shoulders. "He's usually doing other stuff when mum has a friend over for tea…"

During this conversation, Harry Potter had walked past the store on a walk through the village, and noticed Teecie. He walked over to her to say hello, and was immediately wary of the woman she was speaking to. She seemed vaguely familiar…

Twyla saw Harry walk over to them, and grinned. "Oh, and if it isn't Harry Potter himself! Do you know this wonderful young lady?" she asked while holding her hand out to shake his.

Harry shook her hand briefly. "Yes, I do. She's done some volunteering up at the orphanage," he replied. "And you are?"

"Twyla Skeeter, pleased to meet you," Twyla said with a toothy grin.

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Skeeter?" he said while putting his hand on Teecie's shoulder and pulling her close to him. "And you've been talking to Miss Orendes on the day her father's book was released?"

"We've been having a most fascinating conversation. Her family truly is a most interesting topic."

"I'm sure you've found some interesting things to write about, but I'm afraid I must take Miss Orendes back up to the school now. If you'll excuse us," Harry said tersely while tugging gently at Teecie's elbow and turning to walk away.

Teecie squeaked as she was forced to follow Harry. She looked over her shoulder and waved at Twyla. "Good afternoon Miss Skeeter," she called out.

"And a most wonderful afternoon to you too, dearie," Twyla called back with a smile. It was at that moment that Teecie noticed a small notepad float around from behind Twyla, a quill writing on it magically.

Harry scowled s he kept his hand on Teecie's elbow. "Don't you know who that was? Ticia, I thought you had better sense than that," he growled.

Teecie shook her head, and tried to keep up with him. "She said her name was Twyla Skeeter. She's a big fan of my family. Other than that, I don't know who she is," she replied.

"She's a reporter for the Daily Prophet," Harry informed her in a grave tone.

Teecie's eyes grew wide at hearing this. "What do you think she wanted? She asked me lots of questions. You don't think she wanted to interview me, do you?" she asked quietly.

Harry sighed and shook his head. "I think she _was_ interviewing you. I don't know what she asked, but I can guarantee it'll make your parents look terrible."

Teecie bit her lip. What a horrible thing to do! And it was all her fault! "But I didn't know who she was! I wouldn't have talked to her if I had. Draco told me not to talk to the media and I promised him I wouldn't."

"Well, we'll have to go talk to him about this and see what he can do. Believe me, you do not want her to publish that article."

Teecie's chest felt tight as she thought about what she'd done. How could she have been so stupid? Tears sprang to her eyes, and she sniffed loudly. She'd calmed down by the time they reached the school. "If only I'd known who she was to start with…" she muttered.

Harry kept his hand on her elbow as he walked them into the school and down the stairs towards the dungeons. "I could have handled it, I'm sure, Harry," Teecie said as they walked.

"She's a Skeeter, and that's all you need to know about her. You couldn't have handled her, trust me," Harry replied tersely as they disappeared down the stairs.

Teecie sighed and followed quietly behind Harry. This would prove to be a most interesting meeting…


	85. Truth and Consequences

Truth and Consequences

A/N: This chapter contains a not-so-random act of violence against a minor. Please read with discretion.

When Harry and Teecie reached Draco's office, he hesitated for a moment before rapping loudly on the door. When they heard Draco's call to enter, Harry opened the door and walked inside, Teecie quickly following suit.

Draco looked up from his desk to see who was there, and immediately scowled to see Harry Potter invading his territory. "What are you doing here, Potter?" he growled while narrowing his eyes.

Harry folded his arms and narrowed his eyes before responding. "You'll want to thank me when you find out," he snipped. "Your sister here had a bit of an encounter with a news reporter today. I thought you might like to know."

Draco's eyes grew considerably wider as his head whipped around to look at Teecie. "What did I tell you about the media, Ticia? I expressly forbade you to communicate with them," he hissed.

Teecie bit her lip and clasped her hands together. "I didn't know she was a reporter, Draco, honest. She just made it seem like she wanted to know more about our family. I'm sorry, I really messed up…" she said quietly.

"I would think you'd have used better sense, Ticia. On a day such as this, to have somebody you don't know suddenly very interested in your life. That ought to have been a clue," Draco admonished with a frown.

All of Teecie's new-found calm dissolved as tears once again sprang to her eyes and flowed down her cheeks. "I just didn't know, Draco. That's all! I don't read the Daily Prophet so her name didn't sound familiar to me," she blubbered. "And Harry says she's going to say terrible things about mum and dad!"

Draco's frown deepened. "Well, don't worry about that, Ticia," he said, his voice softening, "I'll take care of everything. I'll head down to Diagon Alley and straighten all of this out. What I need you to do is tell me everything that happened today."

Teecie carefully explained everything to Draco. He sat in silence while taking all of this in, until he heard about Zeren leaving to continue shopping while Teecie remained in the book shop. "He left? He left you alone?" he asked sharply.

"Only because I told him to. I was going to meet him at the Three Broomsticks for lunch. He's probably there right now, waiting for me," Teecie replied quickly.

Draco shook his head and stood up. "I'll go into the village and see if this Skeeter harpy is still there. And I'll bring Mr. Travers back with me when I'm finished," he muttered. As he began to walk towards the door, he stopped short to see Harry still standing in the doorway. "You're still here?" he snapped angrily.

Harry had a serene look upon his face. "Yes I am," he replied. "I just wanted to make sure everything was all right before I left."

Draco narrowed his eyes. "Well everything is just fine, so you can go about your day," he growled.

Harry leaned into the room and waved. "Good luck with everything, Ticia," he called out before turning around and walking away.

Draco waited a couple minutes before leaving his office to look for Twyla and Zeren. Teecie sat in his room and continued to feel terrible for what had happened. What if Twyla didn't relent and printed it? What if everybody thought her family was terrible, and it was all her fault? Her parents would be so angry with her if that happened. Her father was just getting back on his feet in the Wizarding world, and now everyone would believe he was still a monster.

During the time that Teecie was fretting in Draco's office, he was marching down to Hogsmeade with great speed in hopes of catching Twyla Skeeter. He couldn't help but be upset at both Ticia and Zeren. Ticia was far too innocent for her own good, and now it had led to potential trouble for the entire family. And Mr. Travers ought to have known better than to actually leave Ticia by herself under such circumstances.

Draco's mood had darkened even more over these thoughts as he stormed into the Three Broomsticks. It continued to grow darker as he saw a woman who undoubtedly was Twyla Skeeter, cornering Zeren. Zeren looked miserable, and when he glanced up to see Draco walking towards them, relief flooded his features.

Draco tapped on Twyla's shoulder. "Miss Skeeter, I presume?" he asked coldly.

Twyla turned to look up at Draco with large eyes. "Yes, I am," she replied with a smile, "And you must be Mr. Black! What luck!"

Draco's eyes flashed. "Yes, such luck…" He turned to look at Zeren. "Mr. Travers, you'll find my sister waiting in my office. Why don't you go stay with her while I talk with Miss Skeeter?"

Zeren quickly nodded his head before grabbing his parcels and hurrying for the door to leave. He didn't look back while returning to the school to look for Ticia.

Draco smiled menacingly at Twyla and beckoned for her to sit down. "Let me buy you a drink, Miss Skeeter…It is Miss, isn't it?"

Twyla primped her hair. "Unfortunately, yes, but I do have my eyes on a wonderful man," she replied with a girlish giggle.

Draco's smile grew more menacing. "Let me buy you a drink…"

An hour and a half later, Draco emerged from the Three Broomsticks feeling considerably better than he had when he'd walked into it. Somehow, he'd managed to convince Twyla to back off of the article she'd written and had planned on publishing the next day. Of course, he'd had to give that interview he'd not wanted to to make up for it, but it had been worth it in order to keep her from saying horrible things about his father.

Draco walked a little more slowly back to the school, and felt much calmer by the time he walked through the front doors. He chose to ignore what he assumed had been going on in his office when he entered the room again. Teecie and Zeren were out of breath, and she was brushing her fingers through her hair.

"Did it work, Draco?" Teecie asked while straightening out her skirt. Zeren had returned from the village and had been comforting her in her time of need before Draco had returned.

"Yes it did," Draco replied while sitting down. "I gave an interview in exchange for the one she gleaned from you."

Teecie breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that's good to hear. I'm sorry you had to do the interview. It's all my fault."

"You didn't have any way of knowing who she really was. Just remember this time when somebody starts asking too many questions," he said comfortingly. "You learned a very valuable lesson today. Why don't you go and spend the rest of the day studying and thinking about what you learned."

That afternoon, after Teecie left to go work on homework, Draco and Zeren had a long talk about responsibilities and duties. Draco strongly suggested that Zeren never let anything like that happen again, which Zeren decided was a very good idea.

The next morning, Teecie and Zeren snuggled in bed together, and read Zeren's copy of the Daily Prophet. The first thing they saw, was a large picture of Draco scowling at them. "The Death Eater's Son Tells All," read the headline.

Teecie thought the article was pretty well-written. Draco's words didn't seem skewed or altered in any way. All in all, it was a wonderful and enlightening read.

Her heart pounded, though, when she turned the page, and saw a picture of herself smiling and waving. "Daddy Dearest," read the first line of the article.

"Oh no!" Teecie whimpered while scanning the page. _We don't talk about it too much, but my father did have inappropriate relations with a house elf_. That was not a good way to begin this article. _My mum was a concubine of my father's, but he fell in love and granted her the gift of freedom_. "I never said that!" _He always encouraged his wife and my mum to have relations, and my mum appreciated it, for she quite enjoys the company of other women_. "Ew, that's just so wrong!" _I try to love my father, but he still continues to abuse all four of us children_. "That's just an out-right lie! I never said any of this!" Every so-called quote was worse than the next. This was, quite possibly, the worst moment in Teecie's life.

After a couple minutes, she burst into tears, and threw the newspaper across the room. Zeren hugged her tightly and petted her hair until she'd calmed down again. "Come on, let's get dressed and go find your brother," he said while standing up. Teecie followed suit, and dressed for the day.

The two had just reached the main floor, when Draco hurried out from the Great Hall. "I take it you've read the paper," he said grimly as Teecie and Zeren hurried towards him.

"Yes, we just read it," Teecie replied. "What are we going to do?"

Draco looked at her sharply for a moment before answering. "I am going to floo to your house to speak with Adriana. Father is at the market now, and cannot read that article. When I'm done there, I'll floo to Diagon Alley to straighten things out with the paper," he said gruffly. "I'll have that woman fired if it's the last thing I ever do!"

Teecie ran down the stairs with her brother, trying to keep up with him. "But maybe I should talk to mum so you can go right to Diagon Alley," she cried breathlessly.

Draco considered this for a minute while walking to his office. Letting Ticia go would get him to Diagon Alley earlier. It would also avoid a lengthy discussion with Adriana. In the end, though, he decided to do it himself. He didn't want Ticia involved any more than she already was.

"Thank you for the offer, Ticia, but I'll handle everything," he finally said. "Why don't you and Mr. Travers stay and do schoolwork instead?"

Teecie nodded her head in agreement. "All right," she said quietly. She wasn't sure she was ready to face her mother just yet anyway.

Zeren stepped forward and patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Ticia, everything will be all right," he reassured her. "Your brother will straighten everything out."

Draco walked towards the fireplace, and spoke with them one last time before leaving. "I want you two to get some revising done-in the library!" With that, he flooed to the property, leaving Teecie and Zeren alone in his office.

Before they could speak, there was a knock on the door, and Liss popped her head into the office. She quickly entered the room, holding a copy of the Daily Prophet in her hands. She looked furious. "Ticia, how could you?" she cried indignantly. "You know all of that is completely false!" She placed her hands on her hips and stomped on the floor to emphasize this.

Teecie shook her head and ran over to Liss. "I didn't do it on purpose, Liss, honest. I was so stupid! I thought this woman who was just asking questions was a normal person, but she was really a news reporter. I had no idea!" she cried.

Liss's eyes grew wide. "You were misled? How cruel! I bet she misconstrued your words as well," she replied, sounding much less angry at Teecie. "But how come you didn't know who Twyla Skeeter was? Everybody knows her. She's really ruthless you know."

"I know now," Teecie replied. "And now everybody in the school will think I'm a horrible person for talking about my family that way."

Liss wrapped her arm around Teecie's waist. "Not if you tell them what really happened," she said happily. "Come on, let's go to breakfast, and tell everybody what happened."

Zeren and Teecie walked hand-in-hand out of the office, and up to the Great Hall to eat. It seemed as though the entire school was waiting for her, wanting to know if all she'd "said" had been true. It looked as though it was going to be a very long day…

When Draco arrived at his father's house, he surprised Adriana, who was in the living room watching telly. She gasped and jumped up from her seat, looking at him with wide eyes. "Draco…your father's at the market right now…" she said quietly.

Draco took a deep breath, and nodded his head. "Yes, I know. I came to speak to you," he began. "Have you seen today's edition of the Daily Prophet?"

Adriana waved her hand dismissively. "I don't really read that ever," she replied. "But your father gets a copy. It's on the kitchen counter still. It arrived just a while ago."

"Well, there's something in it that father oughtn't to see," Draco said before summoning the paper over to him. He slowly handed it to Adriana, and took a careful step back. One could never be too careful with her when she was angered.

Adriana looked at the front page and smiled. "Oh, Draco, what a nice picture of you. How exciting to be in the paper. But why wouldn't you want Lucius to see this?" she asked kindly while skimming through the article.

"It's not that. Turn the page," Draco instructed.

Adriana frowned slightly, and turned the page. She smiled to see the picture of Teecie waving at her. "Our Ticia's in the paper!" she cried. "What a lovely picture of her too. She's so photogenic, isn't she?"

Draco grimaced and took another step backwards. "It's the article. Just read it," he said carefully.

She quietly read the article, her eyes growing wide and her jaw dropping open as she went. "How could this have happened?" she finally cried by the time she'd finished. "Didn't Ticia have more sense than to talk to a reporter?"

"Now, Adriana, in Ticia's defense, she didn't realize the person she was speaking to was an unscrupulous reporter," Draco said. "I spoke with the woman, and she assured me that she was not going to publish the article. I'm going down to the paper, and will have her fired."

"What sort of person exploits a child like that? I'd like to give this woman a piece of my mind. Maybe I should go with you."

"I think I should go alone…"

"But Ticia is my daughter, and as her mother, it's my job to protect her. I don't see why we both can't go."

Draco sighed. It wouldn't do to argue with her. He decided to take the path of least resistance, and allow her to come with him. "All right, you can go with me, but allow me to do the speaking."

"Fine, just give me a couple minutes to get ready," Adriana said while walking to the bathroom. When she'd finished getting ready, they apparated to Diagon Alley.

It was only a couple minutes' walk to the Daily Prophet headquarters. There was a bored-looking intern sitting at the front desk when they arrived. "What can I do for you?" he asked them.

"We're here to speak to Twyla Skeeter," Draco replied tersely.

The intern eyed him carefully. "I don't believe she's seeing anybody today," he finally replied.

"Oh, she'll see us," Adriana growled. "Tell her that two of her biggest fans have come to pay their respects. We want to tell her just how much we really loved her article today."

The intern stood up. "Whom shall I say is calling?" he asked.

"Tell her…that the freed concubine, and the illegitimate son his father never knew, have come for a visit," Adriana replied while folding her arms.

The intern left, and a couple minutes later, Twyla appeared at the door, her wand at the ready for whatever might happen. Before Draco could stop her, Adriana rounded upon Twyla, who stood at least a full head taller than her. "How dare you exploit my daughter like that?" Adriana cried. "And how dare you drag my family through the mud for your own gain? None of what you wrote about has any merit whatsoever!"

Twyla took a step back before patting Adriana's arm patronizingly. "My dear, I don't know who you are, or what you're talking about," she said in a sweet voice.

"My name is Adriana, and my daughter is Ticia Orendes, the girl you supposedly interviewed yesterday," Adriana replied through clenched teeth.

"My dear, you're far too young to be that girl's mother," Twla replied. "Now, why don't you let me get back to my work? I'm a very busy woman."

"Listen, you thick-headed cow, I want an explanation right the hell now as to why you felt it was appropriate to print such bollocks about my family!"

"Nothing was falsified. Ticia signed a contract giving her permission to use the interview, and testifying that the words in the paper were true."

Draco's eyes grew wide at hearing this. Ticia hadn't told him she'd signed anything other than an autograph for that woman. His eyes narrowed dangerously as he realized Skeeter must have filled out the contract after Ticia had signed the parchment.

He looked around, and decided Twyla and Adriana were too deeply embroiled to intervene, so he slipped behind the intern's desk, and walked down the hall to the editor's office. It was time for a talk…

Fifteen minutes later, he and the editor walked out to the front office to see Twyla huddling in the corner of the room while Adriana screamed at her furiously. Draco couldn't understand what she was saying, and after a while, realized that she was probably cursing in Greek.

The editor of the Daily Prophet, Nigel Barlow, hadn't been happy to hear what Twyla had done to get the story. He'd been assured by her that it had all been above-board and that Ticia was of age. Draco had quickly helped him to see what a legal and financial liability Twyla really was. It didn't take long before the decision to fire her had been made. As popular as her column was, the paper as a whole was the most important thing. Twyla had to go.

He and Draco stood for a couple more minutes, enjoying the spectacle before them. The look of fear on Twyla's face as Adriana tried to contain her anger was priceless.

After a few more minutes, Nigel decided to step in. "Twyla, come here," he called out suddenly while interrupting Adriana from her tirade.

"Oh thank goodness you're here, Mr. Barlow," Twyla cried, while running over to him and wrapping her hands around his arm. "This mad woman has been trying to kill me for no apparent reason. I've been trying to keep her calm, but as you can see, she's not very stable."

As Adriana went to lunge at her, Draco quickly grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her towards him. "Just watch," he murmured, his eyes shining as he looked at Nigel and Twyla.

Nigel carefully unwrapped Twyla from his arm, and glared at her. "Skeeter, this is the last time you're ever going to make a report of that sort," he growled. "I have a new story for you to work on. It's an exposé of how a witch who's just lost her job makes her way in the world. What sorts of things does she do to get a new job? How will she make ends meet while on the dole? All of these issues will need to be fully explored. You'll need to experience it first-hand in order to report it properly, of course, so…you're sacked."

Twyla gasped. "Surely you're not serious," she croaked.

"I am serious, Twyla," Nigel replied. "You have thirty minutes to clean out your office and vacate the premises. I'll have your final paycheque drawn up by the end of that time. You are never to set so much as a toenail back on this property again! Understood?"

Twyla whimpered, and bit her lip. "After all these years of good journalism I've given the Daily Prophet? This is to be my reward? I cannot believe you're serious," she cried.

Nigel scowled at her. "Two of your thirty minutes have elapsed, Miss Skeeter. I suggest you use your remaining time wisely." He turned to Draco and Adriana. "I cannot begin to express my dismay over this situation. I will write a full retraction and apology to be printed in tomorrow's edition of the paper," he said sincerely. "I will take full responsibility for this."

Adriana calmed down a lot during this time. She smiled and shook Nigel's hand. "I think that's a wonderful gesture," she said with a smile.

Draco nodded his head in agreement. "It is the only just thing to do," he replied.

Draco and Adriana stayed to watch Twyla pack her office into a few boxes and storm away from the building before they took their leave as well.

Adriana sighed and shook her head as they walked. "Thank you, Draco, for caring about your father and sister enough to do this. You really are a wonderful man, you know," she said quietly.

Draco sniffed tilted his head away from her. "It's hardly as though I'd sit back and do nothing. I'm not going to allow anything like that to happen to my family," he replied.

Adriana looked at Draco and smartly held her tongue after that. After a quick farewell, she apparated back to the property while Draco flooed back to Hogwarts.

He found Ticia holding court in the Great Hall, nestled comfortably between Lisandra and Mr. Travers. When he got closer, he could hear that she was telling everybody what had really happened with the Daily Prophet article.

"She really did that?" Diana Weasley asked incredulously. "Well, I'm going to cancel my subscription right now! I'll read the Quibbler, like you, Ticia."

"It really is a good magazine," Teecie said with a nod of her head. "They don't have to make up lies, their stories are all naturally fascinating."

Draco rolled his eyes, and decided to let Ticia, Lisandra, and their friends continue their discussion. He could wait to tell them how the situation had been resolved.

He was in his office grading papers later that afternoon, when Ticia, Lisandra, and Mr. Travers came for a visit. "How did it go father?" Liss asked excitedly while sitting down in a chair across from his desk.

"Yes, I hope it went well," Teecie added while sitting down next to Zeren across the sofa and draping her legs over his. "Everybody was so horrified to hear what really happened."

Draco frowned and glared at Teecie and Zeren, but said nothing for a moment. "When I went to father's house, I spoke with Adriana," he began. "She was quite upset to see what had been written in the paper. We went together to speak with Miss Skeeter and her editor. As a result, the editor has fired Miss Skeeter, and will print a full retraction and apology in tomorrow's paper."

All three students remained silent, though their eyes grew wide at hearing all of this. "Fired?" Teecie murmured. "She was actually fired? She totally deserved it!"

"She's a truly odious person," Liss added. "To think of what she tried to pass off as legitimate information."

"At least the editor is going to print an apology," Zeren said while looking at his head of house, and carefully pushing Teecie's feet off of his lap.

"And my mum really isn't angry with me?" Teecie asked while pouting at Zeren.

Draco shook his head. "She read the article and could tell it wasn't something you'd really say," he said. "She was very defensive of you to Miss Skeeter as well."

Teecie grinned and scooted next to Zeren. "I'll have to write to her later and thank her," she said happily while squeezing his hand.

Later that evening, Zeren and Teecie went for a walk outside around the school grounds to discuss the events of the last couple days. Zeren was feeling quite guilty over letting all of this happen, and was trying to make up for it by being very protective of Ticia.

So far, only one person had made rude comments to her about her family. Zeren had given that boy the bat bogey hex of his life, and sent him off with the promise of a thorough thrashing if ever he said such things again. Ticia didn't know about that, of course, because she wouldn't have approved.

Ticia also didn't know that Lupin had attempted to speak to her in the Great Hall. Zeren had told him quietly that under no circumstances would that happen. Lupin had tried to push Zeren away before his Hufflepuff girl had taken him by the arm, and dragged him out of the room.

There were a few more incidents like that over the next week or so that Zeren kept to himself. Ticia was dealing with the aftermath of the article from the Daily Prophet and the release of her father's book. It seemed that everybody had purchased a copy, and were reading it fervently. She was inundated on a daily basis with flocks of students asking her questions about Mr. Malfoy. Zeren could tell she was growing weary of it, and wanted to do all he could to help her.

Teecie was in fact growing weary of the incessant attention. Both she and Liss seemed to have gained a sort of celebrity status by the student body, for which, neither was very excited. After the first week, both of them had taken to eating their meals down in the kitchens with the house elves to escape their fellow students.

"Have you read the book?" Liss asked Teecie one morning at breakfast.

Teecie took a deep breath before nodding her head. "Yes, I finished it a couple days ago," she replied. "Part of me wishes I hadn't. I don't like knowing all that stuff about my dad."

Liss's eyes filled with tears. "Me neither," she whispered. "He's such a sweet and gentle man now; I can hardly believe he did all those things so long ago."

Teecie's eyes filled with tears, and she quickly embraced her niece. Together, they mourned the loss of their naivety concerning Lucius Malfoy. Teecie had learned the truth in her third year, but there were plenty of details in the book that she'd not known. It made her feel uncertain about her father, which broke her heart all over again.

She also found herself spending a lot of her free time with Draco and Uncle Sev, two people she thought would help her feel better again. Zeren tried his best to help, and she found his distractions wonderful, but it still didn't take away the underlying discomfort she now felt in general while going about her day.

Lucius must have instinctively known what Teecie was feeling, for her wrote her a letter one day that brought a lot of comfort to her.

My Dearest Ticia,

I know you must be filled with all sorts of emotions right now. No doubt you've read my book by now, and have learned even more about my past than you already knew. I cannot deny that it is unpleasant to hear about. I still spend many a sleepless night thinking about my past, and wishing it weren't true.

I hope that you can some day come to terms with my past, and that we may be able to maintain our relationship as it once was. I would hate for this to drive us apart forever, though I will understand, and respect your privacy, if you need time away from me to come to terms with all of this.

Please know that I am always here to talk to you, and listen to what you have to say. I've sent a similar letter to your sisters and Lisandra as well. I hope that you are helping Lisandra through this, as I am sure she will look to you for guidance and comfort. I hope we can keep in touch soon.

I love you very much, Ticia.

-Lucius

As Teecie read this letter, all the reemerging pain of learning the truth about her father's past, began to dissipate. She thought back to the end of her third year, when she'd talked to Lucius at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. She'd chosen to forgive him for his wrongs, and move on. To do otherwise would have driven her mad. She loved her father, and nothing would ever change that. He had more than redeemed himself in her eyes.

Teecie didn't feel quite as upset anymore after that. She'd had a few years now to learn to deal with and live with the knowledge of her father's past, and used those experiences as she talked with Liss. Over time, Liss found ways to deal with the pain as well, and began to move on from there. She would never look at her grandfather again with the same innocence though.

About a month had passed since Lucius's autobiography had hit the bookshelves, and sales were still going strong. His popularity was growing stronger, for which Teecie was grateful. It was time her father had a break in this life.

Not everybody seemed to be ready to forgive him, though. Teecie had received a few letters expressing their hate for Lucius, her family, and herself since the book came out. The last one of those arrived a couple weeks before, so that wasn't the first thing on Teecie's mind when a pair of owls flew into the Great Hall one morning at breakfast. They carried a small paper-wrapped box between them, and stopped right in front of Teecie.

It took her a minute to untie the box from the owls and feed them a bit of her breakfast before they flew back out the window. She looked around the near-empty hall before happily unwrapping her box. Her mother had told her she'd be sending some baklava soon, and she was looking forward to it.

When Teecie opened the box, however, she didn't find baklava, but a lovely silver ring. There was also a note inside, that read, "I enjoyed your father's book so much, I wanted to share my joy. This ring belonged to my daughter. Your wearing it would mean so much to me. God bless."

Teecie smiled to read this. How sweet of this person to send a touching gift like that. She gazed at it for a while before picking it up and slipping it onto her finger. The moment she did, though, every nerve in her body lit up in agony. She groaned and clenched her hands involuntarily while hunching over in her seat. The pain was shooting through her entire body, and she cried out after a few seconds. A short time later, she slumped off of the bench, and fell to the floor with a loud thud. She began to convulse in pain, and scream.

The pain continued for what felt like an eternity. Her mind was blank, except for the pain. She didn't even realize she'd lost control of her bladder before she felt somebody's strong hands on her arms, turning her over to face away from the floor.

Her teeth clenched tightly, and she was unable to speak or explain what she felt. She didn't know why she was feeling like this anyway, and wouldn't have been much help. She could see the concerned look on Professor Longbottom's face as he quickly examined her. When he came to her hand, he had to pry her fingers open, before tearing the ring off her finger. The pain immediately subsided, and Teecie's world went black…

The next thing she knew, she was waking up in a bed somewhere. It was dimly lit, and she could barely see a figure sitting in a chair next to her. The figure was blonde, and his head was buried in his hands. "Draco?" she croaked.

The person in the chair jerked out of his mournful position, and leaned over her. "Ticia, you're awake! Are you all right?" he asked while putting his hands on hers and squeezing them lovingly.

Teecie smiled as she realized that it wasn't Draco, but Zeren. "Hey sweetie," she whispered while entwining her fingers through his. "What happened to me?"

"Do you remember the ring?" Zeren asked. When Teecie nodded her head, he continued. "Well, somebody cursed it. It was the Cruciatus Curse, you know, one of the Unforgivables. I was so worried!" With that, he threw his arms around her, and held her tightly.

Teecie shivered at the thought of being cursed by an Unforgivable. Who would have done such a thing? Before she had time to ask anything though, Zeren kissed her tenderly on the lips before standing up. "I'll be right back," he whispered.

Teecie watched as he walked to the edge of the curtain blocking off her bed, and stepped outside. "Master Wilkes, Mr. Malfoy, Ticia's just woken up," she heard Zeren say. Within seconds, Zeren, Master Wilkes, Draco, Liss, and Adriana rushed over to Teecie's bed. A minute later, Lucius joined them.

"Oh my darling, you're OK!" Adriana cried before bursting into tears and throwing her arms about Teecie's shoulders. "I don't know what I'd do if you girls weren't all right. But you're all OK!" she sobbed.

Teecie hugged her mum in return, feeling comforted. She looked up to see her father and brother standing next to one another, looking very pale and grim. "I'm OK, really," she whispered to them while her body began to shudder involuntarily.

Her family gave a start while Teecie moaned and trembled, but Master Wilkes walked over and took her hand. "This is quite normal, I can assure you," he said in a comforting tone to the family. "Every nerve in Ticia's body was stimulated at the same time, for quite a long time, so her muscles are still reacting to that," he said calmly. "This will continue off and on for a couple days, but as her muscle tissues relax, it will stop."

Teecie felt comforted by this, and found her tremors subsided a minute later. "I feel like I ran a marathon," she whispered. Wilkes nodded while patting her head.

Draco whispered something to his father, and left the curtained room. Teecie could hear him speaking to a couple of people in low whispering voices. "Who's Draco talking to?" she asked quietly.

Lucius was still very pale and shaken, but patted her hand. "Ticia, both of your sisters were attacked this morning as well," he said softly. "Draco is talking to an auror who has been assigned to the investigation."

"What?" Teecie cried while trembling again.

Adriana gave another sob, and held Teecie closely to her. "They're all right, baby, they're at St. Mungo's now. Lucius and I have spent the day there, until we were owled about you."

Teecie closed her eyes as her whole body shook. Kali and Reni were attacked too? Why would anybody do that? "Do they know who did it yet?" she asked.

Lucius shook his head. "The auror has been interviewing Professor Longbottom to see what he recalls of the situation," he replied. "He's the one who found you."

"He saved your life," Adriana added while sitting up and wiping her eyes.

Zeren came back in and sat down, taking Teecie's hand once again. "Everybody's talking about it already," he informed her. "That's why Wilkes drew the curtain; everybody was trying to get a good look at you." He carefully left out the part where he and Lupin had gotten into a shoving match after he had tried to barge into the room to see her. There were some things that Ticia was better off not knowing. Telling her would only upset her while she was already in a fragile state of health.

After a few more minutes of holding Zeren's hand, Draco and the auror walked into the room. "Ticia, are you feeling good enough to talk to Auror Shacklebolt?" Draco asked cautiously.

Teecie attempted to sit up in her bed, but her arms were so wobbly that she collapsed back down again. "We can try," she replied. She smiled weakly up at the auror. "Hi," she croaked.

Auror Shacklebolt sat down next to her, and smiled kindly. Teecie thought he was quite handsome, with cocoa brown skin and twinkling brown eyes. "Miss Orendes," he said in a polite tone, "I wonder if you can tell my anything about the owl that delivered the note and ring to you."

Teecie thought about it for a minute. "They had really big eyes," she finally said. "Gigantic yellow eyes. That's all that was really interesting about it. Oh, and there were two of them."

Shacklebolt wrote down the description on a sheet of parchment before taking the letter out of his pocket, and handing it to her. "And you've never seen this handwriting before? Pass this around to see if it looks familiar to anybody else."

"I've never seen it before," Teecie replied while handing it to Zeren.

Zeren looked at the letter for a minute. His eyes grew wide and all the colour drained out of his face. He quickly passed the letter to Draco before wrapping his hands through Teecie's again. She noticed that his hands were cold and clammy, something she wasn't used to from him at all.

Nobody else had seen the handwriting before either. Auror Shacklebolt left soon after, taking the ring and letter with him. Draco turned to leave with the auror, but Zeren jumped up and met them at the edge of the curtain. "Professor, you stay with your sister. I'll see the auror out," he said in a rushed, but polite voice.

"Thank you Mr. Travers," Draco said with a nod before rejoining his family.

Teecie didn't see Zeren again for a couple hours. When she did, he was still as pale as before, and looking very anxious. The rest of the family had flooed back to St. Mungo's to visit with Reni and Kali again, so Teecie was alone in the Hospital Wing when he walked behind the curtain and sat down next to her.

Zeren sat forward, ran his fingers through her curls, and kissed her gently. Teecie moved over in her bed to give him room to lie down next to her. He lay down over the bed sheets, next to her, and continued his kisses. "Ticia, you must know that I care very deeply for you," he said during an interval in their snogging.

"Of course, Zeren," she replied while trembling.

"I can only hope you'll still feel affectionate towards me after I tell you what I have to say."

"Zeren, of course I will. What's wrong?"

Zeren took a deep breath, and looked down at his hands before speaking. "I recognized the handwriting on your letter. When I escorted Auror Shackelbolt out, I talked to him about it. We went to the Headmaster to get everything sorted out," he said carefully.

Teecie furrowed her brow. "You recognized the handwriting? Whose was it?" she asked curiously.

Zeren didn't speak for almost a minute. Teecie frowned and wrapped her arms around him. "Zeren, darling, just tell me what you want to say. I promise I won't hate you or be cross with you," she whispered before kissing his cheek.

Zeren sat back up next to Teecie and squeezed her hand. He took a deep breath before speaking. "I recognized the handwriting because it's my great uncle's. He's a nutter, and has been cast out of our family since the war ended," he explained with a pained look on his face. "He was a Death Eater, and he was caught by aurors after the war. He went to Azkaban for years, until he went mad; then they transferred him St. Mungo's where he's been ever since."

Teecie remained silent for a while after hearing this. A Death Eater had cursed her with an Unforgivable. She began to shudder at the thought, and continued to do so for a minute before her muscles relaxed. "But why would he curse my sisters and me?" she finally asked quietly.

Zeren wasn't looking at her, but squeezed her hand again. "Because your father escaped my uncle's fate. He redeemed himself, and is now being reintroduced to society. My uncle has none of that, and it drove him to take revenge," he explained. "But none of my family supports him at all. I only recognized the handwriting because he's always sending us owls with long rambling letters of his plans of what he'll do when he's free of St. Mungo's. He's always going on about how Voldemort will return and save him." Zeren scowled and clenched his free fist. "You'd think he was in love with Voldemort, the way he goes on about him. It's truly disturbing."

Teecie frowned and pulled him down into another embrace. "Zeren, don't be so upset," she said firmly. "I don't blame you or your family for this. It's not your fault."

Zeren wrapped his arms around her waist. "I was worried that you'd never want to see me again. I don't think I could live if that happened." The two cuddled in silence for a few minutes before he spoke again. "I wish you were feeling better. I'd take you up to our room, and we could make love all night long. Hopefully you'll be better soon, and we can do that then."

Teecie smiled and sighed. "I really would enjoy that," she replied. "I love making love to you. I love your body, Zeren, I really do. You're just so muscular." With that, she ran her hands up and down his arms and over his chest.

Zeren grinned at her as she did this. "I love your body too," he replied. "It's just so well put together," he continued while moving his arms up from her waist to her chest. "Especially here, I think this is my favourite part of your body, well, with the exception of one other part…"

Teecie grinned and within seconds, the two were deeply embroiled in their snogging. They forgot where they were, and completely lost themselves in their activity.

Teecie had just taken Zeren's shirt off, and he had just crawled under the bed sheets next to her, when they heard somebody close to them clear their throat loudly. Both Teecie and Zeren flinched, the latter quickly scrambling out of the bed and grabbing for his shirt, while the former straightened her nightgown past her knees again.

Once out of their compromising position, they looked up to see Master Wilkes standing at the edge of the curtain, with his arms crossed and his eyebrows raised. "It is very late, Mr. Travers. Perhaps you should return to your own dormitory so that Miss Orendes can get some much-needed sleep," he said calmly.

Zeren nodded his head, and ran out of the room before another word was said. Teecie looked up at Master Wilkes, and flushed. "You won't tell Draco, will you? Only, he'd probably try to make me marry him if he knew," she murmured.

Wilkes shook his head. "There isn't anything to tell," he replied. He sat down in a chair next to her bed and frowned slightly. "Ticia…you haven't had any time to yourself since your attack. I would feel derelict in my duty if I did not ask you if you wished to talk about what happened today. Surely you have some feelings about it," he said quietly.

Teecie bit her lip and thought for a minute. It had been so hectic afterwards that she really hadn't had a chance to think about it. The pain had been more than she'd ever felt in her life. It had only been for a minute, but had felt like an eternity. And it hadn't been an accident. Somebody had purposely planned this, and had wanted to hurt her. She didn't even know that man. He'd only known Lucius, and hated him so much he'd decided to hurt his daughters as a form of revenge.

She shivered at the thought of somebody having that much hate in his heart. "I guess…I mean…of course I didn't like what happened to me, but…" she trailed off for a moment, "he's not a well man. He's mad, it's not his fault."

Wilkes looked at her carefully, his frown increasing. "Surely you must feel some anger towards him. He could have killed you," he said.

Teecie looked uncomfortable, and wrapped her blanket tightly around herself. "But he didn't," she whispered.

"But he could have."

"But…but…" Teecie trailed off again. Tears sprang to her eyes to think of the thought that she could have died. Within seconds, she was sobbing uncontrollably. "I could have died!" she wailed. "He wanted to kill me!"

Wilkes's frown softened as he reached out a hand to pat her head soothingly. He knew she'd begin to get better after this. She just had to let her feelings out.

He made a sleeping draught for her that night, and she slept well into the next morning.

The next day brought with it exciting news. Zeren's uncle had been apprehended overnight, and the entire story dominated the first several pages of the Daily Prophet. The whole school was buzzing about it.

When Lucius and Adriana came to visit Teecie that morning, they were nearly mobbed by a rather large group of girls. Several of them shrieked and screamed when they saw Lucius, while a few tried to talk to him about the book.

Adriana stood back and watched with a smile on her face as he graciously signed books and answered questions from the girls. After a few minutes though, several boys approached her for autographs as well.

When the crowd had finally dispersed, they continued their way into the school, and up to the Hospital wing to visit their daughter.

Teecie was sitting up in her bed, trembling while Zeren held a spoon of porridge to her mouth. "Just take your time," he said patiently when Lucius and Adriana walked in. Teecie took a bite of the porridge, and waved jerkily to her parents as they sat down across from Zeren.

"Thank you, Mr. Travers, for taking such good care of our Ticia," Lucius said while reaching out to shake the young man's hand. He had no idea what had happened to James, but knew better than to ask.

Zeren smiled grimly while petting Teecie's head. "I care for your daughter very much, sir, and would do anything for her," he replied.

Lucius remained silent as Zeren returned to assisting Teecie with breakfast. He'd met Zeren a couple times over the years, but had never had the chance to get to know him very well. This was the boy Draco would very much like to see marry Ticia. Zeren, no doubt, knew this. He also had to know that it would be in his best interests to impress Lucius as well. He decided he'd need to keep his eye on Zeren, just to make sure he truly was the upstanding boy he appeared to be.

Lucius had had plenty of experience ingratiating himself with a girl's parents just to enable himself to get more out of her then she'd be willing to give otherwise. It wouldn't be too hard for him to recognize that in this young man if that were the case.

Adriana seemed somewhat cautious around Zeren as well. She felt it was _her_ place to pamper and care for her daughter, not this boy. She didn't know what had happened to James either, and was curious to find out about it.

Draco and Liss joined the group a while later, to discuss the latest events. "Nobody blames you or your family, Mr. Travers. I can assure you of that," Draco said when he could see the look of nervousness on Zeren's face.

Throughout the rest of the day, Teecie's convulsions decreased steadily. By the end of the evening, after her family had left, she was able to go for a walk around the Hospital wing, while Zeren held her arm for support. They spent that night together in their secret room, making passionate love until the sun rose, just as they had discussed the night before.

Zeren continued to dote upon Teecie over the next couple of weeks. He insisted on carrying her books, taking notes in class for her, and writing out her homework for her outside of class. She found that she didn't mind letting him do all the work. It allowed her to concentrate on her classes more, too.

Zeren was also very attentive to her more intimate needs as well. Teecie soon found she never had to desire for anything from him before it was being done for her. The two were very happy together.

Every once in a while, she would spot James with Chloe, his new girlfriend. They seemed happy and comfortable together as well. She decided she was happy for them, except for a very small part of her heart that was filled with jealously and pain to see him with another girl. She never told this to Zeren, though, for there were certain things that he just didn't need to know.

Time passed quickly as the days were filled with more and more schoolwork, and social activities. Before anybody knew it, it was two weeks before the Christmas holiday.

Teecie was sitting down to her breakfast in the Great Hall, when an owl arrived with a letter for her. She flinched to see it approaching her, and couldn't stop the scared squeak from escaping her lips. She was quite wary of letting anything bad happen to her again, so she allowed Zeren to open it for her.

Zeren read the letter, smiled, and handed it to her. She read the letter, and smiled too. Zeren's parents had invited Teecie and her family over to dinner during the holiday break. "Draco will be pleased!" she said while rereading the invitation. It was to be a small, intimate gathering, so everybody could get to know one another better.

Zeren's heart swelled at the thought of the dinner party. If he knew his father and his Head of House, this might just be the best Christmas ever. He might be able to return to school in January one fiancée richer, and his future completely set out for him. He looked over at Teecie, and kissed her cheek. This would definitely be the best Christmas ever.


	86. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

The end of term exams were brutal for both Teecie and Zeren. They were exhausted by the time they were over, though it didn't stop them from spending one last night together before returning to their respective homes for the holidays.

"Enjoy it tonight, since we won't be able to be together like this until we get back to school," Zeren said as they entered their room that evening.

"You know I will!" she grinned. She made sure she enjoyed herself to the fullest extent possible that night. Zeren enjoyed himself as well. He didn't think he could ever grow tired of pleasing Ticia. The happiness she gave him in return made it worth any effort he went to.

The next morning, the happy couple enjoyed a quick breakfast before heading off to the train for the ride home. They cuddled together in a dimly lit compartment the entire ride back to London.

When they arrived in King's Cross station, they found Teecie's parents waiting for her. Zeren politely kissed her on the cheek before leaving to find his chauffer.

"Your mother and I are very much looking forward to meeting the Travers family," Lucius said with a polite smile as he flew the car home from London. The distance from London and the property was much too far to drive in one night, so they flew instead.

"Yes, I'm sure his parents are as nice as he is," Adriana added with a polite smile. She was a little less sure of the dinner party and how it would go. She'd never really enjoyed stuffy upper class society, and wasn't looking forward to this meeting.

Teecie grinned at her parents. "I'm hoping it goes really well and that we all have a lot of fun!" she cried happily. "Zeren's a wonderful boyfriend; I really have a lot of fun with him."

Lucius narrowed his eyes and glanced over his shoulder. "Not too much fun, I hope," he growled.

Teecie flushed and quickly looked out the window. "All innocent fun of course," she murmured in response.

"You'd better hope so," Lucius returned tersely. It had just occurred to him that Ticia was now the same age that Renata had been when she'd gotten herself pregnant with Hunter. He was still desperate to make sure that this didn't happen again with his youngest daughter.

The rest of the ride home was quiet, and Teecie went to her room for the rest of the evening to write letters to Zeren and her friends.

The next day was spent shopping with Adriana and Tanith for outfits to wear to the dinner party. Teecie wasn't sure about the best colours to wear. Christmas was a good time to wear festive colours, but she didn't want to make a wrong second impression with Zeren's parents. She'd worn a black evening dress the first time she'd met them, and thought that a dark evergreen might be good this time. It took several hours and trips to many stores that day before she found the perfect dress. Both Tanith and Adriana liked the spaghetti-strap floor-length velvet dress. A pair of evergreen high-heeled shoes completed the outfit.

"I'm sure Zeren's parents will like this dress," Tanith said as they walked through the streets of London, looking for a place to eat lunch.

She and Adriana were planning their outfits as well. Adriana was going to wear her red dress that she'd worn years ago. "I went to a party in that dress, before your father and I were together. He was there though," she said with a smile on her face. She spent a couple minutes in silent reminiscence. Every time she thought about the infamous "vegetable soup incident", she couldn't help but be amazed at how far Lucius had come since she'd first met him. He truly was a whole different person now.

The rest of the day was spent pleasantly, with the three women chatting and laughing the whole time. Tanith made sure to give Teecie good advice on how to conduct herself in polite society. "If nothing else, think about how your words or actions will make you look and sound. Think about whether or not your family would approve, and that should help you decide how to act around them," she said kindly as they walked back to Diagon Alley.

Teecie thought about that a lot, especially while responding to Zeren's letter. She wrote things she knew her family would most definitely not approve of. She and Zeren were enjoying writing out their desires for one another since they couldn't be together. Zeren's letter had contained a photograph of himself. He'd obviously taken it just for the occasion, for the picture of Zeren continuously wriggled his eyebrows for her, and performed a strip tease for her. He also did other things along those lines that inspired Teecie to do the same thing. She'd picked up an instant magic camera in Hogsmeade on one of her trips, but hadn't used it yet.

After locking her bedroom door, she disrobed, and took a few snapshots of herself for him. She surveyed her work when she'd finished, and decided that they would make Zeren's Christmas the happiest ever.

Finally, the day of the dinner party arrived. Teecie was both nervous and excited over it. She hoped everything went well and that everybody liked each other. She knew how important this was to Zeren, and wanted him to have a wonderful time.

It took a few hours to prepare for the dinner party, but Teecie thought it was worth it when she looked in the mirror. She had no make up on, but had a healthy glow to her cheeks from giving them a few pinches, and cherry red lips by biting them gently, to match. Her dress fit her beautifully, and her hair had never looked better. She knew she'd drive Zeren wild when he saw her. He'd hate that they wouldn't be able to even kiss, except perhaps on the cheek. At least he'd have her photographs to keep him company.

When everybody was ready, Teecie looked at her parents. Lucius looked as handsome as ever in his dark evergreen and silver-trimmed robes, while Adriana was stunning in her red dress. "Oh, mum, how beautiful!" she cried. "It's like the one in Gone with the Wind!"

Adriana smiled and nodded her head. "Yes, it's designed to be an exact replica," she replied before looking around at her family. "So, is everybody ready? We're going to apparate so we'll stay clean."

Teecie held onto her father's arm while they apparated. She'd never apparated before, and wasn't sure if she liked it or not. It didn't leave her nauseated, like flooing did, though, so that was one good advantage. And it was cleaner, and not as hot. It seemed a difficult task though.

Once there, the butler took their coats and led them into the drawing room. Draco and Tanith arrived shortly afterwards. Draco had black robes on that made him look as handsome as his father, while Tanith wore a navy blue evening gown. Their children had been left at home with their nanny.

Draco looked at Teecie for a minute before smiling. "You look lovely, Ticia," he said as the Travers family entered the room.

Teecie had met Zeren's parents once before, but it had been a few years. Mrs. Travers-Majesta, was a thin woman with honey blonde hair. She wore thick purple velvet robes, and a matching dyed fur stole around her shoulders. In her arms was what looked like a small Jack Russell terrier, though it had a forked tail. "This is Mellisande," she said while walking around the guests to show off the animal. "She's our prize-winning krup. She's the greatest joy of our lives."

Mellisande had gold-painted claws on all four paws, and wore a smaller version of the purple robes with the matching stole that Majesta wore. She also had a rather large purple bow tied around her head.

Teecie tried not to laugh, while Adriana found it difficult to hide the look of horror on her face. Draco didn't look too excited over the krup either, but when Majesta stopped in front of Lucius, he reached out and petted Mellisande's ears very briefly. "My, my, Mrs. Travers, it is quite clear that you love your Mellisande very much," he said suavely with a smile.

Majesta smiled in return, and batted her eyes. "Oh yes, I do! She has her own personal attendant, and sleeps in her own replica of this manor at the foot of my bed. She's my joy," she gushed.

Silas, Zeren's father, was a straight-laced proper gentleman with a head for business. When he shook Lucius's hand, he nodded his head. "So, you're in the honey business, eh? You know, with your book, you'd make a fortune by expanding your market to the Wizarding world. Everybody would buy your honey," he said seriously.

"Well that is definitely something to keep in mind," Lucius replied. "And that reminds me, I brought you a sampling of my honey." With that, he held out a wrapped box to Mr. Travers, who thanked him politely before moving on to greet the rest of his guests. He and Draco talked for a while.

At the same time, Zeren walked over to Teecie, took her hand in his, brought it to his lips, and kissed it. "You look wonderful this evening, Ticia," he said while eyeing her hungrily. He leaned in close to her face. "Thank you for the photographs," he whispered in her ear.

Teecie smiled at him. "You're very welcome," she whispered in response. "I quite enjoyed yours." Zeren's eyes flashed, and he smiled while taking her arm in his. They walked around the room for a while, talking quietly to one another while the adults had drinks. After a while, they removed themselves to a dimly lit corner of the room in order to talk more freely.

Teecie watched her family as they talked with Zeren's family. "Look, Zeren," she said while pointing, "your father and my mum are having drinks together! Probably ouzo, that's her favourite."

Zeren gaped at the scene. To imagine a woman drinking hard liquor! He'd never seen such a thing before. It was quite scandalous really. "Ticia, you don't like ouzo, right?" he asked quietly with a look of concern on his face.

Teecie shook her head. "Mum gave me a sip once, and it burned my mouth. I ended up spitting it back out," she reassured him.

For some reason, this made Zeren's look of concern increase. "Whatever you do, don't tell my parents that," he advised.

Majesta seemed to be spending most of her time in between Lucius and Draco. Draco looked like he'd rather have sat next to an ogre than have to keep looking at Mellisande, but was much too polite to say anything.

"Your mum sure loves that krup," Teecie observed.

"Yes, she does," Zeren replied. "Very much so…She even missed my birthday once because she was getting ready to show off Mellisande in the International Krup Show." He sighed and was silent for a moment. "But she took first place…"

Teecie frowned and patted Zeren's hand. "I'm sure she was upset that she missed your birthday." Zeren shrugged nonchalantly before leaving to get them a couple bottles of Butterbeer.

After an hour, the housekeeper announced dinner. Silas escorted the group into the dining room. After all the men had helped seat their respective women, they seated themselves.

At once, the butler brought out the first course of the meal. He set down small pumpkins set on plates in front of each diner. Teecie looked confused, and watched as Zeren lifted the top off of his. Inside was a lovely deep orange-coloured soup. Teecie quickly opened hers and inhaled the delicate roasted pumpkin aroma. There were toasted pumpkin seeds, crispy Parmesan cheese chips, and croutons to add to the soup as well. She was quite impressed, and ate in silence while the adults conversed among themselves.

"Well, it certainly seems as though your Ticia has grown up a lot since the last time we met her," Silas said to Draco while glancing over at Teecie. "Her manners are very much improved."

Draco smiled at Silas. "Yes, she is quite an extraordinary young lady. Her marks at school are among the highest. She did exceptionally well in her OWLs," he said proudly.

"But is it true that she wants to become a healer?" Majesta asked while feeding a Parmesan crisp to Mellisande, who sat upon a pillow on her own chair next to her mistress. "Surely you don't approve of a woman becoming a full-time healer?"

"Well, one never knows what the future may hold for Ticia," Draco replied politely.

Adriana, who'd been silent up till now, set her spoon down, folded her hands carefully, and looked at Majesta. "Ticia's father and I, quite approve of her desire to make an honest living for herself. There's nothing wrong with that," she said firmly, but sweetly.

Majesta looked at Adriana with wide eyes. "If Ticia works, it will certainly limit her eligibility. Surely your highest priority for your daughter is the man she'll end up marrying. There's nothing more important than that," she replied tersely.

Adriana opened her mouth to respond, but Lucius jumped in before she could speak. "Of course Ticia's mother and I wish for her to marry the man best suited to her," he said quickly. "We also want her to be happy, and for Ticia, that means being a healer."

Majesta smiled at Lucius. "Of course you want her to be happy," she replied. "Just as we want our Zeren to be happy. He needs a wife who'll be devoted to him. Do you think that a girl who has a full-time job can also be a proper wife and mother?"

Draco jumped in at this time. "Of course Ticia can do all of that. She's a most capable young woman. Your Zeren would be lucky to end up with a wife who enjoys her life to the fullest extent possible," he said quickly. "Surely you want your son to marry somebody who is happy with whom she is, and is able to love him because she is so content."

Silas sniffed disapprovingly, and motioned for the butler to take their soup away and bring the next course. Within minutes, a plate of pear-walnut salad sat in front of each diner.

Teecie ate a walnut while glancing over at Zeren. He looked quite pale and grim to hear the conversation. She carefully slipped her hand under the table, and gave his leg a comforting squeeze. The evening wasn't going so well, and everybody was talking about her like she wasn't in the room, but still, she didn't want it to upset Zeren too much.

"And what does your Zeren intend to do when he leaves Hogwarts?" Adriana asked Majesta with a falsely polite smile on her face.

Majesta smirked and fed Mellisande a walnut. "Our Zeren will learn to run the family business, and when his father retires, he'll inherit them all," she replied coolly. "He'll be a very important man one day-not that he isn't already a very important young man, of course." She smiled at Adriana before continuing. "Your Ticia would be a very lucky girl to be given the opportunity to be his wife."

Adriana held her fork so tightly it looked as though she were restraining herself from jabbing it into Majesta's eye. It was with great difficulty that she held her tongue, and began to eat her salad again.

Once the salads had been finished, the butler served plates of filet mignon and lobster tails with chestnut risotto on the side. Teecie thought it was quite fancy to serve two entrees like that.

Lucius tried to bring the conversation around to more pleasant topics, and began to speak with Silas about the honey business and the best way to introduce his products to the Wizarding world.

"What you want to do, is buy shelf space in the bookstores and tie it in with your book. They see the man on the front cover, and then see the jars of honey, and want to buy both," Silas said in between bites.

"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea," Lucius replied with a nod. He kept glancing over at Adriana, trying to catch her eye. It wouldn't do at all for her to start a fight with Mrs. Travers. Adriana didn't start a fight with Mrs. Travers. Instead, she turned and started to talk with Tanith about their Christmas plans that year. Teecie took the time during the peaceful interlude to breathe a sigh of relief, and eat her dinner quietly.

Zeren was having one of the worst nights of his life this evening. He'd wanted so much for this night to end with the pledge of marriage having been made to Ticia. Now it seemed as though that would never happen. Ticia's mum seemed to be taking offense at everything his parents said. Even if his parents could be convinced that the union was a good idea, he doubted Ticia's mother would give her consent. Hopefully Professor Black and Mr. Malfoy would rightly dismiss her issues, and make the correct decision for Ticia's future.

He looked over at Miss Orendes, and watched as she sawed furiously at her filet mignon. What was her problem? Perhaps she was jealous that his family was so privileged that it hindered her ability to see what a good opportunity this was for Ticia. It really was Ticia's only chance at marrying into a family that had a better standing in society. Any children they had would be among the highest ranking in all of Britain. And he knew that Ticia would keep him happy and satisfied enough that he'd never need a mistress. If only Miss Orendes knew that, she'd most likely agree to a marriage. Unfortunately, he couldn't ever say anything to her, for that was hardly appropriate to say about somebody's daughter.

Zeren looked at Ticia as she ate her dinner. She looked so lovely as she nibbled on an asparagus spear that it pained him to think that he may never get to watch her eat dinner every night when they got older.

Teecie could see the sadness on Zeren's face, and slipped her hand into his under the table. "It's OK, Zeren," she whispered. He smiled at her for a moment before returning to his dinner.

There was a lovely and delicate pudding of lavender crème brulee that night at the end of dinner. Teecie was contentedly sated and felt perfectly happy sitting next to Zeren. She no longer cared that the adults were talking around her and making it sound like they were going to control her every move for the rest of her life. Everything would turn out all right in the end.

When the meal was over, the group retired to the sitting room for after-dinner drinks. Adriana and Majesta made sure to stay at opposite sides of the room. Zeren and Teecie sat on a sofa by themselves, and talked quietly together.

"Zeren, I've had such a good time tonight," Teecie said with a grin while taking his hand in hers. "Your cook is just wonderful."

Zeren glanced over to see Professor Black, Mr. Malfoy, and his father, watching them carefully. He wanted to make sure this went well, for it could be the moment that decided that match, or not.

He turned back to Ticia, and smiled. "I'm glad that you had such a great time," he replied. "I was worried that you might not enjoy yourself."

"Oh, you didn't have to worry about that. I mean, sure, our mothers didn't seem to get on too well, but maybe over time they'll get to like each other better," Teecie replied while squeezing Zeren's hand encouragingly. "I know, maybe they should go shopping together sometime. Does your mum like shopping in Muggle London?"

Zeren shook his head. "Not really, she doesn't like to have anything to do with Muggles if she can help it," he replied.

"Oh, that's too bad. She's missing out on a lot of fun," Teecie said lightly. "Do you like it there?"

"I've never really been there before. I don't know much about the Muggle world."

"Then you should go with me some time. We could go shopping and out to lunch. Don't you think that would be lots of fun?"

Zeren shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe," he replied. He sat silently for a minute or two, thinking about finding out what Ticia liked about Muggle London. It might be a good way to get to know her better. What he really needed though, was to win Ticia's mother over. But how to do that? He just needed to spend time with her, and show him what a wonderful man he was. If he had a couple days to show her how lucky she'd be to let Ticia marry him, he knew he could win her over.

"Ticia, you know what I would really like to do?" Zeren asked with a smile, "I'd love to know what your life on your parent's farm is like. If only there was a way for me to experience that."

Teecie sat in silence for a moment while thinking about this. Zeren was interested in seeing the farm! Would that be possible? Would her parents let him visit? Well, there was only one way to find out. She sat up and beckoned to Lucius to come over to her. He took a minute to get there, and patted her on the shoulder when he came to a stop right next to her.

"Was there something you wanted, Ticia?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, dad, I wanted to know something that would make me the happiest girl in the world if you said yes to," Teecie said hurriedly. "Can Zeren come over to the property for a visit? Maybe for a couple days? He can stay in Reni's room!"

Lucius pursed his lips and folded his arms. He glanced over at Zeren, who smiled innocently and shrugged his shoulders. "Now, Ticia, you know better than to ask such things in front of others," Lucius said while narrowing his eyes and looking at Zeren again.

Zeren knew this wasn't going well, and that it might be best to intervene. He smiled and shook his head. "Please, sir, don't be upset with Ticia," he said calmly. "We've all had such a wonderful evening so far, and neither of us wanted it to end. I'm afraid it was my idea, sir. I'm just so fascinated with your life that I wanted a chance to see it up close. I'm sorry I upset you." With that, Zeren stuck his hand out to shake Lucius's.

Lucius sniffed, but took the outstretched hand and shook it. "Well I can understand why you'd be so interested in my life," he replied with a nod of his head. "It is quite fascinating. It's a far cry from the life you've lived so far."

"Yes, sir, and that's exactly why I wanted to know more about it. I wanted to see what your farm looks like, and where you wrote your book. You describe it in such detail that I have a vision of it in my mind. I only wish for a chance to see if it matches the real thing."

Lucius patted Zeren's shoulder and smiled. "Well, now, I don't think that's so bad. Perhaps we can work out plans for you to spend a day or two at the property," he said. "Let me speak with your father about it and I'll see what I can do." With that, he turned and walked back to talk with Silas and Draco.

Zeren sighed and sat back on the sofa. "Well, I suppose I'll be seeing you a little bit more this holiday than we'd first thought," he said quietly in Ticia's ear. Ticia grinned and snuggled close to him while taking his hand in hers again.

"That would be so wonderful!" Teecie giggled.

Teecie didn't have much time to snuggle with Zeren before Adriana marched over to her. "Ticia Enora, act like a proper lady for once in your life," she hissed before glaring at Zeren and moving quickly back to where Tanith was standing.

Teecie sighed and sat up straight on the sofa. She dropped Zeren's hand, and folded her own primly. "So this is how girls in your world act," she whispered.

Zeren nodded his head. "It is proper," he replied.

"It's boring," Teecie retorted. "It's too bad my mum is having such a bad night," she said, changing the subject. "She doesn't really like parties and dinners and mingling."

"What does she like?" Zeren asked, hoping for some insight.

Teecie shrugged her shoulders. "She likes her farm. That's what makes her feel the most comfortable."

"I see," Zeren murmured while looking at Adriana. She did look very much out of her element. She stood next to Professor Black's wife with her arms crossed protectively about her waist. She was biting her lip and glancing nervously over at Mr. Malfoy as though she wanted to run to him for safe-keeping.

Majesta was standing on the other side of Tanith, and Zeren could see her talking to the two women. She held Mellisande tightly in her arms, and laughed politely when the other two spoke. Zeren couldn't hear what was being said, though he could make out a word here and there. He heard his mother say something like, "Never get me on a farm," and saw her wrinkle her nose in distaste. Adriana narrowed her eyes, moved her hands to her hips, and Zeren heard her say something along the lines of, "You'd fit right in," and that's when the party seemed to grind to a screeching halt.

The women walked over to their men and began to chatter at them about the time and how late it was and how tired they were. Within minutes, the butler was walking into the room with coats, and handbags.

Lucius walked over to Teecie and smile. "Ticia, dear, we need to go now," he said quietly. "But I've worked things out with Silas to have Zeren visit in a couple days until Christmas Eve. So why don't you say goodbye until then, and we'll apparate home."

Zeren and Teecie stood up. "Goodnight, Zeren, I had a lovely time tonight," Teecie said while walking away.

"I had a wonderful time as well," he replied while leaning in to kiss her cheek. "I'll see you in a couple days."

Teecie grinned and nodded her head before saying goodbye to Zeren's parents. When she'd finished that, she walked over to her father. "How are you going to get mum to let Zeren stay with us?" she asked while he put his arm around her to apparate home.

"Don't worry about it, I'll take care of everything," he said quietly before transporting them back to the property.

The next morning, Adriana was quiet until the end of breakfast when Lucius had left for the day. "So, your father told me that Mr. Travers will be paying us a visit for a few days," she said while rinsing her plate. "I'm sure you'll enjoy having him here."

Teecie looked at her mother carefully before speaking. "Yes, I'm sure I will. I really do like spending time with him," she replied. "He's a great guy."

"I'm sure he is, Ticia, only…"

"Only what, mum?"

Adriana bit her lip and looked at the floor. "Only…I just worry about you, Ticia, that's all. You're not even of age yet, and already you're trying to decide on things like marriage and careers. You're still so young…" she said quietly.

Teecie stood up and gave her mother a hug. "Oh, mum, I can't help but think about those things," she said. "I want to make sure I make the best choices for my future, so I need to see what's out there for me."

"I know, and I think that's a good thing," Adriana said while hugging Teecie tightly. "I just wish you could stay a little girl forever and never have to worry about these sorts of things."

Teecie made sure to spend the rest of the day with her mother. Adriana's mood seemed to improve a lot by the time Lucius returned home from the market.

The next day, Zeren flooed over to the property. Teecie greeted him at the fireplace with a grin and a hug. "Oh, Zeren, I'm so glad you could come!" she cried while he set his bags down on the floor.

"I'm glad I could come as well," he replied with a smile.

Lucius and Adriana came into the dining room after a minute. "Good morning, Zeren," Lucius said in greeting while shaking the boy's hand.

"Good morning, sir, ma'am," Zeren replied while nodding to the adults.

"Would you like some breakfast, Zeren? I've just finished making it," Adriana said while escorting him into the kitchen as Lucius levitated Zeren's bags to the room he'd be sleeping in for the next couple days.

When he'd finished, Lucius went into the kitchen where Adriana was dishing up a heaping pile of food for Zeren. "Now, Zeren, would you like waffles, pancakes, or both?" she asked while Zeren looked at the plate with wide eyes.

"I think one waffle will be just fine, please," he replied while Adriana finished dishing up the food and handed him the plate. "Thank you."

Teecie grinned while dishing herself a plate of bacon, eggs, and pancakes. "Mum always cooks a feast when I come home from school," she explained.

Zeren shook his head in wonder. He didn't know how he'd function at home without his servants. The very idea of Ticia's mother actually cooking their food was completely foreign to him. And she actually cooked it without using magic! He did have to admit that it was one of the most delicious meals he'd ever had.

He sat and looked on in amazement as the family sat in the kitchen, talking to one another while they ate. Ticia's parents actually spoke with her at the table! It seemed so improper to him. He made sure to speak only when spoken to, as it was proper to do so.

When the meal ended, Lucius stood up and left the room. He returned several minutes later with his coat on. "Well, I'd better be off," he said before kissing Adriana on the cheek. "You three have a wonderful day," he said to everyone. Zeren felt terribly uncomfortable to see the two adults being so affectionate towards one another. His parents never did anything like that. They were fond of one another, of course, but they would never perform such an overt act of affection in front of others. He highly doubted that they ever did such things in private either.

Lucius kissed Teecie on the top of the head before leaving through the backdoor, and walking to the car. Teecie noticed Zeren looking after him. "He's going to the market today, to sell honey," she said before standing up. "Mum, did the cows get milked yet?" she asked while taking her empty plate to the sink.

Adriana shook her head. "No, your father was so busy packing the car that he forgot," she replied. "Why don't you show Zeren how to do it while I clean up the kitchen?"

"All right," Teecie replied. "Come on Zeren, put on your coat," she instructed while running to the coat stand and grabbing hers.

Zeren silently followed suit, and within minutes, he was following Ticia outside to the barn. Ticia took his hand in hers, and grinned at him. "This is so much fun to have you here!" she cried.

Once in the barn, Zeren looked around and frowned. He'd never been so close to barn animals before. It was a most unpleasant sensation. He watched as Ticia found a stool and a pail, and walked to the pen where two cows were waiting to be milked. "Would you like to try?" she called out to him. Zeren looked horrified and quickly shook his head. Teecie giggled before opening the pen door, and setting the pail and stool down.

Zeren watched with disgust welling inside of him as Ticia milked the two cows. He could hardly believe he'd slept with a girl who was capable and willing to do something as degrading as farm work. He had to have hope, though, that there was still time to rescue her from this life. That seemed to be the only thing that kept him in the barn.

When Ticia had finally finished, she carefully washed her hands before using her wand to lift the heavy buckets of milk. Zeren walked next to her as they went back to the house. "Do you really like doing farm work?" he asked carefully.

Teecie shrugged her shoulders. "It's not too bad," she replied. "I like to be helpful, so that's nice. But I'd rather heal somebody any day."

Zeren watched as Adriana took the milk pails and set them by the sink. "We have to let it separate before I can use it," she explained to him. "I'll use the cream to make butter, and we can drink the milk." He shook his head in wonder over this, but said nothing.

Adriana turned around when she'd finished with the milk. "Teecie, why don't you take Zeren on a tour of the property? It looks so wonderful this time of year. It snowed last night," she said with a smile. "I'll have hot chocolate ready when you return."

Zeren and Teecie trudged back out of the house, and walked hand-in-hand around the property. She showed him the apple orchard, and where the vegetable garden was. They walked through the woods on the edge of the property, and up the hill to the olive tree. They sat there in silence for a while before making their way to the path that led down to the fields.

Zeren was impressed with how large the farm was. "Your family owns all of this?" he asked wondrously. "And yet you work the land yourselves."

Teecie nodded her head. "Well, mum does hire some people to help in the fields during planting and harvesting season," she replied.

Zeren shook his head again. Teecie laid her head down on his shoulder, and nuzzled his ear. "You know, Zeren, this is probably the only time we'll have to be alone this whole holiday…" she said suggestively. "There's a cluster of trees over there," she continued while pointing to the right, "and it's probably dry in there." With that, she led Zeren over to the trees, and looked for a spot large enough for both of them to be comfortable in.

They found a spot in the middle, and sat down. It took Zeren a couple minutes to get comfortable with the idea of snogging outside, and he never quite adjusted, but that didn't stop him from doing it. "Nobody else can see us here, did you know that?" Teecie asked while taking her coat off and lying it down on the ground underneath her.

Zeren grinned and took his coat off as well. It was so cold that he cast a warming spell around them. "Do you think this is the right thing to do?" he asked cautiously. "It seems odd to be here on your parent's farm doing this."

"Sure it is," Teecie replied while unbuckling Zeren's belt.

Zeren looked down and watched as Teecie did this. "Well, if you think so…" he replied before casting a silencing spell around them as well. Within minutes, the two of them were deeply embroiled in their activities. Zeren couldn't believe he was doing this in the middle of a farm, but as he felt Ticia's arms wrapped around him, he realized he no longer cared.

After about twenty minutes, the happy couple was both thoroughly satisfied, and completely exhausted. "It's hard work to shag on the ground," Teecie observed as they put their clothes back on.

Adriana had the hot chocolate ready for them by the time they arrived back at the house. "My, you two were gone for a long time," she said while pouring the drinks for them. "You both must be freezing."

Zeren, who was actually still quite warm from his earlier activities, thanked Adriana, and took his mug of chocolate. "Your farm is impressive, Miss Orendes," he said before taking a sip.

"Thank you, Zeren," Adriana said while handing Teecie a mug, "And please, call me Adriana." This made Zeren feel quite uncomfortable, but he didn't say anything.

The afternoon passed pleasantly after that. Adriana made toasted cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for lunch. Zeren ate four sandwiches before retiring to the living room for a lie down. Teecie covered him with a blanket and kissed his cheek. "You have a nice long nap," she whispered. "I'll be in my room thinking about you." Zeren drifted contentedly off to sleep soon afterwards.

Lucius brought pizzas home from town for dinner that night. Zeren had never had it before, and found it surprisingly delicious.

After dinner, he and Lucius played several rounds of Quidditch while Teecie and Adriana cheered them on. "Why don't they join in?" Zeren asked part way through the game.

Lucius laughed as he waved at the women. "Adriana doesn't know how to fly. She keeps saying that proper girls in her time never rode on brooms," he explained while tossing the quaffle into the air and catching it again. "And Ticia, Lord bless her, is horrible as this game. I've never heard of anybody having so many accidents as she's had over the years."

Zeren and Lucius played until it was too dark to see anymore before going back inside the house to warm up. Teecie turned on the telly, and everybody settled in around it.

Zeren had never watched telly before, and found it quite discomforting to see people moving about inside the large box. He was quite glad when Lucius turned it off a couple hours later and told everyone it was time to go to bed.

Lucius escorted Zeren to Reni's old room. "This is where you'll be staying," Lucius said carefully. "Adriana's made it up for you." He pointed to Teecie's bedroom door, and suddenly narrowed his eyes before speaking again. "That's Ticia's room, and I've charmed it to let me know whenever the door or window is opened." Zeren gulped and silently nodded his head to show he understood perfectly.

Zeren got ready for bed that night, and looked around his room. It was awfully small compared to his room at home. The bed was only twin-size. He had a king-size one at home. He went to the window and looked out. The moon shone down on the snow, and made the farm look bright and white. It was beautiful.

He slept quite soundly that night. The next morning, Adriana made another huge breakfast, but this time, he had seconds.

"It's all the country air," Adriana explained as she put more hashed brown potatoes on his plate.

Snow was falling furiously outside, so Teecie and Zeren spent the day inside. Adriana went to the barn to tend to the animals, leaving the two inside alone.

Teecie smiled at Zeren and walked to the kitchen cupboards to see what was there. "Would you like to bake biscuits with me?" she asked.

Zeren wrinkled his nose. "That's servant's work," he replied automatically.

Teecie turned around and looked at him with a hurt look on her face. "No it's not!" she cried. "I love baking and so do my parents." She turned back around and began taking items out of the cupboards. "James used to love baking with me," she grumbled.

Zeren scowled to hear this. If Lupin enjoyed baking, then it was his mission and duty to prove that he, Zeren, enjoyed it much more than Lupin ever could. And that he was better at it as well. He stood up, rolled up his sleeves, and walked over to Ticia. "All right, I'll help," he said curtly.

Teecie grinned and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Thank you, sweetie," she purred. "Would you like to wear an apron?" Zeren scrunched his nose and shook his head vigorously. "All right, but don't blame me if you get dirty," she replied.

They spent the rest of the day baking biscuits. Zeren burnt the first two trays, but soon got used to using a timer to help. He knocked over a bowl full of dry ingredients, sending the contents flying into the air. They ended up coughing for several minutes before the air cleared. Adriana helped decorate the edible biscuits, and together, the three of them had a wonderful day.

The next day, though, was the most interesting for Zeren. He accompanied Lucius and Teecie to the farmer's market to help sell honey for the day. He'd never been to anything like it before, but did enjoy seeing Lucius in action.

Lucius had a way with business, and Zeren wanted to learn all he could in order to run his family businesses one day. He thought it was a great opportunity to learn from a true master.

Teecie and Zeren took money from customers and handed out samples while watching Lucius. He flattered and flirted with every woman who stopped at the booth. "I believe you would enjoy my new rose honey," he said while handing a woman a sample. "It's a very romantic flavour. I'm sure you'd find many things to try it on." Lucius winked suggestively, causing both Teecie, and the woman to blush.

The woman smiled, giggled, and reached out for a jar. "I'll take two please," she said.

Zeren took her money and placed the honey in a bag. He was amazed at how easily swayed she'd been by a simple act of flirtation. It was definitely something to remember.

His chance to try it out for himself came later in the afternoon while Lucius was away on a lunch break. Several attractive teenage girls walked by the booth, and giggled when they saw Zeren. Teecie was standing off to the side, and watched what happened without interfering.

One of the girls, who had long blonde hair and clear blue eyes, walked up to Zeren and leaned against the counter, showing off all the skin she possibly could. "So, you're the honey-man, are you?" she said in a low voice.

"I sure am," he replied with a grin.

"So does that mean you're sweet?"

"The sweetest you'll ever have."

"So, which honey is your favourite?"

Zeren looked around before grabbing a jar and placing it in her hands. "I like the peach honey because it tastes like a hot summer afternoon," he said suavely. "Would you care for a sample?"

When the girl nodded her head, he opened the jar and gave her a spoonful. She savoured the honey for a moment with her eyes closed before smiling again. "It's amazing; it really tastes like a summer afternoon!"

"And what's better on a summer afternoon then a little afternoon delight?" Zeren said with a wink.

The girl and her friends giggled, and each grabbed several jars before paying him.

When they'd all left, Zeren turned to put the money away, and saw Ticia standing in front of him. She had her hands on her hips, and was frowning. "Was that fun for you?" she hissed.

Zeren walked over to her and gave her a hug. "It was only business, that's all," he said before kissing her cheek.

Ticia pouted and began to tap her foot. "But you seemed to be enjoying it too much," she replied.

"Well I only did it to see if it would work. It's your father's method, you know."

"I know, and I don't entirely approve of it."

Zeren kissed her cheek again, and nibbled her earlobe. "Please, Ticia, don't be angry with me," he whispered in her ear. "I'd hate to think I hurt your feelings."

"I just don't like to see you flirting with other girls," Ticia said while laying her head down on his shoulder. They stayed like that for a couple minutes before Lucius returned from lunch, and took over the booth again.

The rest of the day went smoothly after that. Zeren and Teecie spent their last evening together sitting out on the back porch, wrapped in a blanket. They cuddled on the swing while sipping on mugs of piping hot apple cider. Zeren was uncomfortable for most of the time, for he could see Lucius peeking out of the window every few minutes and looking at his watch to see how long they'd been out there.

The next morning, Teecie hugged Zeren goodbye before watching him floo home to be with his family for Christmas Eve. Teecie was sad to see him go, but was looking forward to being with her own family for the holiday. The only unfortunate thing was hearing that Uncle Sev had made plans for the day and wouldn't be able to go. He'd always come to their Christmas dinner, and she was sad that he'd not be there.

Teecie's Christmas ended up being very peaceful. She enjoyed being with her family, and they ended up being mostly civil to one another the entire time. All in all, it was one of the best Christmases that she could remember.


	87. Coming of Age

Coming of Age

Zeren had enjoyed his holiday very much, but was eager to return to school. As much as he liked spending time with his family, he enjoyed spending time with his girlfriend even more. Things were going pretty well with Ticia. He still held out hope that a match could be made between them, in spite of how the dinner party had gone. Ticia was such a pleasure to him, that he hated the thought of breaking up one day. To think of her returning to Lupin just insulted him. That jerk didn't deserve her half as much as he did.

Zeren spent most of the train ride back to school thinking about this. He made sure Ticia stayed close to him, holding her hand most of the time. He decided that keeping her close to him was the best way to achieve his goals. Her manners would improve from his guidance, and then his parents might approve of her. It seemed the only option left to him.

Ticia didn't seem to mind that he insisted she stay with him for the day. Quite the contrary, she seemed very happy to oblige. Zeren took this as a good sign. Hopefully she'd continue to stay open to his influence.

Over the next couple weeks, Zeren continued to keep a close eye on Ticia. She was very stressed out from the vast amount of schoolwork she had to do, so he tried to be supportive and comforting to her. He knew how much she enjoyed spending their weekends together in their secret room, so he proposed that they move in there permanently. He thought to himself that it would be good practice for when they were married.

Zeren also liked the thought of being able to sleep with Ticia whenever he wanted to. She'd improved so much from when they'd first started, that he was seriously considering moving her to the top of his list. He kept a mental list of the girls he'd slept with, and so far Ticia had risen to number two on the list. Number one had been the first person he'd ever slept with, but Ticia had recently surpassed her talents.

This also made him consider the idea that he might not need a mistress once they were married. His father had had mistresses over the years, and Zeren had been raised to understand that it was a man's right to seek and find pleasure wherever he could. He knew that most women in his social class were frigid and terrible lovers in general. Higher class women seemed to have little interest in the pleasures of the body. He knew for certain that his mother had never taken a lover. She had higher priorities in life. But Ticia, coming from her lower social class, was far from frigid or having higher priorities. He knew she'd need lots of attending to, or she would not hesitate to look for other options. Zeren couldn't stand the thought of Ticia seeing other men after they married, so he knew he'd have to put a lot of effort into keeping her happy.

He knew that she came by it honestly though. He'd only spent three days at her house, but could tell that Adriana was quite a demanding woman, and required a lot of attention from Lucius. Lucius had probably never been with another woman since he'd met her. Ticia was most likely used to this idea, and wouldn't except any other way for her own marriage. It would take some time to fully adjust, but after their first weeknight together, he knew it would be totally worth it.

Zeren didn't spend all his time fretting over his future married life. His classes were equally demanding, as was Quidditch. He had a match with Ravenclaw in a week, and most of his spare time was spent practicing. And if that weren't enough, something even more exciting than that loomed ahead of him: his seventeenth birthday. He couldn't wait to be of age. He'd be allowed to use magic outside of school during the summer holidays. And there was also the knowledge that he'd be seen as a man in the eyes of society that excited him a lot. People would respect him more now.

Ticia was excited about it as well. "What should we do to celebrate?" she asked him one evening after they finished their homework. "This is a really big deal."

Zeren smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Ideally, I'd be able to take you to a really nice hotel somewhere for the weekend," he replied. "A little shopping, a nice dinner, and then the celebration could begin," he continued while wriggling his eyebrows.

Teecie grinned slyly. "I see," she replied. "The only problem with that is Draco is still upset from the last time I snuck out of the country to be with a boy," she said with a grin.

Zeren's eyes grew wide. "You did what? When?" he asked in an amazed tone.

Teecie explained to Zeren about her first sexual experience on her fourteenth birthday, and how Draco had tried to force an engagement on her and the boy involved.

Zeren shook his head in wonder to hear this. "I had no idea you were only fourteen your first time," he murmured. "I was thirteen."

"Really? That's pretty young…" Ticia trailed off. "Who was she?"

Zeren was silent for a minute while gathering his thoughts on the subject. It was rather personal, but seeing as Ticia had been so candid about her experience, he felt it was only fair to reciprocate. "Her name was Mrs. Keyon, and my father arranged for me to be with her for the weekend of my thirteenth birthday. She was a widow, and quite lonely, and was happy to assist in this tradition. It's pretty common to do that, you know," he said in response to the shocked look on his girlfriend's face. "Anyway, Mrs. Keyon knew exactly what to do, and showed me what she wanted, and how to do it."

Up until now, Zeren had never questioned what had happened. He knew it really was quite common for boys in his class to have this happen at that age. He'd always cherished those memories of that time, and Ticia's look of horror seemed to tarnish them somehow. And because of that, it made him feel defensive. "I learned a lot from her. And there was nothing wrong about it," he said while frowning and folding his arms.

Ticia frowned as well. "I just think it's so young is all," she replied carefully. "And for it to be such an old person, not to mention a complete stranger…"

"Well she wasn't a stranger by the end of the weekend," Zeren snapped in response.

"I'm sure she wasn't. At least you came out of it without having to marry her," Ticia snapped. "Imagine having your father hire a woman for you to sleep with. Draco almost killed Owen. I can't imagine he'd ever hire a grown man to sleep with me when I was thirteen."

"Of course not, that's hardly appropriate," Zeren scoffed, "the very thought is completely wrong."

"And why is that?" Ticia asked while tilting her head in what Zeren knew was a dangerous fashion.

"Because everybody knows a proper girl should be untouched until her wedding night."

"But a boy can shag to his heart's content all he wants before then?"

The look on Zeren's face was that of a parent explaining a simple concept to a child. "Those are just the rules of the world, Ticia. I didn't make them, I merely follow them," he replied.

This didn't seem to pacify her though, for his eyes narrowed and she folded her arms. "And if a proper girl is supposed to be untouched until her wedding night, then why are you with me? Do you think I'm a whore like the one your daddy hired for you? Is that how you see me? Some low class tart who'll please you for a while until your real ideal mate enters the picture?" She was nearly screaming by this point.

Zeren knew he'd started something he hadn't intended to, and needed to rectify the situation. "Now Ticia, you know I don't see you that way," he said calmly while putting his hands on her shoulders and looking into her eyes. "I would never have considered dating you if I saw you like that."

"But if a truly proper girl is untouched until her wedding night, and you want to marry a proper girl, then where does that leave me? I thought you wanted to marry me."

"I do want to marry you, Ticia. I think you would make a wonderful wife, in spite of your past."

"My slutty past, you mean? The past of which you are a part?" Ticia cried angrily before shaking her head and rubbing her temples. "I don't know if I want to be part of a society with such horrid double standards."

Zeren was taken aback by this. This was the first time Ticia had ever implied that she might not want to be a part of his future. What was going on here? Surely she must understand how the world worked. Quite frankly, he was shocked that Professor Black had not followed through with the engagement after what he'd seen in France. Zeren knew that if he ever had a daughter one day who dared to do such a thing, he'd never back out of forcing her engagement. He knew Ticia hadn't been raised very strictly, but thought that this standard of life was pretty common, and couldn't understand her objections to it.

"Now, Ticia, don't get excited over this," he said while patting her on the shoulder. "I meant no offense by anything I said tonight."

Ticia shook her head and bit her lip. "You just don't get it, do you?" she said while tears filled her eyes. "I think I'm finally understanding where you're coming from, and I don't like it. I wanted to see what being with you was like, and now I have." She stopped and bit her lip, crossing her arms as the same time.

Zeren looked concerned, and felt equally so to hear this. "Ticia, what do you mean by that?" he asked cautiously.

Ticia remained silent for a full minute before speaking again. "It means…that I think I should return to my dormitory," she said calmly, "this was a bad idea."

"No it wasn't," Zeren replied quickly while she used her wand to summon her items to the bed to pack. "It was just a small row, Ticia, it happens in every relationship. We've been so busy with school that it's just creating stress."

Ticia shook her head and frowned. "Zeren, we both know we come from different worlds, and it was only a matter of time before we realized we both want really different things out of life," she said quietly while packing her book bag.

"But we were doing so well," Zeren said, feeling frantic that his dream was slipping away. "There is plenty of time to work out our problems. Over time, I think we'd come to an understanding."

Ticia shook her head sadly and sat down on the bed. "Zeren, you want a wife who'll be happy to be just your wife. A woman who will be content to go to tea parties and get manicures every week. You want somebody who'd enjoy doing nothing more than spending all your money on herself," she said, "But that's just not me. I want to be a healer, Zeren, and that is not a dream I can just throw away to become somebody's wife."

Zeren sat down on the bed next to her. "But…things change sometimes," he said desperately.

"Would _you_ change? Would you give up your father's fortune and move to a farm? Would you get a job and share in the duties of raising our kids?" Ticia sighed before continuing. "Zeren, you're from the rich upper class, and I'm just a farmer girl. I like being a farmer girl, and I don't want to change. You don't want to change either, so where does that leave us?"

Zeren hung his head and sighed. He'd known deep down that this wasn't to be. He held onto the hope that by some miracle he could change Ticia into the sort of woman he needed to marry. As he looked back up into her tear-stained face, he realized that that would be the biggest mistake he'd ever make if he had managed to do it. The Ticia that he was so fond of, and attracted to, was the one who sat next to him now. If he'd gotten her to change, she wouldn't be that same person anymore. In order to maintain his feelings for her, he realized with great pain, that he had to let her go.

Zeren looked into Ticia's eyes and frowned. "I don't want to lose you as a friend," he whispered while taking her hand in his.

Ticia shook her head. "You won't, Zeren," she assured him. "We'll go back to the way things were before."

Zeren smiled sadly and took his other hand in hers. "I'll miss not getting to make love to you anymore," he confessed.

Ticia smiled sadly as well, and leaned in to kiss him. "I'll miss it too, but I think it's for the best," she replied.

The two hugged for several minutes before standing up to continue packing. Zeren decided he should return to his house as well. He didn't sleep very well that night.

The next week was agonizing for him. He found it difficult to concentrate on Quidditch or his schoolwork. He didn't have much of an appetite either.

Professor Black seemed to have noticed Zeren's lethargy, as well as Ticia's, for he inquired into the problems one afternoon when Zeren stayed behind to talk about his potion's essay. "Is everything all right, Mr. Travers?" Draco asked with a slight frown.

Zeren sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "It could be better, I must admit," he replied quietly. "You might as well know now, if she hadn't told you already…Ticia and I broke up last weekend."

Professor Black's eyes grew slightly wider as he heard this. "I am truly sorry to hear this, Mr. Travers," he said in a pained voice. "Ticia had not informed me about it."

Zeren didn't know what else to say to him. He left soon afterwards.

Over the next week, he threw himself into his schoolwork and Quidditch practice. He found large amounts of exercise to be helpful to stave off his desires for Ticia. As much as he'd wanted her to be a part of his future for her family connections, he realized that the majority of his feelings for her were of a physical nature. Ticia was his idea of perfection, as far as her body went. He didn't like that he had to alleviate himself of his physical needs, though he did make sure to surround himself with her pictures as he did so.

Quidditch practices left Zeren so exhausted that he barely had time in the evenings to eat a quick dinner before collapsing into bed. He needed at least nine or ten hours of sleep in order to wake up the next morning feeling refreshed. He longed to feel Ticia's small, warm body next to him during those nights. He'd always drawn so much comfort from her presence. He loved the feeling of her arms wrapped around his waist, and the sound of her gentle snores as she slept. He missed waking up in the mornings to see her smiling face, and starting his day off by making love to her, just as he had fallen asleep the night before. Now he had nobody, and an empty bed to greet him each night and morning.

As Zeren's birthday drew ever nearer, he felt even worse to be alone. He'd wanted so badly to celebrate his adulthood with Ticia. If things had gone well, he might have proposed to her during their time together. He would have loved to have returned from his birthday weekend with a fiancée. To have proposed to Ticia on his birthday, and for her to have accepted, would have been the greatest birthday present he could ever have received. But this was not to be. Instead, he would be spending his birthday with his parents.

Perhaps spending time with them would remind him of what he wanted to be in his life. And besides, his father had promised him a gift he'd love. He couldn't imagine what it could be. He already had a top of the line model broom for Quidditch. He also had as many robes as he needed, and then some. And he couldn't imagine that his father would hand over the family businesses to him yet, so it was still a complete mystery.

The Quidditch match was fast approaching, and Zeren was beginning to feel nervous and excited, just like he did before every game. The nerves only seemed to enhance the knowledge that he was no longer together with Ticia. He'd have felt comforted to have her near him at this time. He could have felt better if he'd been able to feel her arms wrapped around his waist, holding him closely. She would have helped his nerves dissipate with her magical kisses that made him feel as though he was floating. How he wished they were still together.

The morning of the game, Zeren was sitting at the Slytherin table eating breakfast with his teammates when Ticia walked over to him and sat down. He was so nervous from the game that he wasn't very hungry, and eagerly accepted her offer to go for a walk outside.

"Draco's pretty upset about the breakup," she informed him as they strolled the grounds. "He wanted us to marry so badly."

"It would have been a fine match if things were different," Zeren said slowly while taking her hand in his and giving it a squeeze.

"I agree," Ticia said quickly while returning the squeeze. "To be honest…part of me wishes I could be with both you and James."

Zeren frowned to hear this. "That idea is preposterous, Ticia," he replied curtly.

Ticia sighed and rolled her eyes. "Anyway…I wanted to wish you good luck today. I hope you win the match," she said, changing the subject.

Zeren gazed at Ticia for a moment before responding. She looked quite appealing in her evergreen miniskirt and matching sweater with silver stars on it. Her cheeks were rosy pink from the cool January air, and her brown eyes sparkled in the sunshine. He began to feel his desire for her grow.

"Thank you, Ticia," he said, "That means a lot to me."

Ticia smiled and embraced him. After a couple seconds, she stood up on her toes, and kissed him. Zeren felt as though his body had been set on fire. He grabbed her tightly and kissed her in return.

Ticia seemed to be as excited as he was, for she wrapped her arms around his neck and wouldn't let go while they kissed. "Zeren, what are we doing?" she gasped as he let his hands wander.

"I have no idea, but I don't think I can stop," he growled in response.

"Me neither," she murmured, "I was just checking."

It soon became apparent that both of them wanted to do things that were inappropriate to do on the front lawn. Zeren looked around and saw somewhere private that they could go. He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the edge of the grounds. "There's a nice-looking spot just a short way into the Forbidden Forest," he explained as they hurried towards their destination.

Ticia grinned at him and allowed him to lead her behind a large tree stump that was big enough to hide both of them while they were occupied.

Zeren barely let go of her hand before they were kissing again. He ran his fingers through her curly hair before reaching down to help her undress. Within a minute, they were making passionate love to one another.

A couple of wandering centaurs heard the noise, and came over to investigate. "What are they doing?" one of them asked the other.

"Mating, I believe," the other centaur replied while tilting his head to get a better view.

"Mating? Are you sure?"

"I believe so. You can clearly see what the male is doing; I believe it's the only explanation."

"You don't say…I've always wondered how they do it," the first centaur replied.

"It's hardly dignified, I mean, look at what she's doing to him. That's hardly any way to procreate. Perhaps these young are particularly stupid young."

"If they're young, they ought not to be procreating at all. They ought to be at their school studying to become less stupid."

The centaurs stayed and watched the performance for a while before Ticia saw them. "Zeren, there's people here!" she screamed. Zeren didn't notice for a few more seconds when she screamed again and tried to push him off of her.

"What's wrong?" he asked while moving to kneel in front of her.

"Centaurs!" Ticia shrieked while wrapping her arms around her chest and pulling her legs up against her stomach.

Zeren looked around before seeing the centaurs, and gasped. He quickly threw Ticia's clothes to her before grabbing his own. They were dressed again within a minute, and ran out of the forest, as though for their lives.

"I think that was a sign, Zeren," Ticia panted as they walked back towards the school. "I don't think we're supposed to sleep together anymore."

"I think maybe you're right," Zeren replied while looking over his shoulder back towards the forest.

"You need to go get ready for the game; it starts in half an hour!" Ticia cried while glancing at her watch. With that, she gave him one final kiss before running back towards the school.

"Good luck!" Zeren heard her cry as she ran up the stairs. He sighed and smiled before turning and walking towards the pitch. He'd seemed to find the release he'd needed that was now allowing him to put all his concentration towards Quidditch.

Zeren played better than he ever had before that day. He single-handedly scored seventy points for his team, and assisted in scoring almost a hundred more, so that after Ravenclaw caught the snitch, Slytherin still ended up winning the match.

There was a celebratory party afterwards that lasted long into the night. Somebody had managed to sneak several bottles of German Glowing Wine into the school, so there was plenty of merriment.

Zeren had girls flocked around him as he sipped his wine. Roxanne tried several times to sit on his lap, but he pushed her off each time. He did manage to have a nice long conversation with Portia Weasley, though. She was a second year, so he'd never really interacted with her before, but he'd quite enjoyed it. He found out that her favourite classes were Charms and Transfiguration, but that Potions was a little too dirty for her liking. Zeren thought this was very admirable in a proper Slytherin girl.

Ticia was also at the party, and was quite enjoying herself. It was an inter-house party, so anybody who wanted to attend was welcome. Ticia was dancing with several of the boys while drinking a glass of Glowing Wine. Zeren couldn't help but keep a close eye on her, as did Lupin, who was in attendance with his Hufflepuff girlfriend. Lupin spent most of his time groping his girlfriend while keeping an eye on Ticia. Zeren felt a little more at ease to see her dancing with Carl and Rey, who really were not a threat to him. Even though he wasn't dating Ticia anymore, he couldn't help but feel possessive of her still. He suppose he always would, to some extent at least.

The party was going well until about three in the morning when Professor Black came into the Common room to break it up. He looked tired and grumpy at having been awoken in the middle of the night. "I'd like to thank everybody for coming to celebrate our house's victory today, but it is time for you all to return to your dormitories," he said graciously, yet with little room for doubting the seriousness of the matter.

When people began to file out of the room, Zeren watched as Ticia walked over to her brother, stumbling a little as she walked. "Hi Draco," she slurred while wrapping her arms around him and kissing his cheek. "This was a really, really good party." She began to giggle uncontrollably while Draco frowned with disapproval.

"Ticia, you're intoxicated," he said while putting an arm around her waist to help steady her.

"I am not!" she cried indignantly. "I only had a little bit of Glowing Wine. And guess what? It glows! That's why it's called Glowing Wine, but don't tell anybody, cuz it's a secret," she said before beginning to giggle again.

Draco took Ticia by the waist, and carefully began walking with her to the door. "Come on, Ticia, I'm taking you back to your house," he said grimly.

With that, he carefully escorted her out of the room. She began to cry when he did so. "But I'm not tired Draco! I only had two drinks tonight, I promise!" Zeren heard her wail as the door shut behind them.

Zeren sighed as he watched all this unfold. He hoped her hangover wouldn't be too horrible the next day. He hoped Professor Black would take pity on her and give her a potion to ease the hangover she would no doubt have the next morning.

That morning, he woke up with a headache that a simple pain relieving potion took care of. He didn't see Ticia for the entire day. When he finally did see her at breakfast on Monday, she looked terrible. She looked as though she was still hung-over, very pale and unkempt. She barely touched her meal, and ended up running out of the Great Hall part way through, and missing classes for the day.

Ticia seemed to be just fine by Tuesday, but Zeren found things started to worsen for him. Professor Black started finding fault with everything he did, and taking him to task for it. He even gave Zeren a detention! He'd never had a detention before in his life!

The only respite Zeren had from Professor Black's hounding was at Quidditch practice, and when he was alone in his dormitory. His Head of House seemed to have made him into a special project. It was rather exhausting.

Finally, Zeren's birthday arrived. His parents took him out to a special dinner in Hogsmeade to celebrate. His mother brought Mellisande along with her pillow, as usual. She spent most of her time doting upon the krup and feeding her bits of food from her plate. She did take the time to console her son over his break up. "I'm sorry, son, it must be upsetting to have broken up with someone you obviously cared for," she said while patting his hand, "But I must say that you can do better for yourself. You deserve better than that girl. She had horrible manners, and was far too ambitious to make any man a good wife. No, son, you did the right thing to get rid of her now before she ensnared you any further."

Zeren frowned, not wanting to say anything rude to his mother, but wanting to defend Ticia and his feelings for her. "Ticia is a wonderful girl, mother," he finally said carefully. "I'm sure you'd come to realize that if you'd had more time to spend together."

Majesta sniffed in disagreement, but didn't say anything. Instead, she turned her attention back to Mellisande.

Silas had a good conversation with his son over pudding. "How does it feel to be a man?" he asked with a smile.

Zeren smiled in return. "Quite good, I must admit," he replied. "It is quite satisfying to be seen as an equal among the other adult members of our society."

"I'm glad to hear it," Silas said before reaching into his robes and pulling out a small envelope. "And now, for the gift I promised you." He held out the envelope to Zeren, who eagerly took it.

"I've been wondering what you were going to give me," Zeren said while tearing into the envelope. He pulled out two pieces of paper that looked like tickets. His face broke into a huge smile while reading them. "Father! The Quidditch World Cup, I can't believe it!" he said enthusiastically.

"Yes," Silas added, "It's being held in New Zealand this summer, though it'll be winter down there."

"This will be wonderful. Thank you father!" Zeren said enthusiastically. "We'll have a great time."

Silas waved his hands genially. "Oh, no, son," he said with a laugh, "Surely you'd want to go with one of your mates. Somebody from school, perhaps."

"Are you sure? I suppose I could see if Marius wants to go."

"I don't see why not. You're a man now, you can do what you want."

"Well…thanks father. I'll talk to him soon about it."

After dinner with his parents that night, Zeren returned to the school. There were only a few people out in the common room. He sat on one of the soft green sofas in front of the crackling fire. His eyes began to droop as the warmth from the fire crept through his body, making him feel extremely relaxed. He was almost asleep, when he felt somebody sit down next to him. As he opened his eyes, he turned his head and saw Portia Weasley sitting next to him with a smile on her face.

"I haven't had a chance to wish you a happy birthday yet, Zeren," she said quietly.

Zeren smiled and sat up a little straighter. "Thank you, Miss Weasley," he replied, "I ended up having a wonderful day."

"Did your parents give you a good present?"

"I got tickets to the Quidditch World Cup this summer."

"Oh, that's wonderful. That'll be a lot of fun."

"Yes, I can't wait."

Zeren and Portia talked for almost an hour together. He was surprised at how easy it was to talk to a girl so much younger than he was. Portia reminded him in a way of Ticia in the fact that they were both red-heads, but Portia had far better manners and composure than Ticia ever would. It was too bad that he was so much older than her, though, or she might make a near-perfect match.

When Portia stood up to leave for her dormitory, Zeren stood up as well, to see her off. "Good night," she said with a smile.

"Good night, Miss Weasley," Zeren said in return. There was something about the way she looked into his eyes with sincerity that caused him to bend down and give her a light peck on the cheek. "Sleep well."

Portia blushed and ran her fingers over her cheek before turning and walking out of the room.

That night, for the first time in a couple weeks, Zeren fell asleep without thinking about Ticia. It turned out to be the best birthday ever.


	88. Sweet Seventeen

Sweet Seventeen

Teecie had really enjoyed going out with Zeren, but was finding it more and more difficult to deal with his attitude since the Christmas holiday. She'd loved it that he'd stayed at her house for several days, and had gotten to know him much better than she had before. He certainly was set in his ways.

When they'd returned to school, she'd liked spending more time with him, though she was beginning to grow weary of his subtly changing attitude. He seemed to be more controlling and demanding of her time. As much as she enjoyed getting to spend more time with him in their room, it cut into her time for schoolwork. A small part of her couldn't help but wonder if that was Zeren's plan.

Teecie knew Zeren would like to marry her if he could have his way. The week spent living together really caused her to think about what she wanted out of her relationship with him. She found Zeren to be extremely attractive, and loved him very much. But the more she explored her love for him, the more she realized that she wasn't _in_ love with him. Her heart belonged to James, and it always would. She knew she could never marry Zeren, but wanted him to stay a part of her life always.

Teecie had been very hurt the night of the fight with Zeren. To know that he truly thought of her as a slut, cut her to the core. She didn't think there was anything wrong to have experiences with other boys before setting down to marry. Zeren wanted a girl who'd never been touched, but still wanted to marry her; it just made no sense at all. The worst part of it was that Zeren didn't seem truly apologetic over what he'd said to her. He seemed only to want to smooth things over so she'd stop being angry with him. That's what made her decide that she owed it to herself to break up with Zeren. He would be better off in the long run as well.

Zeren had taken it better than she'd expected. He'd been upset, but knew it was the right thing to do. Teecie was surprised at herself, at how mature she'd felt during the break up. Afterwards, of course, had been quite difficult. She had missed being with him. She was also upset at the fact that James hadn't tried to talk to her at all since then. Everybody in the school had heard about the break up by now, so there was no way he didn't know.

After classes one day, Teecie confronted James and asked him to go to the Room of Requirement to talk. She was quite happy that he agreed to go with her. When they arrived, they found the room had outfitted itself with a love seat and table with tea things set on it. Before sitting down, though, she threw her arms around James, and pressed her lips to his. "Why haven't you tried to talk to me before now, James?" she asked. "You have to have heard that I broke off with Zeren."

James looked at her for a moment without speaking. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts. Finally, he folded his arms. "Ever since we broke up, I couldn't help but wonder why I just let you go. I should have fought harder to keep you," he said while beginning to pace the floor. "But I also can't help but think about Chloe, my new girlfriend," he continued. "I do like her, you know. She's very devoted to me. She doesn't try to go out with other guys. I like that in a girl."

Teecie's face flushed to hear this. "So, what are you saying?" she whispered.

James was silent for a while again. "I'm saying…that I'm not going to break up with Chloe. I like her," he said while turning to face Teecie with his shoulders straight.

Tears sprang to her eyes. "But James…you promised that I could come back when I was ready…" she cried.

"I know I did," James admitted, "but I'm not ready to take you back yet. I need more time."

"But why?"

James looked at Teecie incredulously. "You have no idea how much you hurt me!" he cried. "Look, I'm happy with Chloe right now, and she's happy with me. I'm not going to break her heart just because you're bored with Travers. I don't want to cause anybody the pain that you caused me."

Teecie gasped to hear James speaking so sharply to her. "So you won't let me come back?" she asked.

"No!"

Teecie burst into tears and fled from the room. She cried all night in her dormitory.

The next day, she visited Draco after classes, and cried in his office while he held her. "I'm sorry, Ticia," he said while patting her head. "I cannot imagine why Mr. Travers would break up with you and cause you so much pain. He ought to be ashamed of himself."

Teecie didn't have the energy to explain to her brother that she'd been the one to break up with Zeren. It would only have started a fight. Besides, Zeren had called her a slut, he deserved a little of Draco's wrath for that.

It felt good to have somebody to console her in her pain. She felt as though she'd had her heart and soul ripped from her body. Every time she saw James with Chloe, she just wanted to die.

Teecie's sadness over James drove her to seek out Zeren on the morning of the Quidditch match. She made sure to put on her most Slytherin-looking outfit, and parade herself around in front of him at the breakfast table. It had been nearly a week since they'd broken up, and she was feeling a deep need for some relief. Zeren seemed to share that need, for within a short time, they were running into the Forbidden Forest for a romp.

Everything was going well for a while. It had been several days, but to her, it had felt like a lifetime. She really did find Zeren to be a most wonderful lover, and since James wasn't ready to take her back, she had to content herself with this.

For as long as she lived, she would never forget the sight of the two gaping centaurs that were looking in on their activities. Zeren was so deeply involved in it that it took a full minute for him to realize they were being watched. It was a humiliating, and frightening prospect to know that centaurs were watching them. There were tales about centaurs that hated humans, and would kill them, but these didn't make any move to harm them. Teecie and Zeren ran out of the forest as quickly as they could.

Teecie spent the Quidditch match in the library working on schoolwork that had been neglected in her grief over the past week. She was able to finish her Charms essay and perfect the latest spell they'd been learning in her Transfiguration class. She had just managed to finish reading the chapter about healing herbs for Master Wilkes's class, when the sounds of loud cheers started to emanate through the school halls.

By the time she made it to the hallway, she could tell that Slytherin had won the match. She smiled, and made her way down to the Great Hall for lunch and the beginning of the celebration.

The party went on well into the night, moving down to the Slytherin common room when it got too late for students to be out in the halls anymore. Teecie noticed that Zeren was having a fun time talking and dancing with several girls that night. James was also there with Chloe. He danced with her the whole night, though Teecie couldn't help but notice that he looked over at her several times as well.

She contented herself with dancing with Carl and Rey. The enjoyed her company, and she, theirs. She also talked with Patty and Daniel as well. It was fun to catch up with the friends she'd not had enough time for lately.

Somebody brought in several bottles of German Glowing Wine, which Teecie found to be utterly delightful. She only had two glasses the entire night, but it left her feeling happy and uplifted. It also seemed to have magical properties, like increasing her ability to dance and tell jokes. She seemed to be the life of the party that night. All the boys wanted to dance with her, including Gavin Robards, one of the most popular Slytherins at the school. He was a seventh year, and the captain of the Quidditch team.They spent the last part of the night snogging in a dark corner of the common room. Gavin had just invited her up to his dormitory, and Teecie had taken his hand to follow him, when Draco came into the room to break up the party. Gavin quickly dropped her hand and shuffled off to his room without even wishing her goodnight.

When most of the people had left the room, Teecie walked over to her brother. She wrapped her arms around him and thanked him profusely for the party. Draco seemed displeased over this, though, for he accused her of being drunk, and dragged her by the arm out of the room. Teecie was so upset over this that she burst into tears, and continued to wail all the way up to her room.

"Ticia, what is the password into your common room?" Draco asked while holding onto her waist so she wouldn't collapse. Under normal circumstances, he'd have been able to recall the password, since as a head of house, he knew them all, but his mind was preoccupied at the present time.

Teecie thought really hard for a minute. "I don't know. I can't remember," she finally said before giggling.

"You can't ask that, it's not for you to know," a voice cried out to them, startling Teecie. The Fat Lady painting glared down at them, standing with her hand on her hips.

"If she doesn't remember the password, then she's probably too drunk to get up to her dormitory safely anyway. You ought to sober her up, then she'll remember," the painting replied haughtily.

Draco scowled before taking his wand out of his robes and pointing it at Teecie. She reached out to push his hand away. "No, you can't, Draco!" she shrieked. "You're going to do it wrong! You'll hurt me! I only had two drinks!"

Draco jerked his hand away from her and quickly cast a silencing spell to shut her up. When she'd quieted down, he cast a sobering spell on her. He watched as she swayed around for a few moments. Her eyes were out of focus, and she began to sweat. Seconds later, she collapsed on the floor, vomiting violently on the spot where Draco's feet had been just before he'd leapt back away from her.

As much as it disgusted him to see his sister in such a pathetic state, his heart went out to her, knowing the sort of pain she was in now.

"Are you certain you only had two drinks?" Draco asked with a frown, his concern for her overpowering his anger over the situation.

When Teecie nodded, the Fat Lady spoke again. "Poor girl can't hold her liquor!" she cried. "You'd best take her to Master Wilkes. She needs to be looked after tonight."

Draco sighed and nodded his head before bending down and carefully helped Teecie to her feet. She was in so much pain at the moment, that she blindly followed where her brother led.

The next thing she knew, she was waking up in the Hospital Wing on Sunday afternoon. Master Wilkes was walking past her, with a sheet of parchment in one hand, and a quill in the other. When he saw her trying to sit up, he stopped and turned to her. "How are you feeling?" he asked quietly.

Teecie moaned and pressed her hand against her throbbing temples. "I feel terrible," she croaked.

"And no wonder," Wilkes replied while taking notes on the parchment. "You should be more careful what you drink at parties, Ticia. You could have been seriously hurt."

"I only had two glasses of wine, I-"

"It wasn't German Glowing Wine that you drank."

"I…what?"

"Somebody made that stuff you drank. They probably have a still set up in their dormitory, and they added ground glow worms to make it glow and pass off as the real thing."

Teecie turned green upon hearing this. "Worms? I drank worms?" she squeaked.

Master Wilkes shrugged. "It's no worse than drinking tequila really, only you seemed to have had an allergic reaction to it, so I don't recommend you drink it again."

"So I wasn't drunk?"

"You were probably tipsy, but the reaction to the drink enhanced it tenfold."

Teecie lay back against her pillow, and thought about all of this for a while as her head continued to throb. It was disgusting enough to feel this ill, and it only made it worse to now that she'd drunk worms. She couldn't help but wonder what Draco had thought about this. He probably wasn't too pleased.

As she sat up in her bed, she noticed for the first time that there were a few other students in the room as well. "You're not the only one who had a bad reaction to this," Wilkes said.

Teecie soon drifted back to sleep after that, and didn't wake up again till the next morning. She attempted to return to classes on Monday, but started to feel sick again part way through breakfast, and barely made it to the hospital wing before she was ill.

Zeren came to visit her that day after classes, and brought her all the homework assignments from their classes. He stayed for several hours, helping her out. They also continued their research on the night-vision potion they were working on. It ended up being quite a pleasant time.

By Tuesday, Teecie was fully recovered, and spent most of her day getting caught up with her schoolwork. When she returned to her common room that night, there was an announcement on the board informing the students about the annual apparition lessons. All the students who were old enough to take the lessons broke out into excited chatter when they saw it.

"I'm not sure I want to try," Teecie said apprehensively to Patty as they reread the announcement.

"Why not? I can't wait to learn," Patty replied with a grin.

Teecie shrugged. "It just seems a bit scary is all. I went with my dad one time and it's not so much fun."

Daniel and a few seventh year boys overheard this admitted fear, and decided to "help" her out a bit. They walked over to the girls, and joined their conversation. "You know, Teecie," Daniel began, "My dad told me about a guy named Ned who tried to apparate, and he splinched his balls off." When Teecie grew pale, he continued. "And they were only ever able to find one of them and reattach it. He was known as 'One-Nad Ned' ever since."

Patty rolled her eyes. "That is such crap, Daniel," she cried. "You're only saying that to scare us."

One of the other boys jumped in at this point. "I once heard about a girl who disapperated, and never reappeared again. They say she wanders around in the between, looking for a way out. Sometimes she tries to grab onto a person when they're apparating, so she can get out, but has never been successful yet."

Teecie felt chilled to hear those stories. What if they were really true? She didn't want to lose a body part or never be able to find her way back again. It was probably much safer just to floo, or drive a Muggle car anywhere she might need to go.

This was what she'd decided, until she stayed to tea with Professor Lupin one afternoon, something she hadn't done in almost two years. She found his company quite pleasant, and chattered endlessly to him about her classes. He sat in silent wonder over how much she could still chatter even though she'd grown somewhat more mature over the years. Her enthusiasm for life hadn't been quelled over time. Hopefully, if she was lucky, it never would.

Remus found it difficult not to laugh when Teecie told him of her fears about apparition, and the tall tales she's heard. "You know, Ticia, these stories have been around since I was a student, and there's no evidence that they ever happened," he said soothingly. "It is true that there are risks, but that is also why you take lessons first, and have to pass a test."

Teecie thought about that for a while. It did make her feel better to know that. "It would be cool to have something I can do that my sisters can't. Neither of them ever learned how," she said slowly, "And my parents know how to."

"Well, keep thinking it over," Remus replied, "You still have time to decide."

Teecie felt much more confident about apparition lessons after that. But she quickly forgot about them when another more pressing thought entered her mind: her birthday. Her seventeenth birthday was only a few weeks away, and she was wondering what she wanted to do to celebrate. She didn't have a boyfriend to spend the night with, and had no idea what her family had in mind. It was also a Hogsmeade day, so she had to factor that in as well.

Seventeen was a big year for her. She'd be an adult then, and wanted to make sure she started to act like it. She'd be able to use magic out of school then, as well. It was a sobering thought that she'd be an adult. She felt so imperfect still. She'd always had the thought that adults didn't make mistakes, and hoped that she'd be able to live up to that ideal.

James and Zeren had both recently turned seventeen, and Teecie thought they looked and seemed a bit older whenever she saw them. Seeing James looking so manly and handsome helped give rise to more of her fears about him. He was still going out with Chloe, and seemed to be very happy with her. He walked with her to and from every class, and carried her books for her. Teecie's heart broke a little more each time she saw them together. What if James decided he loved Chloe more, and wanted to marry her? Where would that leave Teecie? It was too late to go back to Zeren, and besides, she knew she couldn't marry him. What other boy was there?

Those thoughts stayed with Teecie until her birthday. She still didn't know what was going to happen that day. She hoped there would be some sort of celebration at all.

She walked to Hogsmeade that day with Paige, chattering the entire way there. They spent hours in Gladrags, shopping for the latest in Wizarding fashion trends. Teecie bought four outfits before they wandered off to Madam Pudifoot's for lunch. Since it was also Valentine's Day, they decided that since they were both single this year, they'd be each other's valentine.

The day continued to be quite pleasant. It was sunny and unseasonably warm, so they shed their coats and tied them about their waists before continuing their shopping. They spent a considerable amount of money at Honeydukes. Teecie bought a pound of fudge, and a box of strawberry-filled chocoballs. Paige stocked up on sugar quills and chocolate frogs.

Teecie was quite content and satisfied with her day thus far, and was perfectly ready to work on homework when she returned to the school. She was quite surprised, though, to see a black evening dress and a small note attached to the bottom, hanging from the end of her four poster bed.

_Put this on, and report to the Headmaster's office upon return from Hogsmeade_, the letter read. There was no signature, and she couldn't tell from the writing who it was from.

Paige did Teecie's hair into a French twist after she'd put the dress on. When she was ready, she quickly petted her cat Rose, goodbye, and left the room. It only took a couple minutes to reach Uncle Sev's office.

"Good evening, Ticia," he said while standing up. In an unexpected move, Snape stepped forward, and gently kissed her on the cheek. "Congratulations, Ticia, on your seventeenth birthday," he continued. "I am supposed to give you this." With that, he held out a box. It was far too large for jewelry; she had no idea what was inside.

She grinned while ripping the paper off the box. Inside was a pair of beautiful black slippers. They fit perfectly when she tried them on and walked around the room. There was also a note attached to the box that she hadn't noticed at first. It read: _Put these on, and report to the Potions Master's office._ It was the same writing as the first note.

"Who are these from?" she asked curiously.

Snape sat down in his chair before looking at her. "I'm sure I have no idea," he replied cryptically.

Teecie reread the note before thanking Uncle Sev and leaving his office. It took a couple minutes to reach Draco's office, and she knocked politely on the door when she arrived. When Draco gave her entrance, she walked into the room to see him standing at the end of his desk.

"Happy birthday, Ticia," he said while she walked over to give him a hug. "I cannot believe that my youngest sister is now of age. You have made me so proud over the years."

Teecie smiled and rested her cheek on her brother's shoulder for a moment before responding. "And I'm very proud to be your sister," she replied with a smile.

When she let go of him, he turned and pointed to his desk. She hadn't noticed the green and silver-wrapped package on it before then. She grinned while taking the small box into her hands and gently unwrapping the delicate paper. Inside was an amethyst tennis bracelet that glittered in the candlelight.

"Draco it's beautiful!" Teecie said breathlessly while he moved forward to put it on her wrist. She looked at it lovingly for a minute before smiling at him. "Thank you so much!"

Draco hugged her before handing her a small envelope. Teecie tore it open and read what the note said. _Home is where the heart is, and it is also your next destination. Use the Potions Master's fireplace to floo to the property post haste_.

She read through the note twice before looking at her brother. "Did you do this?" she asked.

Draco frowned and shook his head. "I have no idea who is behind this," he replied calmly.

Teecie sighed and walked to his fireplace that was conveniently not lit. After picking up a small pinch of floo powder and calling out her destination, she was quickly transported to her home.

The house looked perfectly normal when she arrived. It was quiet and dark. She was almost convinced that nobody was home, when she heard a sound in the kitchen. When she walked there, she saw her mother sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for her.

Adriana looked at Teecie silently for a moment while tears filled her eyes. "My youngest baby is now an adult!" she wailed while standing up and rushing over to embrace Teecie. "And look at you; you're so beautiful!"

Teecie smiled while patting her mother on the back. "Mum, it's OK, really," she replied in an embarrassed tone. It had always been difficult to watch her mother react to her children growing older. She knew how upsetting Adriana found it, and didn't exactly relish the idea of slowly growing older than her own mum, but what could she do? This was the way it was to be for her family.

Adriana sniffed and nodded her head. "I know, dear, I know," she said as she calmed down again. "It just hit me so suddenly, seeing you standing there looking so grown up."

Teecie sat down at the kitchen table, followed shortly afterwards by her mum. She was beginning to wonder what Adriana had for her, seeing as everyone else had been giving her presents that evening. Adriana must have read her mind, for she reached under the table and produced a small box. She smiled while handing it to Teecie. "I hope you like it," she said excitedly.

Teecie grinned while tearing into the package. Inside was a lovely black sequined shawl that matched her evening dress. "Oh, mum, it's beautiful!" she cried while putting the shawl on. "I love it!"

Adriana stood up and hugged her for a moment before handing her another package. Inside was a matching black handbag. "Open it," Adriana instructed.

Teecie promptly opened the bag and saw an envelope inside, which she took out. "Mum, what is going on? Everybody has been giving me these notes," she said while opening the letter and reading it. _Only one last stop to go. Floo to 'Parcival' and tell the first person you see who you are_.

Adriana shrugged her shoulders. "I couldn't tell you why you've been receiving letters tonight. This is the first I've heard about it," she replied when Teecie had finished reading. "But you'd better hurry up and do as the note says."

Teecie shook her head while slowly walking towards the dining room. It was obvious that this had to do with her birthday, but where was it going to end? When she reached the fireplace, she turned and waved to her mother. With that, she flooed to her next destination.

The instructions stated that she was supposed to tell the first person she saw, her name. The first person she saw upon exiting the fireplace was a man in fancy black robes standing behind a podium. When he saw her, he smiled and bowed politely. "Bonsoir, bienvenue à Parcival," he said in a thick French accent.

"Good evening to you too," Teecie replied, "I am Ticia Orendes."

"Ah, oui, mademoiselle, your party is already here. Please follow me," the host said while walking out from his podium and leading Teecie into the dining room of what looked to be a quite ornate restaurant.

The dining room was full of patrons, and by the looks of their clothes, they were all fellow witches and wizards. They were all couples, eating by candlelight, and enjoying their Valentine's Day dinner together.

The host led Teecie all the way to the back of the room, to a short flight of stairs. At the top of the stairs was a small turret, all four walls of which were made entirely of windows.

In the centre of the room was one lone dining table. Sitting by himself at the table, was her father. "Dad!" Teecie called out while the host led her to the table. "Did you do all of this? Did you get Uncle Sev and Draco to go along with this?" she asked while the host helped her get seated. He handed her a menu, and waved his wand to light the candles before quietly leaving the room.

Lucius smiled and nodded his head. "Yes, I arranged all of this," he replied.

"This is so great, dad!" Teecie replied while looking around the room. There wasn't much else in there, except for a most grand view of the city there were in. A large metal triangular structure stood grandly right in front of her eyes, though she hadn't noticed it before. "The Eiffel tower!" she cried upon seeing it. "Oh, dad, are we really in Paris?"

Lucius smiled and nodded his head. "Yes, we are," he replied. "I thought you might enjoy it."

Teecie nodded her head while taking in all the sights of the city. "It's so beautiful," she sighed. "I've always wanted to come here."

"Well I'm glad you are pleased with my choice," her father said before picking up his menu. "Are you all right with sharing Valentine's Day dinner with your father?"

Teecie beamed while picking up her own menu. "Of course! I can't think of a better person to spend this time with," she said with a grin. "So, what are you going to eat?"

The menu was filled with traditional French dishes, and several contemporary dishes as well. The two discussed for a while over what to order. Teecie didn't read French, and needed a lot of help with the menu. Besides translating it, Lucius had to explain several of the ingredients and cooking techniques to her as well. He couldn't help but wish, at times like these, that he'd insisted on a more proper upbringing for his daughters.

"Don't worry, Ticia, this fois gras is magically produced. The ducks don't suffer at all," he assured Teecie, who was biting her lip in concern as he explained what fois gras was to her.

Teecie settled on the Boeuf Bourguignon, and refused to even touch the escargot her father ordered for his first course. She did, however, insist on trying his Poulet Alsace.

Lucius and Teecie talked during their meal about school, life, and turning seventeen. She told him about missing James and why he wouldn't take her back. As much as Lucius didn't want to see his daughter being hurt, he had to admit that the Lupin boy had a valid point. Ticia could not expect to run from one boy to the next on a whim and not expect there to be consequences for her actions. He couldn't help but feel alarmed over just how much like him she was in certain ways. Hopefully she would grow out of it when she married, unlike him. He couldn't say any of this to her, of course. He kept it quietly to himself.

Teecie felt a lot better by the time their meal had ended. Before she could even wonder what was going to happen next, soft music began to play from somewhere she couldn't pinpoint. Lucius stood up and held his hand out. "May I have the pleasure of this dance?" he asked suavely while taking her hand in his, and pulling her to her feet.

Teecie wrapped her arms around her father's shoulders, while he held her waist with her free hand. They danced slowly to the music, and enjoyed their time together.

She couldn't help but think back to the time in her life when all she wanted to do was to stay at home and take care of her father forever. She knew now that he didn't need any help, and that she wanted far more out of life than to be somebody's housekeeper. Things sure had changed over the years.

After several dances, Lucius took Teecie by the arm, and led her out of the restaurant. "I thought we could go for a stroll through the city," he said as they walked around the corner.

"I'd love that," Teecie replied while looking around at the shops. "Are we in the magical part of Paris?"

Lucius nodded his head. "I thought we could make our way to the Muggle part of the city, though, if you'd like to."

Teecie grinned and nodded her head in response. She wanted to see all she could tonight. She was having such a nice time that she couldn't help but wish the night would never end.

"Do you remember your thirteenth birthday, when we went to Edinburgh?" Lucius asked.

"How can I forget? It was such a great day," Teecie replied.

"I'm glad you enjoyed that day, as much as I did. I thought we could commemorate this day in the same way," he continued. "There's a jewelry shop I know of that is still open this time of the evening. Perhaps we could stop there to look for a nice bauble for you."

Teecie squealed. "Really? Wow, more jewelry!" she cried.

"I think my baby coming of age is an event deserving of jewelry," Lucius replied. "I thought a diamond would be appropriate."

"I've never had a diamond before," Teecie whispered, hardly able to believe her ears.

"Well then, it's high time you got one."

Teecie felt as though she were floating on a cloud as her father led her to the jewelry shop. A real diamond! What would all her friends at school think? They'd be very jealous of her, no doubt. She couldn't help but feel a thrill every time she thought about it. What a wonderful way to turn seventeen!

Finally, they reached the shop, and walked inside. The shop owner and his assistant looked as though they were waiting for them to arrive.

"Monsieur Malfoy, your daughter is the absolute picture of beauty," the owner said as he ushered them inside to a couple of chairs. "You sit here and relax while my assistant and I show you our finest diamonds." The assistant handed them cups of café au lait, and handed Teecie a plate of delicate-looking chocolates. Then he and the owner walked over to their jewelry cases, and began taking pieces out.

Teecie sat in breathless rapture while gazing upon the lovely jewels. Occasionally she'd gasp or squeal over a particularly delightful piece. Lucius sat silently, sipping his drink and appraising the jewels. He was proud of the fact that Ticia seemed the most interested in the most expensive pieces. He wanted her to have the best this shop had to offer.

Teecie and Lucius looked at jewels for over an hour before she'd narrowed it down to her top three choices. It took a half hour of debating with her father over which one was the very best, before she made her final decision.

"Ah, the tear drop shaped diamond, a lovely choice," the shop owner said while holding the jewel up against Teecie's neck. "It will positively glow against your skin." Teecie grinned as the man continued. "A diamond with this shape and quality, is perfectly suited for a necklace. Is that what you'd like?"

Teecie nodded her head. She didn't care what they made out of it. She'd wear it forever, no matter what.

The next step was to fit her for a chain upon which the diamond would hang. "I think gold would suit your skin and hair," the assistant advised while draping several gold chains around her neck for her to choose from.

Once everything had been chosen, Lucius paid for it all, including the expensive overseas shipping costs to have the necklace safely delivered to the property.

Teecie didn't want to leave her diamond behind, but understood that it would take a couple days to finish making the necklace.

She sighed after they left the store and began to walk back to the restaurant. "I've had the best birthday ever," she said to her father.

Lucius smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I'm very glad to hear that," he said quietly. "I've quite enjoyed my time as well."

Once back at the restaurant, they flooed back to Uncle Sev's office at the school. Teecie was shocked to see her family gathered there, waiting for her. "Happy Birthday!" they cried in unison.

Teecie smiled and quickly began making her way around the room, hugging everybody who had come. She hadn't seen most of them since Christmas, and really enjoyed seeing them again. Everybody seemed glad to see her as well. Hunter kissed her on the cheek while Mel grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "Just think, I'll be here at the school with you and Lisandra next year!" she cried excitedly while Teecie hugged her.

"I know! It'll be so much fun!"

The party was a lot of fun. Teecie quite enjoyed her time with her family. Almost everything went perfectly, that is, until Reni found out about the diamond Lucius had bought Teecie, she screamed at her father for a few minutes before running over to Uncle Sev and complaining for the next fifteen minutes before Peter walked over and rescued him.

One of the highlights of the party was the very end. Mel and Kali were talking about Quidditch quietly in the corner of Uncle Sev's office. When Draco came over to tell Mel it was time for her to return to the Manor with the rest of her family, Kali remained quiet in his presence. Normally she'd have made a fuss and called Paul over to be near her, but for some odd reason, she didn't this time. She finished up her conversation with Mel, and quietly stood up, not looking at Draco, and walked over to Paul. Teecie had no idea what to make of it. Neither, apparently, did Draco, for she could see him looking at Kali very carefully the entire time. He'd no doubt noticed that she'd not made a scene.

That night, Teecie fell asleep while thinking about her day. She was now an adult, and that was a lot of pressure to live up to. She was also single for the time being, and had always imagined she'd be ushering in this moment with James or Zeren. Instead, she was contemplating her life as an adult, alone. It's not so bad though, she thought as she drifted off to sleep. It would give her a chance to make decisions on her own, and that was very important for an adult to do.


	89. Unthinkable Dark

Unthinkable Dark

Draco Malfoy was having a rough time of it. Seventeen was starting off as a troublesome year for his sister Ticia. Her classes were going very well, as she had more time on her hands after her break up with Mr. Travers. Of course it wasn't all good for her education. She seemed happier after the break up and spent a great deal more time with her friends because of it. And plenty of boys were interested in dating her, so she was never without a dinner date or study partner. He hoped that nothing got too serious with any of the boys, though he had caught her several times in the hallways, snogging a few of the bolder ones.

There was one boy in particular, Chet Brockman, a seventh year Hufflepuff that she seemed to like more than the rest. Chet, who preferred to be called "Chewie," was the president of the Care of Magical Creatures club, and was studying the subject as well. He'd grown up on a farm, just like Ticia, and intended to continue working there, breeding magical creatures. Because of this common background, he and Ticia got on quite well. They appeared to have a casual relationship, and Draco hoped it never grew into anything more. He tried not to think about what he knew was really going on behind Brockman's closed doors. He knew Ticia visited him in the evenings after she and Mr. Travers had finished working on their potions work for the day. Mr. Brockman was in the dueling club as well, and seemed to run off to find Ticia after every practice.

This went on for several weeks, until Draco could no longer stand it. Now that she was of age, he had to speak frankly to her about it. "Ticia, you're acting like Miss Zabini and her friends, and that is unacceptable," he told her bluntly one evening after dinner when he'd called her to his office. "If you continue to act this way, your grades will begin to slip, and then you'll really regret it."

"My grades are just fine, and I am not acting like a slut!" Ticia cried angrily.

"It is bad enough that everybody can see what a loose young lady you are, but you're consorting with a Hufflepuff! Who wants to be a farmer! I really expected more from you."

"What did you expect of me?" Ticia asked calmly.

"I expected you to have better control of your hormones and your emotions," Draco replied tersely. "Your behaviour is positively scandalous. I'm afraid that if you continue to act like this, I will have no choice but to ban you from spending any more time with Lisandra. She is far too young and impressionable to be influenced by you. I'll not have her turning into a girl of loose moral values."

Ticia gasped and stood up, placing her hands on her hips. "I do not have loose moral values!" she cried. "And I don't see that it's a problem for me to be sleeping with the boys I like. If I was a boy, everybody would be encouraging me to get as much sex as I could!"

Draco grew pale to hear her speaking so boldly. "I don't think things are as simple as that," he growled. "But the world does look at a girl and judge her based on her restraint, or lack of it."

Ticia bit her lip while appearing to think about her choices in the matter. "I just don't see why it has to be the way the world is," she said quietly. "I work very hard in school, and make excellent marks. That shows that I'm responsible. Why can't I have some fun and enjoy life at the same time? I just don't think there's anything wrong with that."

Draco folded his arms and frowned. "Ticia, life is not all about having fun," he replied.

"I know, but it should be about having fun _some_ of the time at least."

"You're still a student, and need to use this time to study. You'll be grateful for this time when you're older."

Ticia wrapped her arms around her waist and looked at the floor. Suddenly, she began to cry quietly. "I just miss James," she moaned. "I love him so much, but he's so angry with me. I think he hates me."

Draco sighed to see his sister's pain, and to find the root of her behaviour. It didn't really surprise him that she was trying fill a void in her life with all the other boys. Though he hated the idea of Lupin being with Ticia, he also knew that she loved him.

Draco's heart softened. He sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around her. He'd been keeping his eye out for more suitable boys for her, and had found several possible candidates, but now was not the time to bring that up. Instead, he just hugged his sister and let her cry on his shoulder for several minutes before she calmed down again.

When she'd stopped crying, he wiped away the remaining tears, and petted her auburn curls. "Ticia, I hate to see you in such pain," he said quietly, "but sometimes things just aren't meant to be. You and Mr. Lupin were very young, and he was the first boy you ever loved, but you've both grown, and as this time has shown, you've grown apart. You have different priorities than him, and a different career path. He'd be much happier with a girl who would be happiest keeping a house for him, but I know that you don't want that."

Ticia seemed to find this upsetting, though, and began to cry again. "But I don't want him to marry a different girl. I want him to marry me! I want us to get married and we'll live in a nice house and have babies!" she was wailing so loudly now that Draco could hardly understand her. "I've already got it all planned out," she continued, "We're going to have three boys and one girl. And I'm going to dress her all in pink baby clothes and paint her room pink too!"

Draco sighed and rolled his eyes. There was no doubt in his mind that if she were to have a daughter, the baby would be a spoiled brat, but he wasn't about to say that to her. "Ticia, please don't cry like this," he finally said quietly. "I'm sure everything will work out just fine. Just be patient, and open to whatever comes along in life."

Ticia sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I know, and I'm trying to be patient," she said. "I'll just wait for James to be ready to take me back. Maybe I'll even try to apologize to him and see what he thinks."

"Now don't do anything that might upset him," Draco replied quickly, hoping to stave off a hasty reunion between the two.

Ticia nodded her head in agreement. "Good idea, I'll make sure to wait a while to see how his mood is." With that, she smiled and hugged him. "Thanks Draco, for this talk. You always know how to make me feel better."

Draco shook his head as his sister left the room that night. He knew she was going to keep her sights on Lupin, but was still holding out hope that she would find a different boy that he could approve of.

About a week passed before the next incident. Draco had made sure to keep an eye on Ticia. She'd been watching Lupin closely. Draco began to notice that Lupin and his girlfriend seemed to be bickering a lot in the Great Hall during meals. He couldn't tell what it was about, but it seemed more serious than Quidditch or homework. There were a couple meals that the two even ate at their own separate tables instead of together. Draco wondered what this meant for Ticia.

One quiet evening, Draco went to the library to research a few things for his classes the next day. While there, he overheard his sister talking to somebody, who turned out to be Lupin. He sat down quietly in a chair, moved a few books on the shelf out of the way, and watched the scene unfold.

James was sitting in the corner of the library, alone. He was frowning while holding onto a book that he didn't appear to be reading.

Ticia walked over to him, and sat down in the chair next to his. "James, how are you doing?" she asked politely while looking carefully at him.

James scowled and let his book fall down on the floor while folding his arms. "I've been better," he grunted.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she replied. "Are you and Chloe having some problems?"

James was silent for a moment before responding. "We broke up," he admitted.

Ticia looked as though she was trying hard not to appear joyful over hearing this. She maintained her sympathetic look on her face. "Oh, James, I'm so sorry to hear that. You were so happy with her too."

James shrugged nonchalantly. "She was nice," he said, "but nothing like you."

Ticia flushed at this. "I know exactly how you feel. After I broke off with…" she trailed off. "Anyway, afterward, I knew there would never be another guy I loved as much as I love you."

James smiled feebly, and looked at her. When he didn't say anything, she continued. "James…I want to apologize for hurting you so badly. You're right, I am selfish, and self-centred, and I need to work on that. I want to make myself worthy of you so that one day, maybe, you'll take me back."

James's smile faded as he continued to look at her. "Teecie, I just told you I broke up with my girlfriend, and you're making it all about you again," he said coolly. "That's so typical of you."

Ticia gasped as though she'd been slapped in the face. "I didn't…I wasn't…" she stammered.

"I've already told you I'm not ready to take you back," James said firmly. "What part of that don't you understand?"

Tears sprang to her eyes, and she began to sniffle. "But we love each other," she cried.

James sighed and lowered his head. "Teecie…I just need time to be alone. I need time to sort out all my feelings, just like you did. I'm sorry, but we can't be together for now," he said quietly.

Ticia began to sob and fell out of her chair, placing her hands on James's knees and looking into his eyes. "What if I beg you?" she sobbed. "Please, please, James, I know now that we were meant to be together."

James's eyes filled with tears as well as he took Ticia's hands in his and pressed them to his lips. "God, this is the hardest thing I've ever had to do," he said in a choked whisper. "Please give me time, Teecie. I promise I'll come back to you. I just need more time."

Ticia continued to paw at him, but he gently brushed her hands away and stood up from his chair. He looked down at her crying form, uttered an anguished groan, turned and fled from the room.

Draco couldn't stand to see his sister hurt like that. He didn't like to see her throwing herself so pathetically at a boy, either. Was she really that desperate for this boy? What was so damned special about James Lupin anyway? There were any number of boys, not just Slytherins, who had far more going for them than this boy had. Why couldn't she just fall in love with one of them instead? It would save him so much stress if she'd just do what was best for her.

After a few minutes of thinking these things, his attention returned to Ticia. She was still crying while gathering her books. When she'd finished, she ran out of the library with tears still streaming down her face.

Draco didn't see her again until Monday morning at the start of class. All the students were quite excited about turning in their invented potions. They'd all worked very long and hard on their projects, and seemed excited to show off what they'd created.

Ticia was almost late for class, and ran into the room quickly. She pulled the flask of potion out of her bag and hurried over to his desk. Somehow, while she was running, the edge of her robes wrapped around her ankle, and tripped her. The flask flew out of her hand, and landed on the desk right in front of Draco. It smashed into a thousand pieces, splashing all over him. By the time she untangled herself and looked up to see him, he was standing with his arms out, looking stunned to be drenched.

"I'm sorry, Draco…" she whimpered while standing up.

Draco wiped the potion out of his eyes, and licked his lips before speaking. "Ticia, really, there was no hurry," he replied while using his wand to clean up the mess. "Go and fill another flask and bring it up here."

Ticia sighed and walked back to her desk where Zeren was most likely taking the second flask out of his book bag. "Walk slower this time," Draco heard him admonish her lightly.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," her heard her respond. By the time she returned and set the flask down on his desk, Draco must have had an odd look on his face. "What's wrong?" she asked.

In the time it had taken for Ticia to speak with Zeren and return to Draco's desk, he noticed something wrong with his eyes. Everything had grown blurry suddenly, and even the dim lighting of the room seemed too bright. He wondered if his eyes were dilating due to the potion that had spilled on him. It would make sense for a potion meant to create night vision that his eyes would dilate. But then something else happened that caused him great concern. The blurriness quickly grew worse, and then a blackness spread across both eyes, enveloping him in total darkness. It almost took his breath away when it happened; it had happened so fast. His heart began to pound as he heard Ticia's voice speaking to him, but could not see her.

Draco blinked hard several times before turning his head to her. "Ticia, your potion was supposed to create night vision, correct?" he asked quietly.

"Yes it was," she replied cheerily. "Zeren and I figured that you never know when you might need something like that."

Draco nodded his head and sighed. "There seems to be a problem with the potion, Ticia," he said before turning towards the class. "I'm sorry, everybody, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to cancel class today. Why don't you all go to the library and work on your essay that is due next week?"

The class sounded confused and disappointed to hear this, but Draco quickly dispatched Mr. Davies, his apprentice, to usher the students out of the room. "Ticia, Mr. Travers, will you remain here, please?" Draco called out while the students left the room.

"Professor Black, what happened?" Zeren asked cautiously. He sounded a good deal closer, so Draco figured he must have walked over to the table to stand next to Ticia. He seemed to realize something was wrong as well.

Draco cleared his throat and turned his head towards them. "I seem to have lost my vision," he said bluntly.

Ticia gasped and ran over to him. "You can't be blind!" she cried while throwing her arms around him. "Let's get you to Master Wilkes right now," she continued while beckoning Zeren over to help.

Draco sniffed and tried to pull away from them. "I'm not an invalid, I can walk," he said tersely.

"But Professor, it's not a good idea to walk when you can't see," Zeren replied sensibly while grabbing the potion flask for the healer to examine.

Ticia sniffled while holding onto Draco's arm. "Draco, what if you're blind forever?" she cried out.

"Ticia, I do not want you to panic about this," Draco said calmly. "Master Wilkes will be able to straighten all of this out. Try to contain your emotions for once in your life."

"But Draco, what if-" she cried again before being cut off.

"Ticia, I need you to be calm, or stop talking, one of those two," Draco snapped.

Ticia closed her mouth after that and kept her thoughts to herself. As soon as they reached the hospital wing, though, she burst into tears. "He's blind!" she wailed to Master Wilkes, who then hurried over to the group.

"What happened?" Wilkes asked while guiding Draco over to an empty bed.

Zeren and Draco filled him in while Ticia continued to cry. When Wilkes began to examine Draco's eyes and the potion he'd been splashed with, Draco called out for Ticia to come over to him. She ran over and threw her arms around him as she sat down on the bed next to him.

After a few minutes, her sobs settled down, and she took her brother's hand in his for comfort. She leaned her head on Draco's shoulder and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Don't worry," she said in a warbling voice, "Master Wilkes will be able to fix you just like that."

"Of course he will," Draco replied quickly. "I wasn't worried about it at all." He tried to sit as still as possible and remain calm, but found himself tapping his foot on the floor nervously in spite of his best efforts not to. He consciously made himself stop, and tried to put aside the feelings of shame for showing signs of weakness. He hoped nobody had noticed.

When Wilkes finished talking to Zeren about the accident, he walked over to Draco and Ticia to ask her for her account of the story. Ticia told him everything she could remember about brewing the potion on Sunday. She had spent Saturday night crying into her pillow over her encounter with James. She'd been exhausted the next day. She'd been tempted to cancel with Zeren, but he'd convinced her not to. She'd done her best to keep her eyes open that day.

Draco heard Wilkes walk to his work desk. He emptied the contents of the flask into a bowl and swirled it while presumably looking at it.

Draco heard Ticia and Zeren walk over to stand next to Wilkes. They explained in detail the precise measurements of ingredients and brewing instructions.

"Quarter inch cubes of taro root, you say?" Wilkes asked during his observations. "Well, based on the ingredients, everything looks normal," he said, while presumably looking at the potion, "The only thing I can think of that would do this is if the taro root was cut too small so more juice was released. Is there any chance that this happened?"

Teecie gasped. "I was the one who cut it. I…I…suppose that could have happened…" she trailed off.

"You were so tired that day that you didn't notice you'd cut them too small," Wilkes said unhappily. "And you," he continued, most likely turning to Zeren, "didn't check her work even though you knew how tired she was."

Zeren was silent for a moment before attempting to speak. "I…I…" he stammered. "I should have looked at it. I mean, we'd been double checking everything. I guess I forgot that one part." He was silent again for a while. "We both failed him," he finally murmured.

Ticia burst into tears again, and ran over to her brother. "I'm so sorry," she wailed while hugging him tightly.

"Now Ticia, try to remain composed," Draco said in response while unwrapping her from himself. "Now that Master Wilkes has found out the problem, we can work on a solution."

Wilkes sent Zeren off to find Snape and bring him over to help.

"I can help, you know," Draco called out, clearly insulted. "I do know a thing or two about potions."

"You're my patient, so I suggest you just sit back and let the rest of us do our work," Wilkes replied, not unkindly, but firmly.

"Yes Draco, let me take care of you," Ticia added while wrapping a blanket around his shoulders and trying to push him back against the bed pillows. "Lie back and relax."

Draco felt frustrated over the indignity of his treatment. He was an adult, yet he was being treated like an infant. He could be helping to fix this problem; instead, he was being made to stay in bed, like a well-behaved boy.

Having to sit back and do nothing was most torturous for him, for it left him with no distractions. His thoughts soon gave way to fear when he had nothing else to think about. Ticia seemed to have sensed this, though, for she stayed by his side while Snape and Wilkes conversed. She babbled senselessly, but Draco didn't try to stop her. For once, he welcomed it.

It was so strange not being able to see. Something he'd always taken for granted was suddenly no longer there. The darkness around him was all-encompassing, as well as terrifying. It made Draco feel small, something he'd always abhorred, and helpless, something he hated even more.

After some time, he was startled by a voice that wasn't Ticia's. "Draco," the voice which sounded like Snape, said, "Master Wilkes and I have finished our discussion. We have determined that the smaller size of the taro root released too much of its properties into the potion. And you know full well that excessive amounts of taro root, when mixed with dragonfly wing, as this was, is knows to cause temporary blindness."

Draco sighed and nodded his head, but didn't speak. Snape continued. "However, you ingested only a small amount, which should lessen the duration of the blindness. Unless I can find a potion that will counteract the effects, the blindness will last about six months before wearing off on its own."

Draco heard Ticia gasp. "Six months?" she cried, "But that's such a long time!"

"Six months is far more preferable to permanent," Snape retorted sensibly.

When Ticia didn't respond, Draco assumed she must have nodded her head. Snape was right, six months, though not a fun prospect, was far more appealing then this being a permanent affliction. "What is the chance that you'll be able to find a potion to counteract this more quickly?" he finally asked.

Snape was quiet for a few moments before answering. "I'll begin searching immediately, and with any luck, it won't take more than a few days. Then it is only a matter of how long the potion will take to make."

Draco felt Ticia squeeze his hand. "That sounds promising, Uncle Sev," she replied. "Maybe I can help."

"I have enlisted Mr. Travers for that already, Ticia. I believe you're best able to help by remaining at your brother's side," Snape replied. "He'll need you now more than ever to support him."

Draco felt Ticia lean into him and give him a hug. "Of course, Uncle Sev, if that's what you want," she replied while resting her head on Draco's shoulder again. He frowned while she began to pet his cheek lovingly. Was this really how the next six months were going to be?

Draco was in the middle of this contemplation when Ticia asked him an important question. "What are we going to tell the family?" she asked quietly. "We should, don't you think?"

He sighed and thought about this for a moment. He hadn't really had a chance to think about his family yet. Lisandra was here at the school, and would need to be told. As soon as she found out, he'd have to let Tanith know what had happened. And he probably should tell his parents as well. It was not a fun prospect.

Finally, he nodded his head. "Yes, we need to tell them," he replied. "I'd like to tell Lisandra first, since she's already here."

Ticia stood up and began to walk away from him. "I'll go find her," she said, "She should know now."

Before Draco knew it, he was alone. He turned his head to the left, and then to the right, trying to pick up on any sounds, but heard only the gentle sound of somebody putting objects on a shelf or counter somewhere. He assumed it was Master Wilkes going about his day. How could that man go on like nothing was wrong when such a horrible thing had happened?

He was almost ready to call out to Wilkes and tell him what he thought, when he was interrupted from his thoughts by the sound of people running into the room. Within seconds, he was being attacked by them. He felt very vulnerable to not see what was happening to him, but calmed down after a while when he realized it was Lisandra and Ticia.

"Oh father, this is terrible!" Lisandra cried on his right side before kissing his cheek. "Auntie told me what happened."

Draco wrapped his arms around his daughter, and drew her into a hug. It felt good to have one of his children near him at this time. He only wished he could see her face. "Lisandra, I don't want you to fret over this," he said reassuringly while patting her soft hair. "Snape is going to find a cure."

Lisandra wrapped her hands around his arm and clung tightly to him. "I hope so, father," she whimpered. "You just can't be blind forever."

Draco allowed Lisandra to remain close to him like this for a long time. He wasn't used to being so close to his children for such an extended period of time like this, but had to admit that it was quite comforting and nice to have a strong connection to his child.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but after a while, he felt another person sit down next to him. "Draco, I owled Tanith," Ticia's voice said quietly. "I figured we'd give you some extra time to deal with this before bringing the rest of the family into it."

Draco sat back in his bed, and allowed Lisandra and Ticia to dote upon him while they waited to hear from Tanith. He was certain she'd be distraught over this, as would Melantha and Rouvin, and was resolved to remain strong on their behalf. He was the head of his family, and it wouldn't do for him to act undignified in any fashion.

After a couple hours, he heard footsteps quickly approaching the Hospital wing, as well as hushed whispers. Ticia stood and went to go see who it was. Within a minute, Tanith was a Draco's side, hugging and petting him, and kissing his cheeks.

"How are you feeling, dear?" she asked while taking one of his hands in hers, and holding it tightly.

"I'm as well as can be expected at the moment," he replied while squeezing her hand encouragingly. "I expect Severus will find a cure with little problem."

"Oh father, I hate to see you this way!" Melantha cried out while wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Rouvin is worried too, though he says boys are supposed to be brave and not show it."

Draco frowned and held out his free hand. "Rouvin, come to me, son," he called out kindly. But several seconds passed, and Rouvin didn't approach him. When he called out again, there was still no response. "Son, where are you?" he asked.

Instead of Rouvin walking to him, Draco heard the sounds of small feet running away, and out of the room. People called out for him to return, but Draco shook his head. "Leave him be for now," he said quietly.

A memory flashed into his head, of being a grown man and seeing Lucius fall without the support of his cane during their huge fight years ago. Even at that older age, it had still troubled Draco deeply to see his seemingly invincible father, frail and helpless before him. In spite of his best efforts to remain angry with Lucius, his father's state had worn away the anger, leaving only fear and pity behind. It had made the pit of his stomach drop, and he'd felt almost panicked. Draco could only assume that Rouvin was feeling the exact same thing about him now. He decided to leave his son alone with his feelings before sending Tanith to fetch him.

When Draco had finished reassuring his wife and daughters that he was doing all right, Ticia went to Severus's office to contact Lucius. It was time to let him know. He decided to tell his mother the next morning, in order to avoid any unnecessary contact between his parents.

Within a short amount of time, Lucius was standing at his son's bed side. Rouvin's braveness seemed to have returned when his grandfather arrived, for he had come to see his father as well.

"Draco, this is terrible, I'm so sorry you have to go through this," Lucius said while stroking his son's pale blonde hair. Ticia began to sob at hearing this. Lucius and Draco both tried to comfort, but she was inconsolable. After several minutes, Lucius finally escorted her out of the room. He returned several minutes later, alone.

"I sent her downstairs to get some dinner," he explained.

Draco nodded his head. "That's a good idea," he replied, "Tanith, why don't you and the children go join Ticia?"

It took a while for Tanith to herd her children away from their father, but soon enough, he and Lucius were alone.

Lucius again sat down next to Draco, and patted his leg. "How are you really, son?" he asked quietly.

Draco smiled ruefully for a second before looking down towards where Lucius's voice was coming from. "I'm as well as can be expected under the circumstances, I suppose," he replied.

Lucius frowned and sniffed. "Wilkes seems to have gone down to the Great Hall for dinner," he mentioned casually.

Draco was silent for a minute longer before speaking again. If they were truly alone, then it wouldn't matter what he said. "I must admit to being a bit apprehensive about all this," he murmured. "There isn't a guarantee that Severus will find a faster cure. And there's always the possibility that something else was wrong with Ticia's potion and I'll never recover."

Lucius took one of Draco's hands in his, and wrapped his free arm around his son's shoulders, holding him close. "The chances of this not wearing off are very slim. I wouldn't waste any time worrying about it," he said in a reassuring tone.

Draco allowed his father to hold him for a minute before gently removing his hand from Lucius's. "Your hands are coarse and calloused, father," he remarked, though not harshly. "I remember when you never took your gloves off, not even at the dinner table."

Lucius smiled sadly. "Yes, I remember those times as well. I'm glad I took them off and let my hands get dirty. I believe the years have been good to me, as they have been to you," he said soothingly. "And don't worry, son, they'll continue to be good to you. I've no doubt about that."

Draco didn't say anything else, but put his hand back in his father's, and took comfort in the confidence the older man exuded. He felt protected in an otherwise dark and unsafe world. It was a moment in time that neither man would ever speak of again, but would never forget.

The quietness was broken when Tanith and the children returned. They were well-fed and happy, and filled the room with their chattering and quarreling. Draco treasured every second of it.

When the time came for the kids to return home, he began to feel apprehensive over being left alone. He took his time hugging his children and wishing them a good night. Rouvin seemed to take a very long time to say his goodbye. Normally, Draco would have admonished him for wasting time, but he didn't mind tonight. He hugged Rouvin and kissed his cheek before they left.

Lucius stayed a while longer before taking his leave. Draco thought he was alone, and was surprised when Ticia returned to sit by his side. "I thought I could read to you," she said quietly. "Have you ever read The Count of Monte Cristo?"

"No, was it written by a Muggle?"

"Yes."

"Ah, that's probably why."

"Do you want me to read something else instead?"

"No, this is fine, I'm sure." Draco was so grateful for her company that he'd have listened to her read a Muggle Studies textbook.

Ticia began to read the story, and he was quickly enthralled with it. The tale of revenge and escape from a prison that greatly resembled Azkaban made Draco think of what his life could have been if he'd made different choices in his past, rather than the ones he had. It made him feel quite grateful for his life.

And for some odd reason, he found himself able to imagine the story much better than he normally could. Perhaps because he couldn't see, there was less to distract him than normal. But whatever the reason, it was a most intense experience, to hear this story being read to him.

After a couple hours, though, Ticia's voice grew hoarse and she started to cough. "I think I need to stop for today," she informed him, much to his disappointment.

She set about wrapping the blankets around him, and tucking him into bed like a child. "Do you want me to stay here with you tonight?" she asked carefully.

Draco didn't want her to think he was helpless, so he quickly replied that he could last the night on his own.

Ticia hugged him fiercely, and left him with a glass of water on the table next to his desk, and clear instructions on how to get to the restroom, should he need it. When that was finished, she left.

Draco was now alone. Alone in the dark. It would take him a very long time to fall asleep that night, and he would remember it, for the rest of his life, as one of the most terrifying nights of his life.

A/N: The title of this chapter is taken from a line from a poem written by Helen Keller, entitled, A Chant of Darkness.


	90. Forced Perspective

Forced Perspective

When Draco woke up the next morning, Ticia was at his side. She helped him walk over to the restroom, and back to his bed when he'd finished. When he was seated, she placed a tray of food on his lap, and handed him a knife and fork. "Do you think you can feed yourself?" she asked cautiously. "It's sausages and scrambled eggs."

"Of course I can," Draco replied in irritation. But he found it more difficult than he'd assumed it would be. Cutting sausages when he couldn't see them was nearly impossible at first, until he got the hang of aiming the knife at where the fork was, and listening for the sound of the knife's clink on the plate when he'd cut through. The food tasted better than he was used to, as well. He didn't know why, but it did. Perhaps because it took so much more work to eat it, or maybe it was because there was nothing else to distract him from focusing on the flavour of the eggs and sausages. Whichever it was, it made him think about it for a while as he continued eating.

By the time breakfast was over, it was time for him to dress for school. Draco insisted on continuing with his classes, saying that his apprentice would finally have a chance to earn his place in the school. "It's about time that boy did some hard work for a change," he muttered while buttoning his robe. "He'll be too busy to flirt with the seventh year girls, won't that be a shame."

"He's not that bad, Draco," Ticia said with a light laugh. "He's never flirted with me."

"That's because he knows I'd kill him if he tried to," Draco replied. Ticia giggled at this as they stood up to leave the room.

Draco walked through the halls, and down the many staircases with his hand on Ticia's shoulder for guidance. He hated to be so dependant on her, and could only imagine how pathetic he must have looked while doing so.

When they arrived in his classroom, Ticia helped him settle into his desk before sitting down next to him. "Ticia, you need to go to your own classes," Draco said with a frown. "You can't miss more school than you already have. I'll be all right with Alexander here."

Ticia began to shuffle her feet and made fretful sounds as she grabbed at his hands. "Don't you want me to stay with you though? I thought I would take care of you until Uncle Sev finds a cure for you," she said in a nervous tone of voice.

"If you miss any more school, Ticia, your grades will suffer for it. I cannot have that happen, and neither would father or Severus," Draco replied firmly. "You go to classes and then you can visit with me at meal times and evenings."

Ticia sighed and gave him a hug. "You're right, I suppose," she replied. "I just hate the thought of leaving you alone." After a few more minutes, she left for class.

Draco carefully felt around his desk, and walked to the centre of it. He intended to remain standing as usual; he wasn't about to let this problem stop him from functioning normally.

He usually had to tell his students to be quiet at the start of class, but today, he could have heard a pin drop. Students quietly walked to their desks and sat down, taking their books out while making as little noise as possible.

He was sure they were all staring at him, trying to see if he looked or acted any differently. Severus must have made an announcement to the school during one of the meals. Draco would have to acknowledge it when class started; there was no way around it.

When class began, he cleared his throat. "Before we get started on the lecture, I wanted to address what you probably already know. There was an accident yesterday, and I have been rendered temporarily blind," he said as calmly as possible. Several of the students gasped or cried out upon hearing this. Apparently not everybody had heard yet. "I want you to know that I don't plan on changing my daily schedule because of this." He remained silent for a moment before speaking again. "Does anybody have any questions before we start?"

As soon as the words left Draco's mouth, he realized his mistake. How could he call on the students when he couldn't see which ones had their hands raised?

As though he'd read Draco's mind, Alexander moved over to stand next to his master, and called on the students for him. Draco had never been more grateful for his apprentice than he was at that moment.

"Yes, Miss Fairley?" Alexander asked.

"Professor…do your eyes hurt?" the girl asked timidly.

Draco shook his head. "No, Miss Fairley, there was never any pain," he replied.

"Yes, Mr. Montague?" Alexander called out to the next child with a raised hand.

"Professor, is it true that the potion burnt out your eyes and that the ones you have now are made of glass?" Montague asked in earnest.

Draco furrowed his brow and opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it again. After a moment of trying to compose himself, he tried again. "No, Mr. Montague, these are my eyes, they were not burned by the potion," he replied while trying not to laugh. How did first years always manage to come up with these sorts of rumours?

He tried to visualize what he'd look like if he had to have both eyes replaced with artificial eyes like the ones his former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, "Mad-Eye" Moody had. That man had looked like enough of a freak with one large goggle eye; Draco couldn't imagine what he'd have looked like with two. It was a truly terrifying thought.

After several more questions, Draco decided it was time to begin the lecture. Alexander once again came to his rescue by putting the lesson on the board for him. It wasn't wise to use a wand when one couldn't see where he was aiming.

The lecture went well, with little interruptions or problems. He remained rooted to the same spot the entire time. He felt quite proud of himself by the end of class for having made it though with no issues.

When all the students were packing up and leaving for their next class, Draco was unexpectedly thrown off kilter. One of his students, he couldn't tell which, ran up to him and threw her arms around his waist. "I'm so glad you're OK, professor!" the girl cried before letting go of him and running out of the classroom.

Draco's heart was pounding over the unexpected encounter. Even though it had been an act of kindness, it had felt more like an assault. He'd had no way of preparing himself for it, and had been thrown back against the desk. What if the desk hadn't been there? He'd have fallen right over. It could have been a most humiliating or even harmful experience. It left him feeling shaken for quite some time afterwards.

The rest of the morning passed in much the same way that the first class had. Lisandra had sobbed quietly through most of his lecture, though. Draco kept her after class for a while, trying to console her and convince her that he would be all right.

"But what if things go wrong and you're blind forever?" she gasped.

"Lisandra, that simply isn't going to happen," Draco replied soothingly while petting her hair. She was always a worrier when it came to him. "I'm going to be fine, I promise," he assured her with more confidence than he truly felt.

He sent her off to her next class with an invitation to join him for lunch in his office. It seemed to cheer her up considerably.

By lunch, Draco was grateful for the break from standing in one spot. Alexander led him to his office before leaving for the Great Hall. Draco made sure to memorize how many steps it took, so he'd never have to have help again.

Ticia arrived a moment afterwards with a tray of food. "I brought crisps and sandwiches," she announced happily while putting food on a plate for him. Lisandra walked into the office and Ticia quickly made a plate of food for her before sitting down to her own lunch.

"So, how are you doing today?" she asked before taking a bite of her roast turkey sandwich.

Draco thought for a minute before answering. "I suppose everything is going well," he said slowly. "The students seem to appreciate my presence."

"Everybody missed you yesterday, father," Lisandra said, "They were all so scared that you were hurt."

Draco couldn't help but feel flattered to know that he was so popular among the students. It wasn't every day that the Potions professor was so widely loved. He enjoyed the rest of lunch with his sister and daughter. He even laughed a few times during the meal.

When lunch ended that day, and Liss had left for her next class, Ticia and Draco were alone. She'd been quiet for most of the meal, but spoke again as they were preparing to leave the room. "Draco? Before I walk you back to class, I just wanted to let you know that I intend to swear off boys until you get your sight back. That way I can devote all of my spare time to helping you," she said firmly.

Draco had to fight back the urge to burst out in peals of laughter to hear this. As much as he liked to imagine that his sister was a pure, chaste young woman, he knew full well she could hardly keep her knees together when any handsome boy spoke suavely to her. He figured that would last a few days until Lupin changed his mind and took her back.

It wouldn't do to insult his sister when she was making a nice gesture. "Well, thank you, Ticia," he finally replied, "I appreciate this very much, though I don't want you to feel obligated to help. You are young, and need to focus on school at this time."

"Oh, but I want to, Draco, I really do," Ticia assured him. "I'll spend every second that I'm not in classes, or asleep, with you. It'll be so much fun!"

Draco figured this would probably help keep her out of trouble, as well as out of the boys' beds. "Well, I'm sure that will be fun indeed," he replied while patting her shoulder. "Now, I can get back to the room on my own, so you go on to your next class. I don't want you to be late."

"Draco, are you sure you can do that? I don't want you to hurt yourself or get lost or anything," Ticia said in a concerned tone.

"Of course I can do it," Draco snapped. Ticia was treating him like a child; he wasn't completely helpless. "I appreciate all that you're willing to do to help me, Ticia, but I assure you I can return to the classroom with no problems."

Before waiting to hear what Ticia said, he turned and began to walk slowly back to his classroom, carefully counting his steps while running his fingers lightly along the stone wall to keep from straying too far or bumping into anything. He made it to his room only a couple minutes later.

Teecie watched as her brother walked slowly back to his class, his head held proudly high. He didn't make one misstep the entire time it took him to walk back to the room. When he disappeared through the door, she sighed and walked off to her next class.

Draco only had a couple classes left that day, and found they flew past quite quickly. He was looking forward to returning to his office, where he'd spend his dinner with his mother. It had been over a month ago when he'd taken her to lunch at the Three Broomsticks, so he couldn't wait to see her again. He frowned at the thought of "seeing" her, though. Still, it would be comforting to hear her voice and know she was with him.

When he arrived at his office, he could smell the aroma of food that a house elf must have left for him. He'd placed an order for a roast beef dinner for two that night, and from what he could smell, the house elves had outdone themselves as usual.

Narcissa knocked on his door several minutes later, and entered the room after he called out for her to come in. "Draco, darling, how are you doing?" she asked in a strained voice while sitting down in the chair next to him. "Shouldn't you be in the hospital wing now that classes are over?"

Draco shook his head, "Mother, I feel fine, really," he replied with a slight smile. "There's nothing they can do for me in the hospital wing, so I might as well stay here."

Narcissa didn't say anything in response, but Draco could sense her disapproval of his choice. Finally, she spoke again. "Well, dinner smells delicious, how about we eat now?" She stood up and began putting food on a plate for her son. Without asking, she cut Draco's roast beef into bite-sized pieces for him.

When Draco took a bite of mashed potatoes, and picked up his knife to cut his meat, he realized that it had been done for him. An odd feeling welled inside of him suddenly. He wanted to throw his plate across the room and scream at his mother for treating him like an invalid. He wanted to rage and curse Ticia for blinding him. At that single moment in time, he hated everybody in the world and wished them all great ill. For his mother's sake, though, he held his tongue, and kept his plate right where it was on the table.

He took a deep breath to calm himself down enough to function for the rest of Narcissa's visit. "Thanks, mother, but I can cut my own meat still," he said tersely.

"Oh, well, you can forgive a mother for trying to help her child," Narcissa replied lightly.

Draco imagined she was waving her hands to dismiss his anger. It was probably best to change the subject before he said something he'd regret. They ended up eating the rest of their dinner in silence.

During pudding, Narcissa began to chatter mindlessly about the latest gossip of her friends and their children's lives. Draco listened with a small smile on his face. Normally this sort of talk would have put him to sleep, but for some reason, he found it fascinating tonight. He listened carefully to her tone of voice, and noticed how she would say certain things in a sarcastic tone, or a truly pleased voice. He'd never noticed before how many voices one person could use.

Several hours passed before Narcissa left for the night. She insisted on walking him to his room and making sure he got safely tucked into bed. He hated being treated like a child, but waited until his mother had left before doing anything about it.

Draco slipped out of his bed, and carefully tried to feel his way around the room. He hit his toe against the foot of a chair and pain coursed through his foot, and up through the rest of his leg. He cried out in pain while kneeling down to caress his hurt toe. "Damn it!" he screamed as he stood back up and grabbed the chair. He picked it up and threw it hard across the room, and continued to scream as the sound of items smashing to the floor met his ears. He didn't know what he'd broken, and he didn't care. All the fear and anger of the last two days that he'd managed to push aside had now resurfaced. It wasn't fair that this was happening to him. He was a good person who didn't deserve this.

He was still yelling mindlessly and tossing pieces of furniture around when somebody spoke to him. "Draco, what's wrong?" Ticia cried out from beside him. Draco was startled and horrified once again at being caught off guard for the second time that day.

All the anger he'd felt towards his mother and Ticia, and the world, boiled over, and he lashed his arm out in the direction his sister's voice had come from. "Get out of here, Ticia!" he screamed, "Now!"

Ticia shrieked as his fist made contact with her shoulder. "Draco, stop!" she cried while attempting to wrap her arms around his waist. "Why are you so upset?"

Draco reached down and grabbed the same shoulder he'd just hit, and squeezed with all his might. "Get out of here! I don't want to see you again, got it?" he screamed while giving her a rough push. He heard Ticia fall to the floor and begin to cry before clambering to her feet and running out of the room.

Draco sank to the ground on his knees and hugged his arms tightly to his chest. He rocked himself back and forth for several minutes while replaying the incident over and over again in his mind. An anguished cry rose up from deep within him, and escaped despite his best efforts to quell it. What had he done? He'd hit and pushed his sister. He'd hit a woman, something he'd always thought himself incapable of doing. Nausea began to creep up through his stomach and he was afraid he'd be ill, though he somehow managed not to. Flashes of the old Lucius Malfoy crept into his mind. Was he turning into his father? Would he start mistreating his children and Tanith next? His night was spent in deep contemplation of what he'd done and what he was going to do about it.

It wasn't until the next morning, when Ticia was not in class that he realized he'd made an even greater error than he had originally thought. She must have chosen to avoid him for the day, for he didn't hear from her for the rest of the entire day. His guilt over what he'd done to Ticia continued to grow when he didn't hear from her.

Draco's guilt quickly turned to fear as he heard from Zeren Travers that Ticia had not been seen in the school since the night he'd hit her. She'd not attended any of her classes, and nobody had thought to inform him until a day afterwards. He angrily called for Severus and demanded an explanation of where Ticia was.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me she was gone?" he cried angrily.

Severus cleared his throat before speaking. "Excuse me if there were slightly more pressing matters I needed to attend to," he said coolly. "Your sister went missing last night around curfew, though I was not informed of it until this afternoon. I don't suppose you have any light to shed on this?"

Draco felt a wave of cold terror slowly pass through his entire body. Where was Ticia? If anything had happened to her because of this…he didn't know what he'd do. "It was all my fault," he said quietly before hugging himself tightly.

Severus sniffed while standing up. "I'm sure it's a fascinating tale that I'll get to hear in great detail upon Ticia's return," he said while walking towards the door of Draco's office. "If you don't mind, I must go find your sister." He left the room without another room after that, leaving Draco alone in his misery.

That afternoon was one of the longest, and worst of Draco's life. He sat in his room, in total darkness, and relived the incident from the day before over and over again in his mind.

Hours must have passed before he heard a sound at the door. He turned his head to the door and listened as a voice spoke. "Draco?" He perked up to hear Ticia's voice as she ran up to him.

She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Draco, I'm sorry I ran away and scared you. I was just so upset that I'd blinded you and that this was all my fault," she said in a muffled tone as she buried her head on his shoulder. "When you hit me, I knew that you hated me and blamed me for this, and you were right to…so I left."

Draco held his sister tightly, not wanting to let go of her. In the short time he'd been blind, he'd come to rely on her a lot for help and support, even if he didn't want to admit it. "Ticia, I don't want you to think anything of the sort," he finally replied. "I was wrong to strike at you, and I hate myself for it. I was just angry over everything from the past couple days and when you surprised me, I just lost control. And you can't blame yourself for any of this, it was an accident." He raised his hands up to her face and traced a finger over her nose and ran his hands over her curls. "And Ticia, you must stop running away like this. You scare us all to death when you do it. It really isn't the actions of an adult."

Ticia held onto him while nodding her head. "I just was so scared and sad and it all just overwhelmed me. You really did frighten me," she said quietly.

"And I am so terribly sorry that I did what I did," he said. "I really do hate myself for it. You have no idea how much."

If Draco could have seen at that moment, he'd surely have noticed Harry Potter standing in the doorway of the room with his mouth agape in shock. He'd heard rumours that Black had been struck blind. Seeing that it was in fact true, and how helpless the man was now, completely dependant on his youngest sister for support and assistance was a sad sight to see.

After a few minutes, Harry slipped out of the doorway and walked back to the main door. Ticia, who'd run to the orphanage after the incident, was now safely back at school. There was nothing left here for him to see. Draco and Ticia were left alone afterwards to continue apologizing to one another.

Over the next few days, Ticia remained at her brother's side during all her free time outside of classes. Draco, for his part, welcomed every visit. And she wasn't the only one paying him visits either. His parents continued to visit him, though never at the same time. Lucius was very careful to always ask when Narcissa was planning to come to the school next, so they never saw one another.

Classes continued in the same way, with Alexander offering even more assistance than usual, and Draco accepting it. In the evenings, Ticia would read to him. He'd come to look forward to this. They were halfway though The Count of Monte Cristo, and he couldn't wait to see how the story ended. It was fascinating what Muggles found to write about. He'd never thought of them in quite the same way since. Ticia had promised to read him a book about something called a "hobbit" next.

The one thing that was stressing him out was the lack of information coming from either Wilkes or Snape. Both men knew he wished to be kept informed of the status of his cure, and he had to assume that no information had to mean that no cure had been found yet. Whenever he questioned them about it, they tried to say it was due to contacts not responding or a lack of available statistics. Whatever the excuse, it still meant that his cure hadn't been found. Draco couldn't stand this, because he was doing as well as he was only because he knew it was temporary. He could manage to live like this for a week or two, if he had to, but six months of utter darkness was out of the question.

Draco managed to put his fears aside though, during his mother's visit on Saturday for tea. Ticia and Lisandra were in attendance as well. Tanith was not there as she was planning to come up for her visit after dinner, so she could spend the night at the school with him. She seemed to need to be near him more now that he was disabled, and Draco was more than happy to accommodate her.

He sat in his chair by the fire and listened to the ladies talking. Lisandra and Narcissa were talking about somebody's coming-of-age party, but after a while, Ticia and Lisandra took over with their chattering about boys and school. Narcissa joined Draco by the fire and listened in on their conversation. Draco couldn't help but feel comfort in his mother's presence. She seemed much warmer to him than normal. As much as he loved her, he'd always found her to be cold and somewhat distant towards him. Not just him, but everybody around her as well. Had his affliction really changed her so much in such a short time?

Draco was contemplating this when he heard a knock on his office door. A moment later, the door opened and the room grew completely silent. A swishing of robes grew louder before stopping close to him.

"Severus, how good of you to join us," Narcissa said in a light tone. "Would you care for a cup of tea?"

Severus cleared his throat before answering. "I have interrupted your gathering; I should come back later," he said in a low tone.

"No, do stay, Uncle Sev," Ticia cried out to him. "Liss and I were just about to leave anyway, weren't we, Liss?"

"Yes…we need to…do something," Liss responded quietly. Within a couple minutes, both girls had kissed Draco goodbye, and fled the room, leaving the three adults in awkward silence.

"Was there something you wanted?" Draco finally asked.

"Yes there was…" Snape replied. "I wanted to update you on the research."

"Yes, how is it going?" Draco asked cautiously.

"Not well, unfortunately," Severus replied. "The one possible cure I found takes six months to brew, so it wouldn't save any time at all."

Draco remained quiet, but heard his mother gasp quietly. He squeezed her hand encouragingly. "Don't worry mother, it's only a temporary setback," he said with false bravado. "They'll probably find the cure tomorrow."

"Let's hope so," Narcissa whispered while wrapping her second hand, now cold and clammy, over his.

"I can assure you, Narcissa, that I will not rest until I find your son's cure," Severus said in a tone that was almost impossible for Draco to determine, for he'd never heard the man speak so before. It sounded almost…comforting. He didn't know what to make of it.

His mind quickly returned to the important matter at hand though. He was going to stay blind for the next six months. What was he going to do? Would he be allowed to continue teaching classes? Would he be sacked? Would everybody start thinking that the blind man wouldn't be able to perform his teaching duties properly and ask him not to return next year? What would he do then? At that moment, Draco had never felt more scared in his entire life. He was grateful for his mother's presence.

Narcissa drew her son towards herself into a slight embrace. She seemed to sense her son's apprehension over this latest setback. "Draco, don't worry, I'm sure Severus will find the cure to your problem very soon. You know he's very good at this," she said comfortingly. "I'm sure this will be his first priority."

"Yes, it will, Narcissa, I promise you," Severus replied quietly. "Now, if you will excuse me, I'll return to my work."

Draco listened as the footsteps faded from the room. He knew he and his mother were now alone. Because of that, he leaned into his mother's embrace, and allowed her to hold him in silence. His pounding heart slowly quieted, until he almost felt at peace. Almost.

Ticia and Lisandra cried a couple hours later when they heard the news from Draco. "I'm so sorry, Draco! I'll stay by your side the entire six months," Ticia assured him. "I'll devote my life to you."

"Me too, father," Lisandra added while giving him a hug. "This coming summer holiday I'll help you every day at home in your study."

"I appreciate that offer, Lisandra," Draco replied, "but I cannot ask you to sacrifice your holiday for me."

"Oh, but I want to, father," Lisandra said quickly.

Draco let his sister and daughter continue to hug him and promise to spend all their free time with him. He found comfort in their devotion to him.

This comfort increased when Tanith arrived for her visit. He was in no mood for an intimate night with her, but she seemed to understand that. She also needed a lot of comforting herself, for she was beside herself with fear for him. His night was spent holding her in his arms and wiping away her many tears. She was always so sensitive to his needs that he could tell it hurt her to the core to know he was to endure such hardship.

Tanith pampered him the next morning by serving him breakfast in bed. He allowed her to help him dress for the day before he left for his first class. He was determined to go about his life as usual as though nothing was wrong. Severus would find a cure in another day or so and then everything would be back to normal.

A week passed with no new advances on a cure. Draco was in the hospital wing with Ticia one evening while she and Wilkes examined his eyes, when the doors slammed open and somebody stumbled into the room. The person was coughing uncontrollably.

"Oh Uncle Sev, what happened?" Ticia cried while jumping up from where Draco was sitting and running over to Snape. "You're covered in soot! And your hair, what happened to it?"

"Acc-acc-dent pot-ion," Severus coughed.

"Here, let me help you to the bed next to Draco's," Ticia said while leading him to the bed.

Draco turned his face towards Severus and frowned. "You smell terrible, you know," he said while wrinkling his nose.

Severus was unable to respond due to the coughing, but he gave Draco a dirty look anyway. Draco of course didn't know that.

Master Wilkes rushed over to the injured man and began to examine him. "You've singed your lungs," he finally said after a couple minutes. "You're lucky you're alive." He helped Severus sit back into the bed and pulled the sheets up around his chest. "You'll need to stay here for the next few days while your lungs heal. I have some potions that will help, but time is best for this case, I'm afraid."

While Wilkes went off to make a few potions, Ticia pulled up a chair between the two beds and began reading aloud to both men. Severus didn't protest this, though he did cough over much of the reading. Draco tried not to be annoyed, after all, the man had been trying to help him out.

Some of the tests Wilkes was running on Draco required him to spend the night in the hospital wing. He was hardly able to sleep at all that night. Even though Wilkes had given Severus a few potions to help heal his injured lungs, most of the night was spent listening to him coughing. He tried sleeping with a pillow over his head, but it didn't work. Since he couldn't see, he was also unable to put a silencing spell on Severus either. He didn't want to risk harming the man with a misaimed spell. By the end of the night, though, he was seriously rethinking that stance.

Draco did manage to fall asleep for a few hours, and he awoke the next morning to a familiar darkness he now knew would be with him for much longer than originally anticipated. What life held in store for him now, he didn't know. He didn't like uncertainty, but it seemed as though he'd have to deal with a lot of things he didn't like, from now on.


	91. Rumours

Teecie's life was extremely hectic right now. Her school workload was almost unbearable, and having to help Draco out during her spare time left her running ragged. There were times that she just wanted to throw herself to the floor and cry for the exhaustion, but she made herself keep going, for Draco's sake. It was all her fault that he was blind, and would remain so for the next six months. Helping him in all her free time was the very least she could do to make up for it.

She'd been consumed with terrible guilt and worry since the accident. She'd been having trouble sleeping ever since because of it. She was determined to stay at his side and help him with anything he needed help with. It was her duty as his sister, and as the cause of the blindness in the first place.

Lucius had tried his best to console her that first day, but she'd been too upset to return to Draco's bedside for a few hours. During her time away, she'd run into James, who'd immediately noticed something was wrong. His eyes had grown wide upon hearing what had happened to her brother.

"Is he going to be OK?" he asked while patting her on the back, though not embracing her.

She'd nodded her head and explained about the possibility of a faster cure than the six month estimate for the potion to wear off.

"How did it happen?" he'd asked.

Teecie had flushed at this question. "I was upset from what happened in the library last week. I didn't sleep all that night, so the next day I was really tired and made a mistake," she'd confessed quietly.

Now it was James's turn to blush. "I…I…" he'd stammered. "I have to go now, Ticia, or I'll be late for class. I'll see you around." With that, he'd turned and hurried off down the stairs, leaving Teecie alone in the empty hallway.

She couldn't stop thinking about it. Why had James reacted the way he had? He'd acted like she was a leper or something, not even giving her the smallest of hugs for comfort. The only conclusion she could reach about it was that he truly no longer loved her.

All of her spare time since the accident had been spent helping Draco. Despite how busy she now was, the ache from not having James in her life never eased. It was a constant, underlying pain that she tried to live with as best she could.

She was doing her best to feel good about what she was doing to help her brother, but the lack of contact with any boys over the last few weeks was beginning to take its toll on her. She had vowed to not enjoy the company of any boy until Draco's eyesight returned, but six months seemed far too long to go without getting together with someone. One evening after reading to Draco, she decided to talk to him about it.

"Draco, do you remember when I said I'd not see any boys until you were better?" she asked while shutting the book she'd been writing to him.

"Yes, I recall something to that effect," Draco replied while raising an eyebrow curiously. "Why?"

"Well…it's been almost a whole month, don't you think that's long enough?"

"What, isn't spending time with your big brother good enough for you?"

"I love spending time with you. It's just…"

"Ticia, I need your help during this time, how can I have any quality time in the evenings if you're not here to read to me? How will I be able to rest easily knowing you're off sleeping with countless boys and I am unable to come to your aid, should you need it? I really would feel more comfortable if you were somewhere that I knew you'd be safe and protected," Draco said with a frown.

Teecie sighed and folded her arms. "I just need one night, how about one night for dates?" she asked quietly.

"You need to work on schoolwork when you're not helping me," Draco said. "That night could be spent on valuable revising. Final examinations are fast approaching after all."

"But Draco…" Teecie moaned. "I have needs you know. If I don't do something about them, I'll go crazy!"

"Ticia, this is not a conversation I'm comfortable having with you. If you have needs, see to them yourself. Now why don't you go back to your dormitory for the night?" Draco said with a tone of finality that made Teecie decide not to continue the conversation any longer.

That night on her way back up to her dormitory, Chewie found her and enticed her back to his dormitory. They ended up spending a couple of hours enjoying one another's company before she went to her room. She felt more satisfied and at ease with herself than she had in quite some time.

Draco never found out that she ended her nights with him by going to Chewie's room for a romp. Her attitude was bright and happy, and that's all he cared about.

The one person who did find out about Chewie was James. "You're shagging Brockman?" he asked one evening in the Gryffindor common room.

James had hardly spoken to Teecie since he'd broken up with Chloe. She was happy he was finally speaking to her again, but didn't want to speak about such things in front of everybody. After pulling him into a corner of the room, she spoke. "Yes I am, but how did you find out?" she whispered.

"He told me after Quidditch practice today. He seemed quite proud of the fact actually," James said. "He said that you were very talented in the art of shagging. He also went into great detail describing some of the…things you'd done together. You might notice his black eye the next time you see him…"

Teecie was horrified to find out that Chet was talking about their private activities to other people. "Who else has he told? Did he say?" she asked in a quiet voice while her cheeks burned with humiliation.

"He didn't say anything about that, but he sure seemed awfully proud of it," James replied.

Teecie was very uncomfortable to be standing next to James while discussing this topic. For once, she felt ashamed of her passionate acts with Chet and all the other boys she'd ever been with, except for James. Maybe she really was the slut Zeren had thought she was…

"You must think I'm such a slapper," Teecie murmured while looking at the floor.

James reached out and grabbed her hand. "Don't say that about yourself!" he said sharply. "I look at you and I look at a girl like Roxanne, and I hardly see anything similar about you two. You like to have a bit of fun, just like anybody else. She uses sex to get things from people, and to make herself higher up in society. You're not like that at all. Besides, it's not as though I didn't have my fair share of fun after we broke up, though nothing was as fun as it was with you of course."

Teecie blushed again to hear this. James didn't hate her for knowing she'd slept with other boys than him. A wave of relief passed over her. As she looked up from the floor, she saw that her hand was still in his. She squeezed it gently and smiled at him. "Thank you, James," she said.

James smiled softly before withdrawing his hand from hers. "No problem," he replied. "Well, I'd better get off to studying now, I have an essay due tomorrow and I haven't started it yet."

"I need to go see how Draco is, so I guess I'll see you tomorrow then," Teecie said before waving and turning to leave the room.

Teecie's mood was lifted after speaking with James. Several days passed while she was still feeling this way. She grew even happier when Master Wilkes made an announcement at the end of their lessons one day. "I have been told about a wonderful job opportunity available to one of you students this upcoming summer holiday," he began while the students gathered around him. "The Hogsmeade adventure camp is looking to hire an assistant for their healer. I thought I would offer the job to the student with the highest marks at the end of the term. What do you think?"

All the students in the class began to chatter excitedly about this new opportunity. Teecie thought it sounded like loads of fun. She wondered if she stood a chance at making the highest marks this term. She decided to try her very hardest to get that job, though she'd have to discuss it with Draco first. He might want her to stay and help him over the summer.

As she was hurrying down to Draco's office to talk to him after class, she came across Chet in the hallway outside the Great Hall surrounded by a group of his friends. She'd been too busy lately to deal with him after finding out from James what he'd said, but now she decided to take the time out to confront him. As she marched over to him, she could hear what he was saying.

"I'm telling you, she's the most willing girl I've ever been with. Any time I want, I just find her and she never says no. I'm telling you, there's a reason she's called 'Easy Teecie,' she totally is," he bragged while high-fiving a couple of his friends. "Anything you want her to do, she'll do. Next time I'm with her, I'll try to bring a couple of you guys along too. Maybe she'll take on a whole group of us, I don't see why she wouldn't."

By this time, several of Chet's friends noticed Teecie and carefully slinked off into the Great Hall to avoid the fight that was sure to come from this. Teecie was fuming and rolled up her sleeves while marching up to Chet and jabbing him in the chest with a finger. "How dare you speak about me like this?" she screamed. "You disgust me, you pig! We're so through, and if you ever speak to me again, I'll hex you so hard you're clothes won't fit, you got it?" With that, she clenched her fist and punched Chet's right eye, ensuring that by tomorrow he'd have a matched set of black eyes.

Unfortunately, she chose the wrong time to do this, for the Headmaster was walking down the stairs towards the Great Hall at the same time. "What is the meaning of this?" Snape barked while walking up to the pair. He looked back and forth between Teecie and Chet, who stood in complete silence.

Teecie bit her lip and narrowed her eyes before turning back to Chet and kicking him hard in the shins. "Uncle Sev, you should have heard the horrible things he was saying about me," she cried, "I was merely defending my honour."

Snape turned to look at Chet, who was now hopping around and rubbing at his sore shin. "Is that true, Mr. Brockman?" he asked coolly.

"Of course not, sir, I would never be disrespectful like that," Chet replied. "I was talking to my buddies and she just attacked me suddenly."

Snape glanced at Teecie, who was still fuming, and then back at Chet. The boy towered over Teecie by at least half a foot, and out-weighed her by about four stone. She was hardly a match for him in a fight. She would never have attacked him without provocation. "Well then, you'll have to make sure you stay out of her way in the future, will you not, Mr. Brockman?" he finally said. "That will be all, you may go." Chet scowled at Teecie before shaking his head and stalking off to the Great Hall.

Teecie sighed and looked at Uncle Sev. "He called me 'Easy Teecie,'" she murmured while blushing. "I had to do something about it."

Snape sniffed disapprovingly. "As Headmaster I cannot condone violence among the students, Ticia," he said quietly. As he slowly walked towards the Great Hall, he called out once more to her. "It is a good thing that I did not see anything happen."

Teecie smiled to herself and sighed before turning and walking down to Draco's office. It was a sad lesson to learn to have to be more trusting of the boys she went to bed with. She'd thought Chet was a harmless guy that she could have some fun with; she had no idea he was capable of spreading such stories about her. That just proved to her that she would have to date a guy at least once or twice and really get to know him before sleeping with him. She hadn't ever dated Chet before sleeping with him, which was probably the problem. They'd flirted together a couple times in the Great Hall before snogging in the hallway one afternoon after classes. She'd gone to bed with him the next evening. Looking back on it, Teecie could really see where she'd gone wrong with that relationship. Maybe that had been a little too casual.

She helped improve her mood to tell Draco about the summer job opportunity. "I don't want to leave you alone over the holiday if you'd like me to stay with you, though," she said in conclusion.

Draco quickly shook his head. "No Ticia, if you have the chance at this job, I want you to take it. This is a great chance for you and your career," he replied with a smile. "I imagine you'll learn many new things and it will also give you an advantage over other healing students looking for a job one day."

Teecie smiled and put her hand on his. "Thanks, Draco," she replied. "Hopefully I'll get the job, but you never know." They spent the rest of the evening reading The Magician's Nephew.

When they'd finished for the night, Teecie walked her brother back to his room. "So, do you think if we explored all the cabinets and wardrobes in the school we might find a way into Narnia?" she asked with a grin.

Draco chuckled and shook his head. "You would want to find a magic land ruled by a great big lion, wouldn't you?" he chuckled. "I guess you aren't a Gryffindor for nothing…"

As Teecie walked away from him to return to her dormitory, Draco turned towards her footsteps. "Ticia," he called, "Just make sure if you look into any cabinets to be careful. I had a friend get stuck in one of those back in school, and he got really messed up because of it. You don't want to mess with those, trust me."

Teecie went to bed that night feeling uplifted and almost forgot about her problems with Chet. The next morning, however, brought them back to the forefront of her mind.

It seemed that Chet didn't appreciate getting in trouble with the Headmaster, and had continued to tell anybody he could about her willingness to sleep with him. Boys hooted and whistled at her as she walked to her table for breakfast. A couple walked up to her and asked her to parties they were going to, or on dates. She turned them all down flat.

Carl and Rey were sitting a few seats away from her, and watched as the boys harassed her with frowns on their faces. They finally moved closer to her. "It's Brockman, isn't it?" Rey asked. "All the guys around school are talking about you now."

Teecie nodded her head. "I broke off with him yesterday and he's been telling anybody who'll listen about what a good time I am," she murmured. Her eyes filled with tears and she began to cry. "I don't like the way all the boys are looking at me," she sniffled.

Carl wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. "Don't cry, honey," he said. "Don't give him that power over you." He and Teecie had had some problems a couple years back, but they'd made their peace since then. He didn't want to see his friend in pain.

Rey patted her hand. "That's right, Ticia. Your friends are here to help you," he said while looking around the Great Hall. Perhaps it was time to call for help with this problem. He didn't like to see his friends hurting like Ticia was now.

That evening, he and Carl discussed the best way to help her. They both decided that the more people involved with helping to quell the rumours, the better.

"I just think we should do all we can to help her," Carl said as he nuzzled Rey's ear. "I mean, she's always been so supportive of us. And she was your first and last girlfriend," he said before swatting Rey's backside playfully. "At least, she'd better be!"

Rey smiled shyly. "She is definitely the last girlfriend I'll ever have," he said before kissing Carl. "And really, she was nothing compared to you."

Carl smiled and curled up next to Rey on his bed. "Well, I knew that…" he joked. "All right, tomorrow, we'll start talking to our housemates about it. I'm sure Daniel and Patty are up for it, and James of course," he said. "Do you think Travers would help? He should, he went out with Teecie long enough."

Rey nodded his head. "I don't think he'd want to let Lupin help alone and take all the credit. He'll definitely do his share."

"Good, well, that'll be a relief for her."

The next morning, the two young men went about asking their respective housemates for help with the rumours. As expected, Daniel and Patty were more than happy to help. "That's what friends are for," Daniel said to Carl with a shrug as though it was obvious. "I've been looking for a good reason to pound that Brockman guy anyway. He thinks he's the best beater in the school, but he's the one who's gonna get beaten."

Zeren was also more than willing to help. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for Ticia," he said quietly to Rey during breakfast.

Carl spoke to James during their free period that morning. He seemed taken aback to be asked by Carl. "Why didn't she come to me herself? I could kick Brockman's arse and tell him to quit if I'd known it was still happening," he muttered.

"I dunno, mate, maybe you ought to talk to her about it," Carl replied.

James seemed put out by this, but agreed to help anyway. He made sure to sit next to Teecie at lunch, along with the rest of their friends who'd agreed to help. Zeren sat on her other side, and the two boys spent most of the meal glaring angrily at one another.

Teecie was grateful for everybody's help. "What wonderful friends you all are," she cried. "I'm so lucky to have you all in my life."

Paige smiled and gave her a hug. "That's what we're all here for," she replied.

James lingered behind when everybody else had left for their next classes. "Teecie, why didn't you tell me you needed help?" he asked quietly.

Teecie bit her lip and folded her hands together as she sat at the table. "I…I wasn't sure if you'd be willing to help or not," she admitted. "You've made it clear that you aren't interested in me anymore, and I didn't want to pressure you."

James sighed and put his hand on hers. "I'm sorry I made you go through this on your own so far. I wish I could have pounded that guy to a pulp the minute he started this. All I did was give him a lousy black eye," he said regretfully. "And just because I'm not ready to be a couple again yet, doesn't mean I'm not still your friend. I will always be there for you, Teecie, no matter what."

Teecie smiled and gave him a small hug. "Thanks James," she said, "I've really hated not having you in my life, even as just friends."

For the rest of the week, Teecie and her friends worked tirelessly to stop the spread of rumours. So far, Draco seemed not to have heard any of them. He was living a much more sheltered life these days, and Teecie and Liss were able to control what sorts of things he did or didn't find out about.

Liss was helping to quell the rumours as well. She yelled at a first year girl in the hallway for pointing and snickering at Teecie.

"You can't do that to my aunt Ticia!" she cried angrily. "If you do that again, I'll make sure my father gives you detention!"

Teecie smiled at this and put her arm around Liss's shoulders, when the other girl had scampered away in pure terror. "Thanks, Liss, I really appreciate that," she said.

Liss moved her arm to hold her aunt's waist. "Don't mention it," she replied with a smile.

By the end of the week, it was apparent that James and Zeren both wanted to be the one who confronted Chet about the rumours. They butted heads several times over it, sometimes in front of Teecie, and sometimes when she wasn't around.

"I should get to do it, seeing as you stole Teecie and totally ruined my life," James growled in Zeren's face. The two young men had run into one another in the hallway after their last class of the week. Seeing as Teecie was nowhere in sight, they took advantage of the time to argue with one another.

Zeren frowned and folded his arms. "Please Lupin, don't delude yourself. Ticia came very willingly to me," he said smoothly, "If you can't handle that fact, then I doubt you'll handle Brockman any better. What did you plan on doing? Tearing out his throat?"

James growled again and clenched his fists. "I'm not an animal you know!" he cried defensively.

Zeren sighed and rolled his eyes. "You are so common, did you know that? We have the chance to handle this with class and dignity, and you want to disembowel him. You must have inherited some of your father's wolf blood."

James's eyes glinted dangerously and he stepped closer to Zeren. "Don't you dare-"

Zeren cut him off before he could continue. "Look, Lupin, I don't want to start a fight with you. I just want to make sure this gets handled properly," he said calmly. "Ticia deserves that, and if that means we work together, than that's what we'll have to do. I suppose I can deal with you for a little while, I mean, somebody has to keep you under control."

James glared at him for a minute before smirking. "You really do love her, don't you?" he asked sharply.

Zeren's nostrils flared for a moment before he frowned. "Let's just take care of this, all right?" he replied tonelessly.

The two debated for a while over how to handle the situation. Should this be done privately or in public? Should Teecie be present or not? When? Where? Both boys felt it was vital to have everything planned out. In the end, they decided to confront him the next morning on the Quidditch pitch, after Hufflepuff's practice time.

Teecie was unaware that any of this was being planned. She spent so much of her free time with Draco that she didn't know what was going on anymore, which was fine by her. The less she heard about the rumours, the better. She was throwing herself into her studies in order to get the summer job as well. At the moment, there was so much going on in her life, that she had room in her mind for boys, and all her problems with them.

Draco still seemed to be unaware of what was being said about his sister. He was consumed with helping her revise for her final examinations, even though they were a couple months away. Teecie was grateful for the help, and stayed as late into the evenings as she could.

It was because she stayed up so late revising on Friday that she slept in on Saturday morning. She never saw what happened with James, Zeren, and Chet. James and Zeren set off for the Quidditch pitch soon around midmorning. They sat in the stands and watched as Hufflepuff practiced. Neither boy spoke, keeping their thought to themselves instead. At the end of practice, the rest of the team went into the locker room to change, while Brockman continued to fly around the pitch.

James and Zeren stood up and walked out of the stands, and over to the locker room door to wait for him. It took about ten minutes for him to reach them. He looked surprised to see them at first, but his expression soon became one of triumph.

"Can I help you _boys_?" he asked pointedly while looking down his nose at both of them.

James growled and opened his mouth to speak, but Zeren beat him to it. "Brockman, we'd like a word with you about the rumours you've been spreading about Miss Orendes," he began in a business-like tone. "You need to stop these rumours and make a public retraction, today."

Brockman frowned and folded his arms. "Why should I? I haven't been saying anything that didn't actually happen," he replied with a yawn. "Maybe you're just jealous because she wouldn't do all that stuff with you? Well, sorry _boys_, there's just some things a girl's willing to do with a real man that she wouldn't do with a boy."

James lunged at Chet, forcing Zeren to physically restrain him. "Please Brockman, you're only one year ahead of us," Zeren said in a strained voice as he held back the snarling James.

"Yeah, but I'm two years older," Brockman bragged.

Zeren's brow furrowed at hearing this. "You were held back a year?" he asked.

Brockman shrugged his shoulders. "What? It's not like it's that big of a deal," he replied.

"It's just not something most people go around bragging about," Zeren said. He scratched his chin for a moment before continuing. "Let me ask you, Brockman, what do you plan on doing after school?"

"What, like on Monday?"

Zeren rolled his eyes. "No, like when you leave Hogwarts forever."

"Oh, well, I'm going to go back to my family's farm, probably. We raise magical livestock."

"I see," Zeren said, his eyes glinting. "Well, I plan on taking over my family's business as well, Brockman. And I can assure you, that if you don't retract the rumours you've been spreading about Miss Orendes, I will personally make certain that nobody in Britain will ever buy products from your farm."

Chet looked at him blankly. "What do you mean? Do your folks own a farm too?" he asked.

James was still struggling against Zeren, and when Travers let go of him for a moment due to the shock of Chet's idiocy, James took his chance. He lunged at Chet and threw him to the ground. He had the older boy in a full nelson before speaking. "Listen, tool, either you take back what you said about Teecie, or I'm going to pound the hell out of you, got it?" he growled. "So what'll it be?"

Chet struggled to get out of James's grip, but was unable to free himself. "Come on guys, if you shagged the hottest chick in the school, you'd brag about it too," he croaked weakly.

Zeren stooped down so he was at eye level with Chet. "You forget, we did," he said coolly, "And neither of us has ever bragged about it. We preferred to be respectful of Ticia."

"That's right, we respect her, and you'd better too, if you know what's good for you," James added.

Chet tried to get free again, but to no avail. "Oh…fine…" he grumbled. "I'll apologize to her."

"Publicly," Zeren added.

"Fine…publicly," Chet accepted while hanging his head. "Now will you let me go?"

James held onto him for a moment longer before letting do of him and standing up. "That'll teach you to mess with Teecie," he said a Chet stood up and brushed himself off. "Nobody messes with her and gets away with it. That's my future wife, you know!"

"Now, today at lunch, you'll apologize to Ticia," Zeren said as Chet shuffled off to the locker room. "And you'd better do it, because we'll be watching."

James snorted at Chet disappeared from their view. "Well, I guess Teecie will be happy that this is all over now," he said triumphantly.

Zeren frowned and folded his arms. "I had the situation under control," he said accusingly. "You didn't have to interfere."

James shrugged his shoulders. "No, but I got the problem solved more quickly, didn't I?" he replied.

"Only because you're closer to his mental level," Zeren retorted. "People like you only understand pain, or the threat of it. I wonder…is that how you'll be around Ticia? Will you smack her around in order to keep her under your control?"

James narrowed his eyes. "I would never hit Teecie. How dare you even suggest such a thing?"

"Your temper, that's how I dare. If anybody gets in your way or upsets you, you just hit them. Typical Gryffindor cowboy attitude. Ticia could do so much better than you, and she deserves more as well." As James opened his mouth to respond, Zeren spoke again. "And if I ever hear of you hitting or threatening Ticia, I'll make sure you don't live to regret it. I will always keep my eyes on her, you got that Lupin?" Before James could respond, Zeren turned and walked away, feeling satisfied over having gotten the last word.

James was fuming by the time he returned to the school. Zeren's words resounded in his ears in spite of his best efforts to forget them. Was he really no more then a bully? Did his father's wolf blood really run through his veins? Is that why he was so hot headed? Was that how he'd be towards Teecie and any children they might have? He was feeling completely overwhelmed by the time he'd reached the Great Hall for lunch.

His worries were temporarily forgotten as he watched Chet apologize to Teecie in front of the lunch crowd. He was glad to see the end of the rumours. And as both he and Zeren had no inclination to let Teecie know of their involvement in all this, he was confident that she'd never find out why Chet was now apologizing to her.

He didn't stay too long, finding that he didn't have much of an appetite. Instead, he joined his father in his office for a heart-to-heart talk. Perhaps Remus would have ideas on how to restrain himself that James could try.

Remus sat at his desk and watched as his son fidgeted in his chair. "James, son, what's wrong?" he asked with a frown.

"I need to know how you deal with anger," he blurted out quickly.

Remus frowned and took a deep breath. "Well, let me think," he began, "I try to realize why I am angry, and what can be done to rectify the situation. I try to remain calm and deal with the situation at hand."

James nodded his head slowly while listening to this. "And what do you do when you really want to tear somebody's guts out?" he asked.

Remus frowned again and looked at his son carefully. "I can't say I've ever wanted to tear somebody's guts out," he replied. "Is there somebody you're having troubles with?"

"A couple somebody's actually," James said. "But I want to stop being so angry all the time. I just don't know how."

"Well, you could try to do things that are relaxing. What do you think about trying to do something like yoga?"

"Yoga? Like the stuff you put on granola?"

"No…that's yogurt, James. Yoga is an exercise technique as old as the stars. It uses your muscles by stretching them out. It's pretty amazing really."

"Have you ever done it?"

Remus nodded his head. "Yes, I have. After the first war ended…I had a lot to be angry about…I found the yoga helped clear my mind and strengthen me as well."

James bit his lip. He never liked to hear about his father's pain after the first war. His life had been so difficult before he'd married Tonks. James thought that if the exercising had helped Remus in those hard times, then maybe it would help him through the troubles that seemed far less important in comparison.

"Maybe it'll work for me too," he said quietly. "Maybe over the summer holiday I can take lessons."

"We can look into classes in London or somewhere nearby. If you think that will help, then I'll help you find somewhere to take lessons."

"Thanks dad, I really appreciate this." James gave his father a hug before leaving the office. Remus, for his part, hugged his son fiercely, hoping to quell his fears about any anger issues he may think he had. James was a teenager, anger came with the territory, but if yoga would help soothe his soul, then what harm could come of it?

James returned to his dormitory and spent the rest of the day lying in bed and contemplating his life.

Teecie was thrilled when she went to lunch on Saturday, and got a wonderful surprise. Chet walked up to her at the Gryffindor table, and tapped her on the shoulder. She was surrounded by al her friends and defenders, and looked nervously up at him. He stood there, with a conflicted look on his face. He was biting his lower lip and wringing his hands nervously.

"I…I…want to apologize to you for the rumours I've been spreading around the school," he mumbled while looking at the floor. "It was wrong of me, and I'm really sorry."

Teecie bit her lip while considering his words. Chet was going to stop the rumours, which was good, but he'd still started them in the first place. Her reputation would never again be what it had been. She stood up and motioned for him to follow her out of the Great Hall. He followed her in silence.

"Chet, why did you do this to me?" she asked in earnest when they were out in the hallway alone. "I never did anything to you."

Chet sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "It's just that you're the highest ranking girl I've ever been with. Nobody cares about us Huffs, until you have a claim to fame, and you were mine," he said. "I let it get out of control and let my pride run wild. I really am sorry, Teecie. I know you probably won't forgive me, and I won't ask you to, but I wanted to let you know that I was sorry, and that I'm going to stop the rumours. I'm going to take it all back."

Teecie smiled and reached out to pat his arm. "I'm really glad about that, Chet," she replied. "It's really hurt me a lot to know that people are thinking such terrible things about me. And I also think it's a good thing that my brother never found out, because he'd have killed you and made it look like an accident," she said with a grin.

Chet gulped and grew pale. "I sort of thought that since he's not around as much anymore…"

Teecie shook her head. "Blindness wouldn't stop him from defending my honour," she informed him gravely. "Hopefully he'll never find out."

Chet nodded his head silently as he took all this in. "Well, I should probably go and stop those rumour now," he croaked finally. He backed slowly away from her, and scurried away down towards his house, leaving Teecie alone in the hallway.

Teecie shook her head and sighed to herself. Somebody put him up to this, she thought, but which one? James or Zeren? She decided it was probably a joint effort, knowing how competitive the two boys were. It was sweet of them to help her out in her hour of need.

As she walked back to the Great Hall to finish her lunch, she saw Zeren walking out of the room. "Zeren…did you have something to do with that?" she asked with a grin. "I think you did."

Zeren's face was unreadable, and he acted as though he didn't know what had happened. "What do you think I did?" he asked nonchalantly.

"I think you must have threatened Chet somehow, and that's why he just apologized to me," she replied while he walked over to her and took her arm in his.

"I'm not sure I know what you're talking about, but if Brockman is leaving you alone now, then I suppose that's a good thing," he said while escorting her outside the school to take a walk on the grass. It was a warm day in late April, ideal for walking.

Teecie stopped, and waited for him to stop and turn to her before speaking. "Zeren, I want to thank you for all your help and support during this whole ordeal." She threw her arms around him, and hugged him fiercely.

Zeren smiled and looked at her for a moment before leaning down to kiss her cheek. Teecie closed her eyes and held him. They didn't speak, but embraced for several minutes before moving apart and continuing their walk.

"You know I would do anything for you, Ticia," Zeren said in a quiet voice while taking his hand in hers. "I didn't like how we broke up. I didn't like how I'd made you feel. I wanted to make it up to you."

Teecie flushed and squeezed his hand. "I really was hurt when we broke up. Chet was a good escape from that, and that's all he ever was," she said. "I feel like you and I didn't have a good 'farewell' to our relationship. I mean, we had that time in the Forest, but the centaurs ruined it."

Zeren nodded his head. "It's a funny memory, but not the one I would like to attach to how I feel about you," he said in agreement.

Teecie sat down on a log by the lake. "So what do we do about it?"

Zeren sat down next to her. "We need to replace that memory with a different one. One that shows how we felt for one another."

Teecie nodded her head. "When? Where?"

"Tonight, in our old room," Zeren said, "One last time, one last memory. And then we can move on."

"All right, I like that idea. I'll meet you there after dinner tonight." With that, the two embraced once more, and walked back to the school.

That night, Ticia and Zeren made many happy memories to take with them throughout their lives. They made tender, sweet love to one another, and slept in one another's arms. The next morning, they shared one last loving encounter and one final kiss, before going their separate ways.

The next time Teecie saw James, she gave him a hug, just as she had Zeren, and thanked him for his help with Chet.

"It was nothing, really," he replied sheepishly.

"It was a great deal more than nothing," Teecie said. "You really helped me a lot when I needed you the most."

The look on James's face spoke volumes to her. He clearly loved her still; he'd never stopped. He'd just been hurt so badly that he needed time to heal. When he was ready, he'd take her back, and she would be waiting, patiently, for that time.

Over the next month, Teecie found a new resolve within her that kept her from running around with any other boy at the school. She spent all her free time doing her best to score highest in Master Wilkes's class to get the summer job. She wanted a chance at that job; it would be a great opportunity for her.

Life slowly returned to normal. Boys stopped harassing Teecie after Chet publicly took back all he'd been saying about her. James was in her life more than he had been over the last several months. They were slowly regaining the friendship they'd all but abandoned earlier in the year. They weren't able to spend as much time together as they might have liked, for Draco still demanded much of her free time. She didn't mind, though, for he loved to listen to her read stories, and in return, he helped with her schoolwork.

"We'll get you that job, I know it," Draco said with a smile one night after she finished reading Peter Pan.

"I sure hope so," Teecie replied. "The summer will be really boring if I don't get it."

"Well, there's still time to keep revising. Don't quit yet, you're doing so well."

"Thanks, Draco," Teecie said with a smile. She decided that there wasn't any point to worrying about it yet, she'd know for better or for worse how she did in a month. Until then, all she could to was her very best.


	92. The Honey Stand

The Honey Stand

June had finally arrived at Hogwarts. Students were excited about the end of the year, as well as nervous over end of term exams. Teecie felt confident that she had done her best to revise for the exams and that there was nothing else she could do to prepare. When exam time came and went, she felt pretty good about all her classes. Draco had really helped her out with revising.

The results for the exams weren't due until the final Monday of the school year, and so most of the older students passed the time the weekend before, in Hogsmeade. It was a good way to spend time with the friends they'd not see over the summer holiday.

James and Teecie went together into town with a large group of friends, and had a wonderful time. He ended up buying her a bag of strawberry chocoballs, her favourites. Teecie bought him a box of mint chocolate frogs, and they sat outside on a bench sharing their treats and watching people pass them by.

After a lunch eaten with their friends at the Three Broomsticks, they walked outside to see a large group of people gathering at the centre of town. There was a small stage that had been erected in the middle of the street, and people were milling about trying to figure out what it was for.

Teecie had just popped her last chocoball in her mouth when she noticed somebody walking onto the stage and towards a podium that had suddenly appeared. The person waved her wand and a banner reading "Jubilee Celebration" appeared above her and began to flap around in the breeze. Balloons also dotted the stage. There was also a small band playing instruments at the bottom of the stage.

James grabbed Teecie's hand and pulled her over towards the commotion, and they made it to the front of the crowd by the time the woman at the podium began to speak. "I'm so glad everybody could make it today, for I have a wonderful announcement to make," she said while motioning to people behind her on the stage to move forward. Teecie smiled to see Harry Potter and Professor Hermione Weasley among the people on the stage, though they looked less than thrilled to be there.

"Hey, there's my dad!" James cried while pointing to him and waving. Remus discreetly waved from where he stood next to the woman at the podium. "And my mum!" Sure enough, Tonks was there too.

The woman at the podium cleared her throat and glared at James until he blushed and stopped waving. "Anyway, as I was saying," she continued, "It brings me great pleasure to make this auspicious announcement. I, Minister Vane, am proud to announce that this coming year marks the twentieth anniversary of the end of the second war, and the total destruction of Lord Voldemort. Of course we all have Mister Harry Potter to thank for that." When the crowd broke into loud cheers and applause, Minister Vane took the opportunity to put her arm around Harry, who was standing next to her, and smiled proudly. "Yes, I believe I can safely say for all of us, that we love and admire Harry for all he has contributed to our world and our community during and after the war. It is because of his contributions, that I am declaring this year, the Harry Potter Jubilee. Each month between now and next June, there will be an official event, all leading up to the dedication of the war memorial."

There was more cheering and applause now. People began to chatter excitedly over this revelation. Teecie and James grinned at one another. "What sorts of events do you think they'll have?" she asked while hopping up and down gleefully. "Maybe a dance or something!"

James smiled and glanced up at his parents. "Who knows?" he replied. "But I'm sure it'll be great."

Minister Vane was trying to shush the crowd so she could continue her speech. "Now, each month I will make the announcement for the next event. For the month of July, we will be having a parade, the Freedom Parade, right here in Hogsmeade. I hope all of you will be in attendance, as does Harry here, for he'll be the grand marshal on his very own float to kick off the parade!"

The reaction to this was long and loud. The Minister was so desperate to get the attention of the crowd that she used her wand to send a shower of red sparks into the air to startle them into looking towards her again. "Now as I was saying, each month we're going to have an event for the whole community, which I wall be announcing via the Daily Prophet," she reiterated before going on. "As well as those events, there will also be a Quidditch competition held at Hogwarts next year that will be open to any and all past or current Hogwarts student. I hope to see you all in attendance and participating."

All the students in the crowd began to scream and jump up and down in excitement. "This competition will be highly talked about, and I'm sure you'll all want to do your best.

"And just so we don't forget our place in the world, you should also note that each magical community, in each country of the world, will be hosting their own celebrations, for this is not just Harry's victory over Lord Voldemort, but the freedom of the entire world that we are celebrating. So, it is with great honour, and excitement, that I invite you all to enjoy and partake in what is sure to be a banner year, the year of the Freedom Jubilee!"

When Minister Vane wrapped up her speech, several fireworks went off behind the stage, and the crowd cheered loudly. "I can't wait to see what kinds of competitions they'll have!" James said while watching his parents walk off the stage and over to him.

Teecie nodded her head and watched as Harry left the stage as quickly as he could, and walked over to where George Weasley was standing. George gave him a hug and took Harry's hand while they tried to make a quick exit from the scene. Teecie thought Harry looked absolutely miserable.

Her thoughts soon returned to the upcoming festivities. "That'll be fun, I've never been to a parade before," she said as Peter Lupin joined the group.

Tonks seemed pretty excited as well, and tried to get her husband to feel happier about it all. "After all we went through then, I'd say we deserve this," she said with a grin.

Remus shrugged his shoulders. "I just feel bad for how much Harry is going to suffer through it all. You know how much he hates being in the public eye."

Tonks sighed. "I know, but we can still have our own fun while looking out for him."

"Yeah dad, don't be so serious," Peter said while punching his father lightly on the shoulder. "Have some fun for once."

Remus smiled sadly and drew his youngest son into a hug. "I'll try, I promise," he whispered while reaching out and tousling James's hair.

Teecie and the Lupins stood around and talked for a while longer before going their separate ways again. James and Teecie walked back to the school together while speculating on what was to come for their final year at Hogwarts.

"I can't believe we'll be seventh years!" James exclaimed. "The time has just gone by so quickly."

"I know. It seems like only yesterday when I was running away from the school and your father was coming after me to take me back," Teecie chuckled. "I can't believe I ever hated this place. I don't know if I'll want to leave next year."

James nodded his head in agreement. "I understand; I don't know if I'll want to leave either really," he said quietly. "I mean, we grew up so much here. I can't believe what a stupid kid I used to be, and now I'm an adult."

"We both are. I still am a bit shocked by that fact," Teecie replied with a grin. "But maybe by then we'll be ready to move on."

They spent the rest of the weekend reminiscing over their fondest memories of school. By the time Monday arrived, though, all of her happiness had been replaced with nervousness over her exam results. This was the day she'd find out who won the spot at the adventure camp.

She did pretty well in all her other classes, which made her hopeful for the spot, but she still had to wait until the end of the day to find out. Finally, the moment came when everybody was seated in Master Wilkes's class. Everyone was completely silent as they sat, nervously awaiting the results. Master Wilkes seemed to take a very long time walking to the front of the class with a pile of parchment rolls in his arms.

"Well, I must say first of all, that you all did very well this year," he began with a smile. "I can tell that you've learned a lot this year, and have improved dramatically. But, there can only be one winner who will get the chance at working in Hogsmeade this summer. And as I know you're all dying to find out who it is, let me just announce it straight away," he paused to clear his throat before continuing. "The highest scoring student of this term was…Brent Jordan."

Brent grinned and flushed to hear his name called out. The rest of the class looked crestfallen, but applauded him politely anyway.

Teecie felt her stomach drop as she heard Brent's name called instead of hers. She'd been looking forward to the job for so long that to not win left her feeling absolutely crushed.

Somehow she made it through the rest of the class, but ended up crying on Draco's shoulders only minutes after classes ended for the day. "I tried so hard!" she wailed.

Draco brushed his hands over her hair and patted her back. "I'm sorry, Ticia," he said, "I know you tried your best and wanted that job very much. Maybe another job opportunity will arise over the summer holiday."

"But not at an adventure camp! I've never been to one before. It would have been fun and educational!"

Draco thought the idea of an adventure camp something that only a Hufflepuff could truly appreciate, but he held his tongue. "Perhaps you can find another camp to work for, or find another way to experience the same thing," he finally replied. "And if nothing else works, you can spend part of the time continuing to assist me."

Teecie rested her head on her brother's shoulder and sniffled loudly. "Maybe," she replied, "but don't you want to spend most of your time with Tanith and the kids? You already said you didn't need my help this summer. Maybe I should just help dad sell honey at the market. All the guys buy loads of it from me whenever I hand out samples."

Draco took a deep breath before responding. What she'd just said sounded so wrong on so many different levels. "I think you should come and help me if nothing better comes along," he finally replied.

"Thanks," Teecie said while wiping away her tears. "I'll keep that in mind." With that, she helped her brother walk to the Great Hall for the end of the year feast.

Ravenclaw won the House cup, and Liss was very excited about it. "I can't believe we won!" she cried while Teecie hugged her. Both of them could see the smile on Draco's face as the school cheered over this.

Teecie rejoined her fellow Gryffindors for the feast, and had a wonderful evening with them. The food was delicious as usual, but it was the fellowship that was the most memorable.

That night, Teecie, Patty, and Paige chattered away while packing their trunks. None of them slept much that night, since they were having too much fun. The next morning, they were exhausted while eating their last meal for the year in the Great Hall.

The first few hours of the train ride were spent sleeping, but by lunch time, everybody was fully rested and awake. James and Daniel joined the girls, and soon, Patty, James, and Daniel were playing Exploding Snap while Teecie and Paige talked quietly about their classes for next year.

When the train arrived at King's Cross Station and Teecie walked out of the barrier to the Muggle station area, she looked out and couldn't see her family. She still couldn't see them when she walked to the main entrance, and though she was slightly apprehensive over this, she said goodbye to all her friends without showing it. She felt a thrill when James gave her a hug and kissed her cheek before leaving with his family. Zeren did the same thing before leaving with his family's chauffer.

Teecie grew more and more nervous as the station began to clear out, and her parents still hadn't arrived. Tanith and her kids refused to leave her alone there. "You'll just come to the manor with us," Tanith said as they walked out of the station towards their car.

Before they reached the car, though, Teecie heard someone calling her name. Upon turning around, she saw Lucius smile and wave at her briefly while walking towards her as quickly as he could.

"I'm sorry I'm late," he said while catching his breath. "I had a business meeting here in London that ran late."

Teecie hugged her dad before frowning. "Dad, should you be out of breath? That's not really good for you," she said in a concerned tone.

Lucius rolled his eyes. "Ticia, I'm fine," he replied. "You're sounding like your mother."

Tanith looked concerned as well, but didn't say anything. She just hugged Lucius and Teecie and said goodbye while Liss, Mel, and Roo did the same thing. They drove away while Teecie and Lucius walked towards the car.

"Where's mum?" Teecie asked while putting her seatbelt on.

"At home, making dinner," Lucius said while driving away from the car park. "She wanted to make your favourite dinner now that you're back, so I volunteered to pick you up since I'd be in town anyway."

"I see. And what sort of business meeting was it that you went to?"

"I'm trying to find a building to move the honey business to. I think the time has come to expand," Lucius explained with a proud smile. "I sell out nearly every day at the farmer's market. I would like to see what I could do in a city."

Teecie was happy for her father that his dreams were coming to fruition. He'd worked so hard for so long on his plans, that it was fun to see them finally happening, and to see his happiness over it.

"Enough about me, though, how did your exams go?" Lucius asked, changing the subject.

"OK, I guess." Teecie spent the rest of the car drive telling her father about the missed job opportunity and how the rest of her classes had gone. They were all caught up by the time they arrived home.

Teecie felt a thrill over being able to use her wand to help her father move all her trunks and his boxes of honey into the house in one trip. It felt good to be old enough to use magic outside of school.

Once inside, she gave her mother a huge hug. "Oh, I'm so glad you're back," Adriana exclaimed before kissing her daughter's cheeks. "This place is so quiet without you, now that your father spends all his time at the market."

Teecie thought her mum sounded slightly resentful over that fact, and wondered if everything was going well between her parents. Lucius did hug and kiss Adriana, but she didn't smile when he did. Teecie bit her lip and felt her stomach flutter nervously at that.

Lucius and Adriana made a great effort to welcome Teecie back home, but things seemed to remain tense between them the entire evening.

After pudding, the two of them were sitting on the back porch swing, talking quietly to themselves, when Teecie overheard snatches of their conversation. Adriana was pleading with Lucius for something, though Teecie couldn't hear what it was. "Empty nest," and "only two months since the last time," were the only things she could hear her father say. Adriana said something about being lonely and how Lucius was never home anymore.

What Teecie heard before she went to bed sent her through a tailspin. Adriana was still pleading with Lucius and Teecie heard her say, "I rarely miscarry twice in a row. You know that."

Her parents were trying to have another baby! But why? Her mother had always expressed how three had been enough children for her to handle. And she was a grandmum now too! Adriana certainly didn't need another baby. But what bothered Teecie the most was the fact that Adriana had already miscarried what appeared to be two months ago, and yet this was the first Teecie was hearing of it. Did Reni or Kali know? How far along had her mum been when she'd miscarried?

Teecie didn't like any of this at all, and had trouble sleeping that night. The next day, she stayed close to her mother, trying to make sure she wasn't lonely. She decided that the best thing to do this summer, was to stay by her mother's side and help her stop feeling like she needed another baby. Maybe she could help Adriana see that her life was happy and full as it was.

That night, Adriana brought up what appeared to be a sore subject for Lucius. She had just sat down after serving her family, when she spoke. "So, Lucius, did you think about whether or not we'll be going to Greece this summer?"

Lucius pursed his lips and gripped his fork tightly. "You know I have to stay and take care of the business. I cannot afford to take time off for frivolities," he replied tersely.

Adriana's eyes narrowed dangerously, and she folded her arms. "Frivolities? Is that what my needs are to you? Something to be dismissed at a whim?" she cried.

"Adriana, stop being unreasonable," Lucius growled angrily. "You know that's not how I think. Stop trying to twist things around." He sighed and set his fork down again before speaking calmly. "Look, I'm sorry that this time of the year upsets you, but we really can't leave now."

Adriana's lower lip began to quiver, and she threw her fork down before leaping out of her chair and running to her bedroom. Lucius flinched as the door slammed, and he slumped in his chair. He looked sad and lost.

Teecie was very upset to see her parents acting this way, and began to cry quietly at the table, her appetite now lost. Lucius snapped out of his thoughts and walked over to hug her. "I'm sorry you had to witness that," he said softly. "Your mother lost her best friend at this time of year many years ago, and she always tends to get depressed. And the recent Freedom Jubilee announcement seems to have magnified it."

"Why can't you find somebody to sell the honey for you so you and mum can go on holiday?" Teecie sniffled.

"I…don't actually know that many people anymore," he replied embarrassedly. "And those I do know, don't have the same ideas about the business as I do."

Teecie thought for a moment before blurting out the first thing that entered her mind. "I could do it! I don't have anything else to do!"

Lucius sat back down in his chair and thought for a while. She had helped him enough to know how to do it, but was she really ready for such a large responsibility? He'd have to teach her driving spells to take the car to the market each day; she hadn't taken any driving lessons yet. "Let me think about it for a while," he finally said while walking to his den and shutting the door.

Teecie stood up and cleared the table of its still-full dishes, and went to the kitchen to clean up. Who was her mother sad about? Who had been her friend so long ago that meant so much that she was till upset about it? He or she must have died in the war if the Jubilee announcement had upset her. As Teecie put the food back in the refrigerator, she had a thought. Perhaps it was Albus Dumbledore. She'd heard Adriana talk about him off and on over the years, and she always had a sad look on her face when doing so. Perhaps the Freedom Jubilee wasn't such a good idea after all if it made people so unhappy.

Lucius left his den and sat down at the kitchen table while Teecie washed dishes. "Are you serious about helping at the market?" he asked.

"Of course," Teecie replied.

"Well then, if that's the case, then I don't see why you shouldn't be able to take care of this for me. It's a huge responsibility, you know," he said. "I think two weeks should be enough for Adriana. I'll work on arranging it all, and we'll leave next Monday. In the meantime, you'll need to come with me during the week to learn all you'll need to do."

"Oh, I think that's so great!" Teecie cried before kissing her father's cheek. "Go tell mum; she'll be so happy!"

Lucius smiled before joining Adriana in the bedroom and presumably telling her about the holiday. They ended up staying in there for several hours before Teecie saw them again. Adriana had a relaxed look on her face, and a very happy grin. "Thank you, Teecie, for doing this for us," she said, "Your father and I really need this holiday."

During the rest of the week, Teecie went to the farmer's market with her father, learning all he wanted her to know for her job. He also told her of all the house rules while they'd be gone. "And I don't want any boys at the house," he said as they drove home one night. "That means at the house, or in the barn, or in the wheat fields, or anywhere on the farm. Is that understood?"

By the next day, the rules changed. Both parents sat at the dinner table with folded arms, as though presenting a united front. "Ticia, your father and I have been talking about leaving you alone at the house for two weeks again," Adriana began, "And we have decided that due to the problems we've had in the past with boys ending up in the house when they weren't supposed to, that we aren't comfortable leaving you alone."

"We think it's best if you went to stay with Paul and Kali while we're gone. They don't live too far away, so it won't be any harder to take the car to work each day," Lucius added.

Teecie felt her face flush to hear this. "But I'm an adult now! Why do I have to go stay with them? I don't need a babysitter!" she cried angrily.

Adriana frowned. "Teecie, you let James into the house last summer," she replied. "And I have a sneaking suspicion you got up to more than just a tour of the farm last Christmas with Zeren."

Teecie bit her lip and didn't respond lest she incriminate herself. She had no intentions of letting any boys over to the house this time, not after what happened with Chet. James wasn't ready to take her back, and she'd moved on from Zeren. There weren't any other boys in her life right now, but she knew there'd be no convincing her parents of that.

"Fine," she finally mumbled while slumping down in her chair. "They won't make me eat any of that weird vegetable glop they eat, will they?"

"Ticia, you know Kalare is a vegetarian," Lucius said while pursing his lips. "I think they have a cook or a maid who makes all their food. I'm sure it's delicious."

"Yes, Kali told me she's Indian, and makes wonderful curries," Adriana added with a smile. "I spent some time in India, and I can assure you the food is excellent."

"What were you doing in India?" Lucius asked with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, you know, not much," Adriana replied while standing up and quickly clearing off the table. "Does anybody want pudding? I made chocolate cake," she said, changing the subject.

Lucius had a look on his face that said they'd continue that discussion later, in private, but didn't say anymore about it. Instead, he turned to Teecie. "I know you probably feel I'm being too strict with you, Ticia, but I'm doing it for your own good. You've never been alone for that long before, and I just want to make sure you're taken care of. Paul and Kalare will be able to keep you company and take care of you," he said while Adriana set plates of chocolate cake in front of them.

"I just think that you're treating me like a baby because you think I need to be taken care of. I'm not a baby anymore," Teecie said before taking a huge bite of cake.

Lucius frowned as he watched her chew. "I won't argue with you over this, Ticia, but I will point out, like your mother did, that you have given us reason to doubt your trustworthiness in the past," he said. "And that's the end of it."

Teecie could tell that any more whinging would land her with an evening in her bedroom. That tone of voice was her father's most dangerous and deadly. There was nothing else to do but to accept it and move on.

On Monday morning, Lucius gave her two parchment sheets worth of notes on how to take care of his stand at the market and how to fly the car wherever she needed to go. "And remember to take all that you'll need for the next two weeks with you so you can go straight to your sister's house after work today," he reminded her as they ate breakfast. "Your mother and I will be flooing to the airport after you leave."

Teecie nodded her head. This was the third time he'd said that this morning, but she wasn't really counting. She was very nervous over taking over for the business, much more so than she'd expected. What if she did something wrong? What if she lost the money at the end of the day? What if nobody bought anything from her?

Adriana seemed to sense her apprehension. She patted her on the shoulder and smiled. "Darling, you're going to be just fine, I know it," she reassured Teecie.

"Thanks mum," Teecie whispered while hugging her mother. "I really want to do a good job so you and dad won't have to worry while you're gone."

"I know that you'll do a great job," Lucius said, "And you know I'll be paying you, of course. I think five hundred pounds a week is appropriate for the amount of responsibility you'll have."

Teecie's eyes grew wide, and she gasped. "A thousand pounds? Really?" she cried.

"Yes, it's what I'd pay anybody to do this job, and since you're my daughter, you especially deserve it."

"Oh, thanks dad! Wow, a thousand pounds, I wonder what I can buy with it!"

"If you're smart, you'll put some of it in Gringott's for the future; they have very good interest rates at the moment."

"But I should spend some of it too," Teecie decided, "But I promise, no unicorn farms." She grinned at the memory of wanting to buy a unicorn farm upon hearing about the inheritance she would get in just a couple years' time.

A short time later, it was time for Teecie to pack the car and leave for the market. She filled her parent's car, with boxes of honey, and the bags of clothes and items she'd be taking with her to Kali and Paul's house. She hugged and kissed her parents goodbye, and got behind the wheel of the car for the very first time.

The spells Lucius had taught her for driving were pretty simple, and the car seemed to know the way to the market by itself, so she just sat back and enjoyed the ride. Her nerves had returned somewhat by the time she arrived at the market and began to set up the table with jars of honey.

She'd just finished setting out the samples when customers started to arrive at the market. At first, she just smiled and stood behind the table while people tried samples, but after a while, she began to speak with them, engage them in conversations. Many of the women were sad to hear that Lucius was going to be gone for two weeks, but still bought the honey anyway.

Teecie found that she really did enjoy helping at the market, though because she was alone, she never had a chance to run to the restroom or go eat lunch during the day. In spite of those drawbacks, she still thought it was a lot of fun.

By the end of the day, her feet and back ached, and her stomach growled fiercely with hunger. She stopped at one of the stalls selling meat pasties and bought a couple for the drive to Kali and Peter's house. There wasn't likely to be anything good for dinner, and she wanted to have something good first, just in case.

Kali was waiting at the door when Teecie arrived, and gave her a big hug in greeting. "I'm so glad you've come to stay with us," she said with a grin, "You'll be our first house guest!" She continued to talk while ushering Teecie into the house. "I had Madhur set up your room today so it's nicely aired out. And I had her make a special dinner for you. I hope you like lentils."

Teecie smiled politely, but was inwardly glad she'd eaten the pasties after work. She was also glad to come to Kali's after all, for she rarely ever saw her anymore. Kali had left school the year before, and as a married woman, spent most of her time with Paul. This was expected of course, but Teecie still missed how close she used to be with Kali.

As they walked through the house, she recalled some of the memories she had of her youth with Kali. She remembered sitting under the olive tree and cheering Kali on as she flew around the property. They'd taken their school lessons together from Lucius as well. Teecie had always been a little jealous over how smart Kali was. She had always gotten perfect marks in everything, while Teecie had struggled to learn the basics of reading and writing. Now that they were both adults, things had changed, but perhaps for the best. Maybe they'd grow even closer, and on a deeper level now that they had matured.

While thinking about this, Teecie took a good look at the house. She'd only been there on the day they'd moved in, so she was curious to see how they'd decorated it. It was all one level, and the décor had a distinct Asian flavour to it. Several delicate screens were strewn throughout the rooms, and there were bamboo plants dotted in many places. There were paintings on the wall with lotus flowers and black shapes drawn down the sides. Teecie assumed those were letters in another language. The walls were made of carved deep burgundy wood. The rooms were sparsely furnished, with only a few black wooden chairs, and a low-set black sofa in the living room, just the way Kali liked it. Kali couldn't stand clutter or dust, and seemed to find peace in having fewer things surrounding her. She was very particular about what she needed to make her feel comfortable. Fortunately, her husband was very understanding and indulgent and went along with anything she wanted.

Teecie liked the house very much, and felt a sense of peace in just being there. She could see why Kali felt more at ease. Paul also seemed quite happy as he hugged Teecie in greeting.

Dinner that night wasn't too terrible. She'd never had lentils before, and found the texture intriguing. The curry was fiery and intense, and Teecie decided, as tears welled in her eyes, that she was going to enjoy the next two weeks worth of dinners if this was any example of the usual cooking.

That evening, in her room, Teecie wrote a letter to James.

Dear James,

I hope the summer is treating you well so far. It's only been a week, but my summer has already shaped up to be quite interesting. My dad took my mum on holiday to Greece, so I took over running the honey stand at the market for him! And I'm staying with my sister Kali and her brother Paul while my parents are gone. I had a lot of fun at the market, though I was alone the whole time so I could never leave to go to the bathroom or go eat lunch. I was starving the entire time! But I like to help my parents out. My mum really needed to get away.

And what about you? What are you doing so far? Do you have a job or a new girlfriend to spend time with? Are you hanging out with Peter or your dad? Are you planning on going to the parade next month? I know I'll be there! Maybe I'll see you there.

Well, I should go now. Kali wants to show me her yoga studio. I don't know what yoga is, but she sure seems excited about it. I hope to hear from you soon! You will write back, won't you?

-Teecie

Teecie spent the evening talking with Kali and Paul, and having a wonderful time. She went to bed early in order to be refreshed for work the next day. It was exhausting to be on her feet and talking to customers all day.

The next morning, Madhur made Teecie a bowl of filling and delicious warm granola cereal for breakfast. It left her feeling ready for the day ahead. She was feeling good as she drove the car away from Kali's house and back to her own to pick up the day's supplies of honey from the barn.

The day was going well, even better than before. There were more people in the market, so Teecie had handed out more samples and sold more jars of honey that day.

Time was flying so quickly, that she hardly noticed her grumbling stomach at lunchtime. When a young man stepped up to the table, she didn't pay much attention as she began to talk to the person about the qualities of Alcedonia honey.

"Does it taste good with fried chicken and potato salad?" the man asked lightheartedly.

"Of course it does, our honey tastes wonderful on anything," Teecie replied while handing him a pretzel dipped in peach honey. "Tell me what you think." She turned to take money from another customer, and didn't watch him eating the sample.

"It's sweet and delicious all right, but nothing compared to you," the young man said suggestively after the last customer walked away from the table. "There's nothing tastier than you."

Teecie's jaw dropped and she flushed while turning to face the person speaking so crudely to her. "Now look here-" she began before stopping abruptly as she looked at who was standing before her. "James? What are you doing here?" she whispered.

James set a basket he'd been holding in his hands on the table. "I got your letter, and decided to help you with lunch. You said you couldn't eat anything since you were alone, so I thought I'd bring food to you. And since I'm here, I might as well eat with you," he said with a grin.

Teecie looked at James as though seeing him for the first time. He'd grown several inches in the last few months, but she'd never noticed. His face was broader and his jaw more chiseled than she remembered. Though he was quite lean, he was very muscular. His light brown hair hung loose around his eyes and ears, making Teecie want to reach out and brush it away so she could see his soft brown eyes better. From what she could see of them, they were twinkling.

As Teecie took all of this in, she felt her heart begin to flutter nervously, and her palms grow sweaty. Her breath caught in her throat, and she felt light-headed while gazing at the most beautiful person she'd ever seen in her life. She was falling in love with James all over again. She'd forgotten how intense and wonderful it had been to share that first experience with him years ago.

"You want to eat lunch with me?" she whispered, "Does that mean that you…"

James smiled shyly and put one of his hands on hers. "I think this is the perfect time to just start over again, don't you?" he asked. "We'll just let the past year go and not hold it against each other, all right?"

Teecie took a deep breath, and nodded her head. It felt good to know that he wasn't going to hold her past indiscretions over her. Forgiveness was a wonderful thing. As her heart lifted, she opened James's basket and began to take the food out and set it on the table. "Let's eat," she said lightly.

James visited Teecie every day at the market after that. Each day he brought lunch for them to share. Both came to cherish that short time they were together, though they were never alone and couldn't even hold hands.

By the time the two weeks had passed, James and Teecie were certain of their undying love for one another. Teecie knew it was going to be a torturous holiday when her parents returned and she was no longer needed at the market. How was she going to last for two months without seeing James? Would her parents let him visit? Would they let her visit him? Kali and Paul hadn't let him visit while she'd been staying with them, but hopefully he'd get a chance to come to the property. That became her goal for the summer holiday by the time her parents returned from Greece. She hoped it would be successful.


	93. Summer Lovin'

Summer Lovin'

Two weeks flew past before Lucius and Adriana returned home looking quite refreshed. When Teecie left Kali's and came back to the property, she was a little grossed out to catch her parents snogging in the kitchen or on the back porch, or out by the bee hives. Parents weren't supposed to do that so openly. What had they gotten up to in Greece to be so frisky now? Surely there wasn't anything very special about Greece. Thankfully, though, this only lasted a few days until Hunter came over for his visit.

Peter and Reni took an annual holiday in the summer, and Adriana insisted that he visit for at least half the time they'd be gone. She'd had to learn to share her grandson with the Weasleys long ago, as they insisted on his spending time with their side of the family as well.

Hunter seemed to be looking forward to his visit, and it showed as he quickly overturned his bag of toys on the living room floor and settled in to play.

Peter and Reni sat on the sofa with Lucius and Adriana, while Teecie sat in a chair across from them. She noticed that Reni was very quiet, while Peter wore a huge, silly grin on his face. Lucius seemed to notice as well, for he furrowed his brow while looking at them. "Is everything all right?" he finally asked casually.

Peter looked at Reni and squeezed her hand. "Well, honey, don't you think it's time to tell them? Now's the perfect opportunity," he whispered.

Reni shrugged her shoulders. "I don't care," she replied tersely.

Peter patted her hand before turning back to Lucius and Adriana. "We waited a couple of months, but I think it's safe to tell you now," he began, "Reni and I are going to have a baby!"

Adriana and Teecie gasped while jumping up from their seats. They began to squeal and hug Peter and Reni. Lucius beamed with joy before shaking Peter's hand and hugging Reni.

Teecie knelt down next to Hunter and tousled his hair. "You're going to be a big brother!" she cried out. "You must be so excited."

Hunter glared at her in a most unexcited fashion. "I hate babies," he declared sullenly. "They're stupid."

Adriana reached down and kissed Hunter on the cheek. "I see we'll have to show you all the wonderful advantages of being an older brother," she said with a smile. "I'm sure you'll grow to love it."

Hunter frowned again and shook his head. "No I won't," he retorted.

"Hunter, you stop that attitude right now," Reni snapped angrily. "You need to stop being such a brat!"

Hunter eyed his mother warily as though trying to see if she was being serious or not. The look on Reni's face was enough to quiet him down. He seemed to know better than to incur her wrath.

"Reni, I'm so happy for you," Adriana said while standing back up.

Reni looked back down at her son, and burst into tears. Peter quickly drew her into an embrace, petting her long golden hair and speaking soothingly into her ear. "There, there, it's all right," he said. He turned and smiled apologetically at everybody. _Hormones_, he mouthed to them. He looked back at Reni and wiped her tears away. "Why don't we head on out now?" he said before kissing his wife's cheek.

Reni took a deep breath and composed herself. "Yes," she replied with a nod of her head. She leaned down and wrapped her arms around Hunter. "Mummy's going to miss you very much. You be sure to behave yourself while we're gone," she murmured in his ear.

Hunter hugged his mother, enjoying the rare moment of warmth and love from her. "I love you mummy," he said before kissing her.

Peter hugged his son goodbye before leaving with Reni for their holiday. When they were gone, Hunter joined Lucius out in the barn to fill jars of honey.

Teecie spent the afternoon writing letters to James and Patty and Paige. Now that she was finished helping run the honey stand, she had nothing better to do. She did, however, have a thousand galleons she needed to plan on how to spend. She made sure to ask her friends for advice on what to do with the money. The rest of the day was spent helping Adriana in the kitchen.

Adriana had insisted on making a special meal for Hunter's first night. She was making a camp-out dinner for them to enjoy by a campfire. She and Teecie were preparing sausages, baked potatoes, and Caesar salad to eat outside. Hunter always enjoyed roasting sausages on a stick over the campfire.

When the food was ready, they carried it outside on platters while Lucius and Hunter worked on the fire. Hunter insisted on roasting everybody's sausage for them, and loved to be in control of the meal. He roasted each sausage and placed it on their plates, smiling at the praise they gave him for it. "I'm a good cook like daddy," he said. "But not like mummy, she doesn't cook. One time daddy wanted her to make dinner, and she threw a ham at him. Then she made him sleep on the sofa."

Hunter chattered through the entire meal, making everybody laugh the whole time. "I wish I could stay the whole time," he declared after the meal as Adriana handed him a marshmallow to roast.

"You'll have fun, Hunter, don't worry," Teecie assured him. "We'll do so much this week, you won't miss us when you go stay with Molly and Arthur." Percy and Penny were Hunter's grandparents, but since they still had three of their own children at home, they had decided to let Hunter stay with Molly and Arthur, who apparently constantly complained about never seeing their children or grandchildren enough.

"Yes, Hunter, you know how much Mrs. Weasley spoils you," Lucius added with a frown. "And you seem to share a love of trains with…your great grandfather. I'm sure he has plans for you." He pursed his lips and his nostrils flared, but he didn't say anything else. Teecie couldn't help but wonder if her dad didn't like Arthur Weasley very much. She couldn't figure out why, though, for he seemed to be a very nice and polite man.

Hunter grinned as he thought about this. "I love trains!" he cried while hopping around the fire. "I-love-trains! I love-trains!" he chanted. His energy and excitement seemed to be welling up, and burst out in the form of sparks shooting out of the fire, crackling and swirling up into the dark night sky. The burst of pure magical energy winded Hunter, for he immediately stopped hopping and sat down next to Adriana, resting his head on her arm.

"That was a lot of magic you just did," she said before kissing the top of his head. "You're going to make a fine wizard someday."

Hunter smiled sleepily at the thought. "I can't decide if I want to be a Slytherin like mummy or a Gryffindor like daddy," he said.

Lucius smiled and looked closely at him. "I'm sure you'd make a wonderful addition to Slytherin house. It's the finest house in the school," he said proudly.

Adriana shook her head. "Hunter, don't pay any attention to him. You can be in whichever house you want, well, whichever house the Sorting Hat puts you into that is," she added. "You could be sorted into Hufflepuff, and that would be just fine."

Hunter quickly glanced at Lucius. "Oh boy, a Hufflepuff!" he cried. "That's what I really want to be!"

Lucius grew pale as he shook his head. "Now Hunter, why don't I tell you some of the special things about Slytherin house," he said.

Hunter began to giggle wildly. "I tricked you!" he laughed.

Lucius sighed with relief. "That's not something to joke about," he replied sternly. Hunter merely giggled again.

That night, as was tradition, Lucius and Hunter had a sleep-out in the hayloft. Teecie and Adriana slept in the house, as was their tradition. James had responded to Teecie's letter with one of his own, and she spent the rest of the evening reading it.

My Dearest Precious Ticia,

Though it has only been a few days since I have last seen you, it feels like an eternity. With each hour that passes, my love for you grows stronger. I do not know how long I can go before I must see you again. Already I cannot eat or sleep for missing you. I think if I must wait too much longer, I may die. If your parents won't let me come over to your house, you'll have to come visit me here. My mother thinks I am growing too thin and that seeing you is what I need the most.

Do you think you could ask your parents if we can meet sometime soon? I don't know what I'll do if I can't run my hands through your auburn curls and press my lips to yours. I need to make love to you, to be close to you again. My soul is incomplete when you're not near me. Please, please see if we can meet again. I await your answer with breathless anticipation.

-Your Withering James

Teecie gasped while reading this. James was dying! She had to go see him right away! Tomorrow she'd go to his house and spend the day with him. She only wished she could go see him right now, but there was no way his parents or hers, would allow her to spend the night with him. She wanted to spend the night with him so badly, to feel his arms wrapped around her waist, and listen to his gentle snores as he slept. She wanted to wake up with the sun, and make sweet love to him to start the day.

It took her a long time to fall asleep that night, and the next morning, she got ready for the day in a hurry in order to spend as much time with James that day as possible.

Adriana was making pancakes while Hunter and Lucius sat at the kitchen table when Teecie joined them. "Mum, dad, I got a letter from James last night, and I would really like to go to his house today for a visit. Do you mind?" she asked nonchalantly while sitting down at the table and grabbing an apple from the bowl at the centre.

Lucius narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. "Will his parents be home? Though I don't know why that matters, what with all they let him get away with," he said with a sneer.

"Dad, James's parents are very responsible," Teecie admonished.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Adriana added. "You go and have fun today. Hunter and I are going to spend the day on the farm, so it's a perfect day for you to go."

"Thanks mum," Teecie replied while taking a plate of pancakes and drenching them in syrup.

"Teecie's going to be kissy-kissy with wolf-boy!" Hunter giggled.

Teecie gripped her fork tightly. "Hunter Preston Weasley I don't ever want to hear you talking about James like that again!" she cried. "I told you last year not to be like that, and you haven't stopped. It's not a good thing to talk about werewolves and their families like that! Professor Lupin can't help that he's a werewolf, and he doesn't deserve to have a brat like you speak about him like that!"

Hunter's jaw dropped open to hear Teecie speaking that way to him. He was used to this behaviour from his mother, but not Teecie. "But, but," he sputtered.

"No buts, Hunter. You need to stop saying things like that or some day you'll become a very hateful person," Teecie said with a frown.

"Now Ticia, Hunter's only a child. Don't be so hard on him," Lucius jumped in while standing up and putting his plate in the kitchen sink. "He doesn't know the difference between right and wrong."

Teecie was too angry to respond, and quickly ate her breakfast before standing up and leaving the room without another word. She picked up a pinch of floo powder and stepped into the fireplace and flooed to James's house.

James was lying on the sofa, facing the fireplace when Teecie arrived. He had his arm lying across his eyes, and couldn't see anything, but when he heard the fireplace activate, he sat up and looked to see who had arrived. "Teecie?" he gasped. "Is it really you?"

Teecie grinned and nodded her head before running over to him and throwing herself into his arms. "Oh I've missed you so much! I got your letter last night and couldn't wait any longer to come see you. I hate to think that you've been wasting away," she cried while kissing his cheeks.

James sighed and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against him. "I haven't been able to eat in a week," he said weakly. "I'm so happy to see you." He snuggled down and rested his head against her chest, listening to the sound of her heart beating.

"I should make you some breakfast. Do you think you can eat now that I'm here? What would you like?" Teecie asked while running her fingertips up and down his arms, causing James to shiver at the thrill of her touch.

"I could probably eat some eggs and sausages and toast and fruit and bacon and waffles," James replied.

Teecie grinned and unwound herself from him. "All right, I can make that! You stay here and I'll make you breakfast," she said while standing up and walking towards the kitchen.

James's parents weren't up yet, so she had the kitchen to herself to make breakfast. She looked through the cupboards and refrigerator before starting to take items out and setting them on the counter. Pretty soon, there was more food on the counters than there was in the shelves. She hummed to herself while finding a cutting board and knives and all the other things she'd need to cook.

She was happily chopping up an apple by the stove when Remus walked down the stairs and into the room. She looked over her shoulder and grinned, "Hey Professor! I came over to visit for the day!"

Remus was not a morning person, and coming downstairs to be broadsided by Teecie and a kitchen that looked as though it had exploded, wasn't helping his mood any. He sighed and tried to be civil. "Good morning Ticia. Early morning. Very early morning," he grumbled while walking towards the stove to grab the kettle. "Don't mind me, I'm just trying to function here."

"Oh you should go join James in the living room while I finish breakfast. You're going to love it. I'm making waffles and bacon and eggs and sausage and toast and fruit because that's what James wants. He's starving because he hasn't seen me in so long so I volunteered to cook for him and that's what he chose so I'm going to make all of it and you can have some to if you like," Teecie said before taking a deep breath.

Remus looked at her with a frown growing on his face. Did she ever stop talking? Was she going to be here the entire day? "James has been pining away for you over the past week. Why don't you go to the living room with him and I'll finish cooking?" he finally said desperately.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to trouble yourself over it, although if you know James was starving to death for a week, you might have thought to call me over sooner. I'm sure you don't want him to die," Teecie replied while taking off her apron and handing it to Remus.

Remus scowled, but didn't respond. He didn't want to say anything he'd regret. He merely put his arm around Teecie's shoulders and began to shuffle her out of the kitchen. When they got to the door, he opened it and pushed her out gently before shutting it firmly behind her. He turned and quickly took his wand out and got to work.

Teecie sat back down next to James and began to cuddle with him. Soon they were snogging heavily on the sofa. After a while, Tonks walked into the room in a pair of cut-off blue sweatpants, and an old, faded black tee-shirt. She did a double-take when she saw her son so heavily engrossed in his activities. She was too bleary-eyed to see Teecie, and couldn't help but wonder what in the world he was doing.

"Wocher, James, should you really be doing that out in the open?" she mumbled while tapping him on the shoulder.

James sat up and looked at his mother. "Are you saying we can go to my room with the door closed?" he asked with a hopeful look on his face.

Tonks noticed Teecie at this time, and sighed with relief. At least he wasn't resorting to inappropriate public actions to relieve his loneliness. She shook her head and tousled James's hair. "No, it doesn't mean that," she replied. "You know the rules, James, and even though you and Teecie may be of age, you still have to follow the rules of the house."

James groaned in frustration before looking at Teecie, who shrugged. She knew the rules of the Lupin household meant that they could go to James's room, but the door had to stay open. "My parents won't even let me do that much at my house," she said consolingly while patting his arm. "Be grateful we can at least spend time together."

James nodded his agreement before wrapping his arm around Teecie's shoulder and pulling her close to him. "You know I'm grateful," he said before kissing her cheek.

Tonks rolled her eyes and tapped James on the shoulder again. "All right, let's go eat breakfast," she said.

"I already ate," Teecie announced while standing up and straightening out her skirt.

Tonks looked at her carefully, not sure how to respond.

"I ate at home before coming over, but I'll sit with you all," Teecie continued while walking towards the kitchen.

Tonks closed her eyes in relief, thankful that the kids hadn't been doing anything more than snogging on the sofa.

Peter and Remus were sitting quietly at the kitchen table, waiting for their family to arrive before eating. Tonks sat down next to her husband and kissed his cheek in greeting. "Good morning, dear," she murmured while pouring tea for everybody.

When Peter saw Teecie, he grinned. "If James gets to have Teecie come over for the day, then I think I should get to have Gabriella come over," he said lightly while putting three waffles on his plate.

Remus put a few spoonfuls of corned beef hash and a fried egg on his plate before responding. "I think one girlfriend a day is enough, son. Why don't you ask her to visit tomorrow?" he said.

Peter frowned and swallowed his mouthful of food. He tilted his head and clasped his hands. "Please, I haven't seen her all summer yet," he begged.

Remus groaned and turned to Tonks. "Honey, you know I can't…" he trailed off.

Tonks smiled and patted his hand. "Don't worry, why don't you go to the cinema or the library for the day while I look after the kids?" she offered. "Or you could go spend the day with Harry and George."

Remus ate several bites of his breakfast while watching Teecie feed pieces of waffle and melon to James. She nuzzled his nose in between each bite, causing Remus to loose his appetite. "I'll go to Harry's," he decided while standing up and walking out of the kitchen.

Tonks frowned and followed him out of the room, leaving the three young people alone. When she'd seen her husband off to Harry's for the day, she returned to her breakfast, to find Teecie sitting on James's lap. She was holding a fork with a sausage link up to James's mouth, and feeding him.

Tonks sat down and watched as Teecie wiped James's mouth before kissing him. James wrapped his arms around her and held her close as they kissed heavily. Tonks raised her eyebrows and decided to watch for another minute to see how long it might continue. When it became clear that the day wasn't going to get any better, she set her fork down with a clatter, and cleared her throat. "James, your breakfast is getting cold. And since you've been starving yourself for the past week, you need to finish it," she said loudly, startling them out of their snogging.

"Mum, Ticia's the only sustenance I need," James said while Teecie slid off his lap and back into her chair. "I would never need food again as long as she's around."

Tonks rolled her eyes. "Well your father worked hard on the food, so finish your breakfast," she replied.

James nodded and picked up his fork to finish his breakfast. "I need to get all the strength I can get for the day ahead," he said while wriggling his eyebrows and grinning at Teecie.

Tonks smacked him on the arm. "Hey, I'm sitting right here, you know. Your mother?" she said lightly.

James chuckled. "Sorry mum, I guess I got carried away."

"Mum, can I go call Gabriella?" Peter asked while jumping up and running towards the door to the living room.

"I suppose so," Tonks called out to him as he disappeared.

Within a short time, Peter, Gabriella, Teecie, and James were gathered in the kitchen, standing around awkwardly. Tonks looked at them, and decided there was no way she was going to allow those four upstairs. Her sons looked far too eager to see their girlfriends to allow them up there, even with the doors open.

"So, why don't you four go out for the day?" she asked carefully. "Go to the park or the cinema, or shopping?"

All four kids looked as though somebody had called off Christmas. Their faces fell, and James grabbed Teecie's hand and pulled her close to him. "But…but…" he sputtered.

"No buts, if you want to spend time together, then you'll do it out of the house," Tonks said before ushering the four kids towards the door. "Now, out you go. Have fun, and I'll see you whenever you get back." With that, she pushed them out the door, and shut it in their faces.

The kids looked at each other in bewilderment, trying to decide what to do now. "We could go to town," Peter suggested.

Teecie nodded her head. "It beats sitting out in the yard all day," she added.

"What is there to do in town?" Gabriella asked.

James shrugged his shoulders. "There are shops and restaurants," he replied. "And a cinema."

"I've never been to a cinema before! Oh, let's go!" Gabriella said while clutching Peter's hand.

Everybody else decided a movie was just the thing, so they set off for the walk into town. It only took about fifteen minutes to get there, and only a short time after that to find the cinema.

Peter and Gabriella decided to go to the latest animated picture, while Teecie and James opted for Scary Movie 12. Neither had any interest in the movie, though, for they had other things in mind of how to spend their time.

Once they'd bought their tickets, Teecie and James rushed into their theatre, and up the stairs to the balcony. They found it almost empty, but walked up to the last row, that was shrouded completely in shadows. When the lights dimmed and the movie started, nobody could see them at all. It only took a couple of minutes before Teecie was back on James's lap, and they were snogging like they'd never see one another again.

After some time had passed, Teecie slipped off of James's lap, and down onto her knees, on the floor. She used the cover of darkness to demonstrate to him how much she had improved in her technique since they'd broken up. It took all of James's strength and willpower not to create a scene that would get them in trouble during this, but somehow he managed not to. When Teecie had finished, James felt more alive and refreshed than he had in a very long time.

James returned the pleasure for Teecie, which she enjoyed immensely. There was nobody else in the world she wanted to be with other than James, and each time she felt his touch, she was reminded of this. She only wished she didn't have to share these moments with him in a theatre, where they could get caught at any moment.

The fear of being seen, though, didn't stop them from getting their money's worth from the balcony seats during the movie. By the time the movie ended, neither James nor Teecie could say what the movie had been about, but they had very much enjoyed it.

They met up with Peter and Gabriella, who were holding hands, and smiling, and left the cinema to find a place to eat. James and Teecie were starving, due to all the exercise they'd gotten during the movie.

Gabriella and Teecie walked behind the boys, and talked as they made their way to the nearest chip shop. Gabriella giggled and blushed at one point in time. "Peter and I kissed a few times during the movie," she confessed.

Teecie grinned and nodded her head. "So did James and I…" she chuckled. "Actually, we snogged through the whole movie. I don't even know what it was about!"

The girls continued to giggle as they walked into the shop. When James and Peter asked them what was so funny, they only giggled more. The boys rolled their eyes as they walked up to the counter to place the order for lunch.

The four kids sat at a sticky table, eating fish and chips in newspaper cones, and talking about the movies. Peter had thought his movie had been hilarious, and Gabriella had found the new experience enthralling. "Peter promises that we can go see a new movie each week until school starts!" she cried happily.

Teecie and James exchanged glances before nodding their heads. "I think that sounds like a wonderful idea," James added while wriggling his eyebrows.

Teecie giggled again. "I think we could manage to do that," she replied. When nobody else was looking, she slipped her hand under the table and began to massage his thigh. James jumped and dropped the rest of his chips on the table, and quickly tried to cover up the fact that he'd been startled.

When lunch was over, they wandered around and looked at all the shops. Teecie and Gabriella bought clothes while James and Peter looked at comic books across the street. Peter bought several, though James came away from it empty-handed.

As the group walked back towards the Lupin home, they passed by a jewelry shop. The girls stopped and looked at the window displays, squealing and pointing at all the rings and necklaces.

James paid very close attention to the things Teecie liked most, as well as their price tags. He felt quite disheartened by the end of window shopping, for there was no way he'd be able to buy her the jewels she deserved. Her brother and father had both bought her jewelry that he'd never be able to afford for her, no matter how hard he worked, and he knew Teecie had expensive tastes. Any ring he ever bought for her had to compete with those, and prove to her his worth. It was a tall order, one that caused James's throat to grow dry, and his palms begin to sweat.

As they walked away from the shop, Teecie took his hand. She looked at him curiously and squeezed his hand. "Are you all right, James? Your hand is sweaty," she said in a concerned tone.

James smiled weakly and nodded his head. "I'm fine," he sighed. "So…what do you think of the rings and things at that shop?" he asked.

"They're beautiful," Teecie replied with a smile of her own. "Though nothing is quite as pretty as the diamond my dad gave me."

James gulped and grew pale to hear this. "Really? So, you probably want loads more of diamonds, eh? B-big ones?" he stammered.

Teecie shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know about that. I mean, the diamond is special because my dad bought it just for me. That's why I like it. I mean, it's just a hunk of shiny rock, really. It's the love behind it that counts," she said.

"So…you don't mind small jewels?" he asked cautiously.

Teecie was silent for a moment before blushing and giggling.

"What?"

"Small jewels," Teecie giggled.

James rolled his eyes, but smiled anyway.

Teecie leaned into James and whispered in his ear, "The only jewels I care about are yours, and they're plenty big enough for me."

James beamed to hear this, and puffed his chest out with pride. He put his arm around Teecie's waist, and continued to walk down the street with her. His fears about rings disappeared.

Remus had returned home in better spirits by the time the kids got back. He smiled and laughed when the kids told him about their day at the cinema. They all stayed together late into the evening, until Lucius arrived to escort Teecie back home. Surprisingly, he allowed her to kiss James goodnight without trying to stop her.

James and Teecie owled one another constantly after that day together. Her parents began to grow tired of the deluge of owls either arriving or departing from the house. "Don't the Lupins have a phone?" Adriana snapped one afternoon while trying to keep Hunter from chasing after an owl. He'd already tried to pull one of the owl's feathers from its tail and had had his finger bitten because of it, but that hadn't deterred him from trying to attain his prize. "Hunter stop right now or I'm going to give you a time out!" she finally cried.

"Aww Yiayia," Hunter whinged while letting the owl go free to fly away. "I want the feathers to make a pillow," he explained.

"Oh Hunter, you don't use living birds for their feathers," Adriana said while sitting him in a chair and pouring him a glass of apple juice. "You only use birds that have already died, otherwise it's cruel."

"Dead birds?" Hunter gulped. "Ew."

"Not all pillows are made of feathers, though. But anyway, I don't want to see you hurting those birds anymore, got it?"

"Yes, Yiayia."

Adriana next turned to Teecie. "Well? Do the Lupins have a phone? Because I'm tired of these bloody owls showing up every hour of the day."

"I don't think they do, but I'll ask in my next letter."

"If they don't, then you should both buy mobile phones."

"But I don't know how to use those," Teecie said with a frown.

"Well you'd better figure out how, because the owls are driving me mad!" Adriana ran her fingers through her hair to show her exasperation.

"Sorry, mum, I suppose James and I will just try to spend more time together instead," Teecie shrugged.

"That might be best, actually."

"Really?"

"Yes, the more time you two spend together, the less time I'll have to spend cleaning up owl droppings off my floor."

"All right, I'll go let James know," Teecie replied while turning to walk to the fireplace. Adriana didn't notice the grin that spread across her face. It only took a few seconds to get to the Lupin's fireplace after sticking her head in the green flames. "It totally worked!" she whispered to James.

James grinned and glanced over his shoulder before leaning down to talk to her. "I knew it would! My dad locked all the windows and won't let the owls in anymore," he said. "Mum told me the same thing- that I should just meet with you more often."

Over the next couple of weeks, James and Teecie got together every day. Some days they watched the telly at her house, or play with Hunter, who seemed to have changed his attitude towards James. He seemed to think James was quite cool, and wanted to spend all of his time with him. This didn't go over well with Lucius, who wanted Hunter to be with him after work. After a few angry comments one evening, James and Teecie began to meet at his house instead.

Whenever they needed to be intimate, which was often, they returned to the same cinema as before. They were never caught, though both felt a little uncomfortable about it. All in all, though, it was one of the best summer holidays that Teecie could remember.

A/N: Chapter title is from a song in the movie Grease.


	94. Camps, Parades, and Mysteries

Camps, Parades, and Mysteries

It was now well into the summer, and Teecie and James were taking full advantage of their freedom. They went to the cinema nearly every day after Hunter had left the property and had gone to spend the rest of his holiday at the Burrow. But within days of his parents' return, Hunter was sent back to the property. "It's just no fun for him to stay at home when Reni's so sick," Peter explained as he dropped his son off. "She's been quite…irritable lately, and I don't think it's fair for Hunter to have to sit in silence the entire day to keep from upsetting her. You don't mind, do you Adriana?"

"Of course not. Hunter is welcome here anytime," Adriana replied with a smile as she ruffled Hunter's hair. "It'll be much more fun for him."

"I'll pick him up each day after work," Peter added before bending down to hug his son. "Now Hunter, you be a good boy, and I'll see you tonight. I love you."

"I love you too, daddy," Hunter replied. "Will mummy be happier tonight?"

Peter shrugged his shoulders. "We can only hope so," he said.

Adriana hugged Peter before he left for work. "Please let me know how else we can help. Reni can be quite a handful when she wants to, which is the majority of the time."

"Thanks Adriana. I've already hired a housekeeper who will cook for her and keep the house tidy. I think helping take care of Hunter is the greatest help, actually, though I'm sure Reni wouldn't mind a visit once in a while."

"I'll make sure to do that," Adriana said with a smile. "Now, you go off to work before you're late!" Peter quickly kissed her cheek before flooing to the Ministry.

Later that same day, Teecie was sitting on the hammock with James when she received an owl from Patty. It seemed she and Paige were incredibly bored, and had nothing better to do than to write letters to their friends.

James and Teecie were equally bored, and tried to think of what to do about it. At that point, Hunter climbed up into the hammock, and wedged himself in between them. "Will you play with me, James?" he asked while wrapping his arms around Teecie's waist. "There's nobody else to play with and I'm tired of throwing rocks at the ducks in the pond."

"You shouldn't throw rocks at animals, Hunter!" Teecie cried. "That's mean!"

"Then give me something to do."

James sat up and looked down at Hunter. "What would you like to do?" he asked.

Hunter shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno," he replied. Suddenly he sat up and threw himself at James. James was caught off-guard, and fell backwards, tipping the hammock and sending all three of them falling to the ground beneath it. "I wanna wrestle you!" Hunter cried eagerly while jumping on top of the older boy and wrapping his arms around James's neck.

James was choking and trying to carefully extract the boy's hands from his neck, when Teecie reached over and pulled Hunter off of him. "James, don't be so rough with Hunter, he's just a little boy!" she cried while standing up and dusting herself off.

"Sorry, I'll try to remember that," James croaked while massaging his neck.

Teecie helped him to his feet, and kissed his neck before taking her wand and casting a pain-relieving spell.

"Thanks," he said with a grateful smile. "Hunter, why don't you and I go fishing?" Hunter eagerly agreed, and trotted behind James towards the barn, making sure to step on his heels whenever he could.

Teecie watched as they reemerged minutes later with fishing poles and a tackle box. Hunter seemed to enjoy doing all sorts of things that kids did at adventure camps. That thought gave her a pang of sadness as she recalled the lost job opportunity at the camp in Hogsmeade. She soon turned her thoughts back to Hunter, though. He was too young to go to sleep-away camp, but he would probably love attending a day camp. Spending his days here practically was like going to one. If only he had more playmates to join him. He wasn't starting primary school until autumn, though, and didn't know any other children yet.

While Hunter and James were fishing, Teecie settled back onto the hammock, and wrote a response to Patty, explaining about how the property felt like a day-camp, and how it would be fun for Hunter to meet more kids his own age. _Would any of your younger cousins be interested in coming over to play with him?_ she wrote before concluding the letter and sending it off to her. When she was finished, she went to the house, and made lunch for her boys.

When lunch was ready, she found a blanket and a basket, and took everything outside for a picnic lunch down by the pond. James was so hungry, he ate four sandwiches before beginning to slow down. "This is delicious," he said in muffled tones as he chewed. Hunter nodded his head in agreement while shoving the last of his sandwich into his mouth and reaching for another one.

"Thank you," Teecie replied while pouring glasses of lemonade for them.

The boys continued to gorge themselves until they ran out of food. They were so hot and tired by the time they finished that they collapsed on the hammock once again, and fell asleep within seconds. Teecie thought Hunter looked adorable curled up next to James.

The boys were still asleep when Patty's next letter arrived. Teecie eagerly opened it, and read what it had to say.

Teecie,

That is such a cool idea! Only problem is, all my cousins are too old for Hunter. But how weird is this? Just the other day, at a family birthday party, Uncle George was talking about how some of his kids were upset because they were too young to go to sleep-away camp, but they really wanted to go. He said a couple of them even cried about it. What if we asked him and Uncle Harry if they'd like to come to your farm during the day? It would sort of make up for not going to camp. Do you think your parents would let you? You'll have to make sure to ask them before anything else. My parents can't wait for Paige and me to get out of the house, so they won't have any problems with it.

Teecie was so excited by the time she finished reading the letter, that she ran off to find her mother.

"An adventure camp? Here?" Adriana asked uncertainly after Teecie told her about the idea. "I don't know, that's a lot of work…"

"Oh please mum! Patty, Paige and I will do all the work. And I'll make James help too," Teecie promised. "And we don't even know that Harry and George will say yes, but I don't see why they wouldn't."

Adriana thought for a moment before nodding her head. "Well, it's all right by me, but we'll have to ask your father when he comes home tonight," she replied.

James and Hunter had finally woken up from their nap, and were fishing again by the time Lucius got home from the market. He didn't seem to be in a good mood, though.

"Adriana, why do we have no food in the refrigerator?" he grumbled while looking for something cold to drink.

"Well, Teecie made lunch for the boys today, and I didn't have a chance to buy anything yet," Adriana said before giving him a hug. "But we'll order pizza tonight, how's that?"

Lucius scowled and slammed the refrigerator door shut. "What I should really do, is go to Lupin's house, and empty out his refrigerator. Either that or send his parents a bill. That boy will eat us out of house and home," he snapped.

"Oh, Lucius dear, it's not so bad really. I'll do the marketing tomorrow, I promise," Adriana said before kissing his cheek.

Lucius didn't seem to be in the mood to feel better, and continued to grumble about everything for a while longer until Adriana told Teecie to order dinner, then took him by the hand, and led him into their bedroom.

Lucius emerged an hour later to a delicious pizza dinner, looking much more relaxed, and had a satisfied smile on his face. He was in a much better mood from that point on.

Hunter stayed for dinner that night, as did James, which was why Teecie ordered three pizzas. Both boys ate with gusto, but Lucius only smiled at them. Teecie knew it was the perfect night to ask him about the camp.

When James and Hunter had both left for the night, Teecie sat down next to her father, who was sitting on the sofa watching the news. She waited until after the report about the Prime Minister before talking to him.

"Bloody Minister's running this country into the ground," he growled. Teecie knew he loved to complain about her, and took her chance as the programme went to an advert.

"So dad, I got a letter from Patty today, and have had a lot on my mind lately about how I want to spend the rest of my summer holiday," she began.

"Yes?"

"Well, I thought, since Hunter will be here every day, wouldn't it be more fun for him if he had a few playmates? You see, several of the orphans wanted to go to a sleep-away camp, but George and Harry said they were too young. They were really upset. So Patty and I thought, what if they could come over here with Hunter during the day, you know, while you're at work? The twins, and James and I would do all the work and look after the kids. You wouldn't even know they were here," she said before stopping to take a deep breath. "Mum already said it was OK…"

"I don't know, Ticia, that's a lot of children to have around the property. What if one of them gets hurt while they're here?" Lucius said uncertainly.

"Mum will be here the whole time, and I'll be here. I can cure little things."

Lucius thought about it for a moment. "Well, if your mother says it's all right, and Mister Potter and Mister Weasley agree, I don't see why not," he finally replied.

"Really? You really mean it?" Teecie cried.

"Yes I do. You and your friends are all of age now."

"Oh thank you dad!" Teecie said while jumping up to kiss his cheek. "This'll be so much fun!"

That night, she wrote back to Patty, telling her it was all right to have the day camp. A couple days later, Harry and George visited the property to speak with Adriana, and tour where the children would be spending their time.

Adriana took the men on a tour of the house, and the farm, and answered all their questions. Teecie sat nervously on the porch, and read to Hunter while they were gone. They returned an hour later.

"Well?" Teecie asked anxiously.

Harry smiled and nodded his head. "Your mother has managed to answer all of our questions, and we're convinced that this would be a fun way for our kids to spend the rest of their holiday," he said.

Hunter grinned and looked up at them. "I'll get to have friends now?" he asked.

"Yes, though you've met them all before. You'll get to know them much better now," George said while bending over to ruffle his hair.

Hunter wriggled excitedly at the thought of having new friends. "I like friends," he murmured.

The next day, Patty and Paige came over to the property to work with James and Teecie on planning out the day-camp. "I think Patty and James would be really good at doing flying and Quidditch lessons," Paige suggested while sitting on the back porch steps.

"And Paige, you and I could work on art projects with the kids. And maybe I could make a sort of petting zoo with the farm animals for them too," Teecie added while writing all the ideas down.

"And I can help make lunch," Paige said.

"And we can all help clean up so Teecie's father won't kill us," James said.

"And play games with me!" Hunter cried as he ran up to them from the pond. He jumped on top of James, who in turn picked the boy up and turned him upside down. Hunter screamed and giggled while his face turned red. He and James sparred playfully a few minutes later.

"When will my new friends come over?" Hunter asked when they'd settled down again.

"Tomorrow, after breakfast," Teecie answered. "So, help us think of things to do with the kids." Hunter came up with tons of ideas for what he wanted to do with his new friends-to-be. By the end of the afternoon, they had several pages of notes and plans.

Teecie was nervous that evening as she thought about the task she was undertaking. There would be seven kids coming, besides Hunter. That was a lot of children to care for. At least there were three others helping her, and her mum would always be around to help too.

She did get excited, when she thought about the money she was earning as well. Harry and George had insisted on paying them. When Paige had figured out the numbers and did all the math, she had told them that they'd each be earning about 250 galleons each. Teecie was thrilled to find out she'd be adding a lot more money to the thousand she'd earned at the honey stand earlier that holiday. It felt great to be earning her own money now.

When James had found out how much he was going to make, he'd grinned his head off, and kissed Teecie's cheek. He seemed very happy, and almost relieved for some reason.

The twins were also ecstatic. They immediately started planning all the things they wanted to buy with their money. Paige, though, planned to save most of her money. "I have to think about the future, after all," she declared with a smile.

Patty, on the other hand, planned on spending her money on brand new Quidditch equipment. "Daniel will be so jealous of me! Too bad his dad had to get him a job at the ice cream shoppe this summer, or he could have helped us!"

The next morning, at breakfast, Lucius lectured Teecie for almost an hour on the do's and don'ts for the children and her friends. "Under no circumstances should any of the children go in the pond," he said while pouring a glass of orange juice. "In fact, I've asked your mother to place wards all around it just in case it proves too tempting for them." And a little later, he started up again. "And at no time is any one of you allowed in the hayloft. I won't have you and James running off for a romp, or have one of the children fall and break his neck," he said while buttering his toast. "And remember to keep the kids protected from the sun. We don't want to be accused of letting the kids get sunburned," he said as he stood up to clear his plate.

Teecie was glad when he'd left for the day; his lectures had been rather annoying.

Hunter arrived first that day, wearing green shorts and a white tee-shirt. "I'm ready for camp!" he declared when Peter left for work. He was wriggling with excitement.

James and the twins arrived shortly afterwards, and they all began to set up for the day. James and Patty constructed a small Quidditch pitch at the foot of the hill, while Paige and Teecie set up tables and art supplies, as well as pillows and blankets under a large apple tree for story-time. The barn was always kept clean, so Teecie didn't need to worry about it.

At ten o'clock, Harry, George, and the kids arrived in their magical flying cherry-red convertible. James and Patty were quite impressed with the car, and spent several minutes looking at it while everybody else milled around by the back-porch.

Paige walked over to the kids, who seemed a bit nervous as they stood huddled around their foster fathers. "Hey kids! Don't be shy; you know me already!" she cried enthusiastically.

James and Patty had rejoined the group in time to watch as Hunter approached the new kids. "Which one of you is my new best friend?" he cried. He carefully surveyed the group, walking past each one, until he came to a boy about his age, with curly brown hair and green eyes. "What's your name?" Hunter asked.

"Cole," the boy replied shyly.

Hunter grinned and nodded his head. "Yep, you're it!" he declared confidently while taking Cole by the elbow. "Come on, let's go throw rocks into the pond." With that, the two boys ran down towards the lake.

Harry and George looked at each other, wide-eyed, before breaking out into smiles. "Cole has had such a difficult time fitting in since he came to us," George said. "This is the first sign that he's beginning to adjust."

"That's so good to hear," Teecie said with a grin. "Now, why don't we get started? I thought I could give you all a tour of the property and we can introduce ourselves on the way."

Harry and George hugged the kids goodbye, and calmed down one of the girls who started crying when she realized they weren't staying for the day. "We'll be back tonight at five o'clock sharp, I promise," Harry said soothingly while brushing away the girl's tears.

Teecie took the girl's hand in hers and squeezed it encouragingly. "What's your name, darling?" she asked while kneeling down in front of her.

"Ly-Ly-Lydia," the girl gasped.

"Well, Lydia, how would you like to come with me and see the sheep? And would you like to play with clay? And did you know that we're going to have grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch today?" Teecie said while wiping away the girl's tears.

"Grilled cheese is my favourite," Lydia murmured while letting go of Harry and stepping closer to Teecie.

"Good, then you'll definitely have fun today. So, why don't we go on that tour of the farm and we can get to know each other?" Teecie said while standing up and holding her hand out to the girl. Lydia took her hand and moved up against Teecie's hip, leaning her head on Teecie's stomach. She wrapped her other arm around Teecie's waist and clung tightly to her.

Harry had a look of deep concern on his face as he looked at Lydia. "Honey, are you going to be all right? George and I really will be coming back tonight," he said while smoothing her hair.

George walked over to Harry and put his hand on Harry's elbow. "Come on, we should get going. Lydia will be fine, this will be good for her," he said while gently pulling Harry away from the scene. When Harry began to protest, George shook his head and pulled harder, causing him to turn and walk away. George put his arm around Harry's shoulder and patted it lovingly. "It'll be good for you too."

Once Harry and George had left, Teecie and the older kids took the younger children on a tour of the farm. It turned out that Lydia was quite a chatterbox once she had grown comfortable with her surroundings. She squealed at the sight of a calf frolicking in its pen.

All the children were equally excited to see the farm animals. James had to physically restrain Hunter and Heath Morrison, an eight year old boy, from running after the chickens and trying to catch them. "If you chase them, they won't lay eggs. Adriana will be upset if they don't lay eggs," he informed them before redirecting their attention to the horse. That proved a bit more daunting to them, and they settled down directly.

All the girls loved the lambs, and took turns petting them. "Is it a boy lamb or a girl lamb?" asked Sunita Amrit.

Teecie leaned down to look at the lamb as it ran around the pen. "I think it's a girl," she replied.

"How can you tell?" Elaine Chapman, another girl, asked.

"Well, because…" Teecie replied before trailing off. What was the proper response? Was she supposed to tell them the difference between boy animals and girl animals? Somehow she thought not. "Because…"

"Silly, you know the difference between boys and girls," Chloe Bankroft, the oldest girl attending the camp, said. "All you have to do is look to see." She bent down and looked at the lamb. "Yep, it's a girl all right. It doesn't have a-" she cut herself off and blushed as she looked at the boys standing around her. She leaned towards Elaine, and whispered something in her ear, at which, both girls giggled before running off to look at the cats.

Teecie rolled her eyes at the girls, but felt grateful to Chloe for solving the problem. When she looked at James, she saw he was blushing as well, and seemed to want to get away from the girls, who were inching their way over towards him and giggling. Patty and Paige watched all this as well, and tried to stifle their laughter at James's discomfort.

"Teecie, looks like you have some competition," Paige whispered as they all walked back towards the house.

Teecie chuckled and nodded her head. "I just hope none of them try to steal him from me," she whispered in reply.

The day went smoothly, with the children having a lot of fun looking around the property, and enjoying the toasted cheese sandwiches and vegetable soup Adriana made for them. When they were done eating, James and Patty arranged a game of tag to help the children burn off their energy. Teecie watched as Adriana stood on the porch watching them play. She leaned her head against the post and looked wistful as the children screamed and shrieked and chased one another around. Teecie couldn't help but hope this didn't make her want to have a baby again.

The children were upset about having to leave at the end of the day. Harry and George had trouble collecting them, for they tried to evade them by running away. Lydia, who'd been so scared of being left that morning, sobbed and threw herself at Teecie's feet. "I don't wanna go!" she wailed.

Teecie picked Lydia off the ground and brushed the grass off her jeans. "Now, Lydia, you'll be coming back tomorrow. This camp goes for a whole month," she said kindly. "Harry and George probably want to hear all about your day."

They turned to look at the men, who were walking back up from the pond, children in tow. Harry was even carrying little Cole Seabrook, Hunter's new best friend, under his arm. "Cole, it is time to go home now," he said while Hunter ran after them. "And we'll be talking about the appropriateness of kicking grownups when we get there."

Finally all the children had been rounded up and were in the car for the return ride home. The older kids waved goodbye to them as they took off. Once the car was out of sight, they collapsed on the porch, and talked about how the day had gone.

"I can't wait to start Quidditch with them," Patty said with a grin.

"Me neither, though I hope the little girls don't attack me or anything," James added while rolling his eyes.

Paige giggled and patted his arm. "Don't worry, Teecie won't let them do anything too bad to you," she assured him.

"Yes, James, don't be scared of them, they're only little girls," Teecie added. "It's the big girls you have to worry about." All three of the young women burst into peals of laughter at that. James flushed and looked as though he wanted to die. Teecie wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "I'll keep you safe from them, I promise," she whispered in his ear.

The next day went just as well as the first day, with half of the kids wanting to try flying and Quidditch, and half the kids wanting to do art projects. Patty and James tromped off with Ackley, Cole, Heath, Hunter, and Sunita down to the pitch to start flying practice. They'd all brought their own practice brooms from home, and held them in their hands while making their way to the pitch.

Paige and Teecie took Lydia, Chloe, and Elaine over to the art table and made macaroni necklaces with them. The girls chattered about everything under the sun while painting the dried pasta with watercolours and glitter. Lydia seemed to have developed a crush on Hunter, and spent a lot of time asking Teecie about him. "Does he like girls with blonde hair?" she asked casually while twirling a lock of her honey-blonde hair in her fingers.

"Well…his mother has blonde hair…" Teecie replied, not wanting to hurt Lydia's feelings by informing him that Hunter thought all girls were gross.

At lunch time, Lydia skipped up to Hunter, who was walking with Cole, and held out the purple and pink glittered necklace she was wearing around her neck. "Hunter, what do you think of my pretty necklace?" she asked excitedly.

Hunter frowned and took a step back from her. "It's awfully purple, don't you think?" he replied.

It was Lydia's turn to frown now. "Purple is my favourite colour," she murmured while her lower lip trembled.

Hunter wrinkled his nose. "Ew, I hate purple. Only girls like purple," he scoffed while sitting down at the lunch table and taking two tuna fish sandwiches for himself.

Lydia looked over at Paige, who was handing out napkins to the kids. "Paige, Hunter is being mean to me," she warbled while tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Hunter, let's try to think of another way to say what you think, all right? I'm sure you didn't mean to hurt Lydia's feelings, now, did you? Why don't you apologize to Lydia for hurting her feelings," Paige said while handing him a napkin.

Hunter frowned and looked at Lydia. "Sorry I made you cry," he mumbled.

Lydia smiled at him and threw her arms around him. "That's OK, Hunter," she said before kissing his cheek.

"Ew, quit it!" he cried while wiping his cheek off on the tablecloth.

Lydia giggled as she took a sandwich and put it on her plate. "I think you like me," she said in a singsong voice.

"Ew, I do not! Girls are icky!" Hunter cried while reaching out and pinching her arm.

Lydia shrieked and burst into tears. "Hunter pinched me!" she wailed while jumping up and running to Teecie, burying her head in her stomach.

"Hunter Preston Weasley!" Teecie shouted while hugging Lydia. "What has gotten into you?"

"She kissed me!" Hunter shouted while standing up and throwing his plate of food across the table. "And I'm not sorry!" With that, he ran into the house and slammed the door.

Hunter stayed inside for the rest of the day, and refused to apologize to Lydia. "Why? I didn't say she could kiss me," he exclaimed while sitting on the sofa watching cartoons. Teecie had come inside to talk to him, but he wouldn't budge.

"Leave him be for today, and I'm sure he'll be fine by tomorrow," Adriana said. "I'll look after him myself."

Hunter seemed to be in a much better mood the next day, and even sat by Lydia at snack time. He shared his goldfish crackers with her, and she let him eat her last slice of apple. They even held hands and skipped down to the Quidditch pitch together.

That night, Hunter stayed for dinner, and told Lucius all about his new girlfriend. "She's an older woman," he gloated while grabbing a piece of bread to butter.  
Lucius smiled and tried not to laugh. "Oh really? How much older?" he asked casually.

"A whole year older, so she's loads smarter than me. She already goes to school and can write her name," Hunter explained.

"Oh, a woman of true sophistication," Lucius remarked. Hunter nodded his head in agreement.

When dinner was over, after Peter arrived, he and Lucius took Hunter out to the porch to have a little talk about girls. "Only the very basics," Lucius reassured Teecie and Adriana after Hunter and Peter had left for the evening. "Things like what is OK for a five year old boy to do, and what is not. I mean, we'd have to answer to Reni otherwise if something happened that she, Harry or George disapproved of." Teecie rolled her eyes and glanced at her mother, who was hiding a smile behind her hand.

By the time the first week ended, Teecie and her friends were exhausted, but very happy over how things were going. "The kids love it and get along well," Patty said as they sat on the porch, as they'd taken to doing each evening after camp ended for the day.

"Well I love all of them too," Paige added. "I've not had this much fun in ages."

"Me neither," Teecie said. "We should have done this last year too, if I hadn't been working then." The kids spent the rest of their time planning for the next week, because the parade in Hogsmeade was going to be on Friday, and they needed to plan around it.

James and Teecie spent most of the weekend at his house, and at the cinema, enjoying one another's company. They were quite relaxed and ready for the next week to start by Sunday evening.

The next week went smoothly, with the children getting along well and enjoying the activities. Most of the boys played Quidditch with James and Patty, while the girls had fun with the art projects and reading stories out loud to one another.

By midweek, the older kids were busy planning the next week's activities. "What if we did sort of school classes, only fun for the kids? You know, like Herbology or Potions?" Paige suggested while rocking on the porch swing. Everybody loved the idea, and within minutes, they were working on a list of who could teach which classes.

"So, I can teach Defense Against the Dark Arts; Paige, you can do Charms; Patty, I know you want to do Transfiguration, and Teecie, did you want to do Potions?" James asked while taking notes.

Teecie bit her lip and shook her head. She'd been nervous about potions ever since blinding her brother, and didn't want to be responsible for a group of children. "I was thinking I could do Herbology," she replied.

"Then who will do Potions?" Patty asked.

"We could see if one of our friends wants to do it. They might like being a guest professor for a week," Paige said.

"I bet if I asked Zeren, he'd do it," Teecie piped up.

James narrowed his eyes and looked carefully at her. "You think he would?" he asked tersely.

Teecie kissed his cheek. "James, we're just friends now, and friends do that for each other," she explained.

James grumbled for a minute before shrugging his shoulders. "Oh all right," he conceded. Teecie grinned and kissed his cheek again.

When everything was settled, and the twins had left for the evening, James and Teecie walked down to the wheat fields to walk around and talk privately. He was candid in his fears of letting Zeren help them with the project, and whether or not he was trustworthy. Teecie gave her word of honour that she wouldn't allow Zeren to do anything that would upset James.

"You know that you're the only man I want to be with anymore," she assured him while leading him into the middle of the field, and proceeding to show him how devoted she now was to him. James stumbled out of the field a while later, feeling much more reassured.

By Friday, though, everybody's thoughts had turned to Hogsmeade, and the parade. Teecie sat at breakfast that morning talking to her parents about it. "Are either of you going?" she asked while buttering a piece of toast.

"I don't think so, I don't like crowds," Adriana said quietly. "I might go up to the school, though, and speak with Albus's portrait. It's been a long time since I did that."

"And I have to work, you know that, Ticia," Lucius said as he stood up to leave. "The honey won't sell itself." With that, he left the house, and drove off to work, though Teecie could have sworn she saw him turn the wrong way as he left the driveway. She forgot about this by the time she was ready to leave for the parade.

Since it was in Hogsmeade, Harry and George's kids were going to walk there while Teecie, her friends, and Hunter were going to floo to the Three Broomsticks to meet them. All the kids were beyond excited about the parade. Harry was going to be the grand marshal, and would be on the very first float.

"I can't wait to see Harry!" Ackley Pitt cried while hopping up and down after they'd all walked down to the main street and had found a spot to stand.

"I wanna see the clowns!" Cole added while moving over next to Hunter.

The crowd was huge. Everybody from the Ministry of Magic had been let out of work early for the day to attend, so Peter Weasley ended up joining them as well. Hunter grinned to see his father, and introduced him to all his new friends. Draco, Tanith, their kids, and Narcissa Malfoy also joined them after a while.

The parade was a lot of fun. There was a marching band and jugglers, and floats that really floated down the road. There were acrobats, mimes, and clowns who threw sweets out to the children in the crowd. Teecie's favourite, though, was the pirate ship that sailed down the street. There were pirates inside who disembarked from the ship and began to fight with swords, and several others chased after women in the crowd. James put his arm around Teecie's shoulders and growled so fiercely at one of them as he approached her, that he backed off and chased after somebody else instead.

"Oh James, it's just for fun," Teecie chided him while watching the last pirate, Captain Hook, walk stiffly down the gangplank and begin to brandish his hook menacingly at the crowd.

"Captain Hook! It's Captain Hook!" Hunter screamed while waving at the pirate. "He's the best ever!"

Captain Hook seemed to have heard this, for he turned to look at Hunter, and grinned evilly. Teecie couldn't help but think he looked an awfully lot like the person from the movie. Surely it couldn't be the same actor-not after all these years.

Hook walked over to Hunter, and eyed him carefully. "Didst thou ever want to be a pirate?" he asked him after a moment. Teecie noticed Draco's head snapped towards the Captain while he quoted the movie. He looked like he was concentrating hard on something, but she never found out what it was.

Hunter's eyes grew huge, and his mouth opened to speak, but no words came out. Finally, Peter nudged him, and he nodded his head in response.

Hook smiled and waved his hooked hand over Hunter, and instantly, he was fully dressed in proper pirate attire. Teecie decided that the hook must have been some sort of transfigured wand.

"Be it known, that hence forth, Hunter Preston Weasley is now a part of my noble crew!" Hook cried loudly to the crowd. They clapped and cheered as Hunter grinned at the pirate. When Hook saw Roo glaring at Hunter, he waved his hook and gave him a matching pirate outfit as well. Roo grinned brandished his hook at his sisters, making them squeal and shriek.

As Teecie watched Hook walk away, she couldn't help but wonder how he'd known Hunter's name, let alone his whole name. And she recalled how every time she watched Peter Pan with her parents, her mum always commented on how much Hook resembled Lucius. Lucius always denied it, but…Could that possibly be her dad? No, surely not. He'd never do such a thing…It must be an odd coincidence.

She was quickly distracted by the other highlight of the parade. Somehow, whoever had coordinated it, had managed to get Uncle Sev to participate. He was on a float-not waving or smiling of course, while angelic-looking cherubs flew about him and tossed toy crackers to the crowd. Uncle Sev didn't appear to be enjoying himself, but Teecie thought he deserved to be there. He'd emerged from the war a hero, and it was long overdue for his acknowledgement.

As he passed by them, Teecie watched as Narcissa handed Mel a single red rose and whispered in her ear. Mel grinned and ran out to the float. She jumped up and tossed the rose to Uncle Sev, who caught it and looked at it curiously. He quickly turned to look at Narcissa, and narrowed his eyes in a scrutinizing manner. She smiled at him, and nodded her head slightly, which caused him to smile in return, for some reason. Teecie couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him smile, if she ever had. What a weird thing to happen. It was so unlike Narcissa and Uncle Sev to act as they were now. What could it possibly mean? Mel didn't seem to know what any of it meant either, for she returned to her spot by Liss and continued to wave at all the passing floats as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

By the time the parade was over, Teecie was still just as confused as ever, but put her thoughts aside while she and her friends walked to the orphanage with George and the kids. Harry was already there and waiting for them with ice cream and biscuits for a snack when they arrived. Peter, George, and Harry sat on the porch talking while the older kids fed the younger ones.

When everybody had finished their snack and had calmed down again, Peter took Hunter back home with him while Teecie and her friends flood to their own houses. Teecie helped her mother make dinner that night, for she seemed a bit sad from speaking with Albus's portrait.

"It's just been such a long time since I've spoken with him. I wish you'd known him when he was alive. He would have loved all three of you girls. He loved Reni," Adriana said while basting a chicken.

"What did you talk about with him today?" Teecie asked as she cut lettuce for a salad.

"Oh, a little bit of everything," Adriana replied cryptically. "We had a lot to get caught up on."

They were just setting the table when Lucius walked into the house and sat down. He looked very tired. Adriana set her napkins down and hurried over to him. "How are you doing today, dear?" she asked while wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"Sore and exhausted," Lucius murmured before kissing her cheek. "I was nearly mobbed by a tour bus full of women. It's a miracle I made it home alive today."

"Oh, you poor thing, all those women? I bet they pawed at you and tried to tear your clothes off too," Adriana cooed into his ear as she sat down on his lap.

Lucius nodded in agreement. "It's so difficult to be this handsome. It really is quite a burden."

"I'm sorry you feel so burdened by your good looks. Would you like me to put an uglifying spell on you?" Adriana offered.

Lucius wrinkled his nose. "I don't think so. My looks are one of my biggest selling points for the honey after all. I can't let my customer base down."

Teecie watched her father carefully as he flirted with her mother. Did he show any signs of having not gone to work that day? He said he was tired, which could have happened at the market, or it could have happened from participating in a parade. After a few more minutes, Adriana slipped off his lap and began to serve dinner to her family. Teecie narrowed her eyes and looked at her father carefully.

Lucius noticed her after a minute, and frowned. "Is everything all right, Ticia? How was the parade today?" he asked carefully.

"I'm fine, and so was the parade," she replied quietly.

"What sort of things did they have?"

"Oh, clowns and acrobats and stuff like that," she said before pausing a moment, "They also had some pirates."

"Did they? Were they any good?"

"They were all right. They had a guy dressed as Captain Hook."

"Oh? How was he?" Lucius asked casually before taking a bite of his salad.

"He was OK, for a pirate in a parade, I suppose," Teecie replied while watching for her dad's reaction.

"Just OK? I should think Captain Hook appearing on a pirate ship in the middle of a parade would be the highlight of your day," he said quickly.

Teecie paused for a moment before responding. "I never said he was on a pirate ship…"

Lucius's nostrils flared. "Well if he was Captain Hook, then of course he was on a pirate ship. Anybody could figure that out," he snapped.

Teecie bit her lip and tried not to laugh. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, for he really had looked rather cool there, though of course she could never let him know that. "Well, you guessed right," she said slowly. "He was pretty cool. Roo and Hunter probably think he's about the coolest guy on the planet."

Lucius nodded his head approvingly. "I dare say they do. He is a man worthy of respect and admiration."

Teecie smiled before taking a bite of her chicken. "Definitely," she said through a full mouth.


	95. Year Seven Begins

Year Seven Begins

The day after the parade, Teecie owled Zeren and asked if he would help them during the next week for their "school". He'd written back a day later saying he would.

Ticia,

It took some convincing of my father to allow me to help, but I will be available to you next week. I've been spending the holiday learning the family businesses with my father. He's insistent that I learn all I can before next year, because he plans to hand over many of the main duties to me after I leave Hogwarts. It is a lot to live up to. When I marry, I will be expected to take over all of the businesses. But that is not for some time yet.

On another note, I assume James Lupin will be at your property as well. I will do my best to remain civil in his presence, for I know you wish there to be peace. You can rest assured that I, for my part, will act in a mature manner as is befitting my station. I am sure you can count on Lupin to act in a manner befitting his station as well.

I look forward to seeing you next week.

I remain your friend always,

Zeren Travers

Teecie was happy about getting to see Zeren again. It had been over a month since school had let out, and she'd not even written to him since then. She knew that she wouldn't be tempted by him again, for she loved James too much to do anything with any other boy than him anymore.

Lucius seemed to find the idea of both James and Zeren being together at the camp an amusing thought. He laughed out loud when she told them about it over cheese omelets at breakfast on Sunday. "You think both of those boys will behave themselves? I can just see them getting into a fist fight over you by Tuesday. I don't know that it's a good idea to have them together here. They're liable to burn the barn and the house down in some showdown," he chuckled.

"Dad!" Teecie cried. "They are not going to burn anything down. They are very mature men now. I mean, Zeren is, and James is working on it. He won't do anything stupid."

Even Adriana had a difficult time keeping a straight face at that. "I'm sure they'll do their very best," she finally said.

As it turned out, they did do their best to behave themselves. In fact, they never once spoke to one another. Each of the older kids set up a "classroom" at a different part of the property, and took small groups of students who rotated through for each lesson. James held his class under the olive tree on the hill, while Zeren held his class at the lunch table by the back porch.

Teecie's class was under the apple orchard. She had samples of some of the plants she'd learned about over the years. The kids enjoyed the snap dragon flowers that snapped their petals best of all. The class was interrupted, though, when Lydia came tearing into the circle of children and threw herself at Teecie. She was screaming and sobbing uncontrollably while James came running up behind her.

"Lydia, it's only a picture, it can't hurt you," he gasped while kneeling down next to Teecie. "See? It's just a pop-up book." Lydia didn't notice him, and continued to scream.

"It was a big vampire with five fangs and it tried to eat me! It tried to bite me and suck all my blood!" Lydia wailed. "It jumped up at me and I almost died!"

Teecie sighed and knelt down next to her, letting the girl wrap her arms around her neck. "Lydia, darling, James was just showing you pictures in a book. The vampire wasn't real. James was trying to show you what certain things look like so you'd be able to identify one if you ever saw one. Don't you think that's a good idea?"

Lydia shook her head and continued to wail. James set the book on the ground and held his hand out to her. "Lydia, I'm so sorry the picture frightened you," he said in a quiet voice. "Will you ever forgive me?"

Lydia's cries softened, and she looked at James. "OK," she sniffled while pulling away from Teecie and wrapping herself around James's shoulders. "You're strong," she commented, "You won't let a vampire eat me, will you?"

James smiled and hugged her. "Of course not. I would never let anything bad happen to you," he replied.

"Do you think Hunter would let anything bad happen to me?"

"No, Hunter likes you too much. He'd fight off any monster for you."

"I bet. Hunter is strong too. I want to go see him, can I?"

James nodded his head. "Why don't you go join his class? He's having a potions lesson right now," he replied. Lydia nodded her head and put her hand in his. He led her off to the other group where she joined with Hunter.

Teecie was amazed at how well James had handled the situation. She made sure to tell him that after they'd all finished for the day and the children had gone home. "James, that was wonderful today. I couldn't have dealt with Lydia any better than that. You'll be a great father some day," she murmured to him as they cleaned up the mess the kids had left behind.

"I heard about what happened, what a drama queen," Patty called out to them while she piled dirty dishes in her arms.

"All of the students loved my lesson. We made a laughing potion," Zeren added from the porch swing he was sitting on. "A few of them have quite a bit of potential, I think, except for Ackley Pitt. He's going to have to learn to stop drinking the ingredients if he ever wants to pass Professor Black's classes."

"He's lucky he didn't get sick," Paige chided him. "You make sure to stop them from drinking stuff like that."

"It's nothing poisonous," Zeren reassured her.

When all their friends had left, and James and Teecie were alone, they lay in the hammock and talked quietly about the children they'd have one day, and what they'd do when they got scared of monsters and the dark, and all the other things that scare kids.

"You'll have to sing the children to sleep, because you know I can't carry a tune in a bucket," Teecie giggled.

"I think I can handle that," James accepted with a grin. "And I can also be in charge of wrestling and Quidditch."

"And if we have daughters?"

"Well, you can be in charge of tea parties and playing house if that happens."

"I don't know, I think if we have any daughters you might want to have tea parties with them too. You're a real softie when it comes to girls, you know."

"I am not! Besides, we're going to have all boys, you know that."

"But I want at least one girl!" Teecie cried as she began to tickle James. He laughed and started to tickle her as well. Soon they were tangled up in the hammock and laughing harder than they had in a long time. It took them quite a while to get out when it was time for dinner.

The rest of the week passed with no other incidents. They all loved going to "school" and learning about magic. Harry and George enjoyed how enthusiastic they all were about their education. It was a wonderful way to end the summer camp experience. The children had all grown quite close, and were looking forward to going to school in the autumn, including Hunter, who'd been rather nervous before.

The one thing that stood out to everybody, though, was the fact that Portia suddenly invited herself to help out at the camp for the rest of the week. She appointed herself Zeren's personal helper, constantly running back into the house for food and drinks for him and assisting him with cleaning at the end of each day. Patty and Paige were both quite annoyed over this, but didn't say anything about it at the property.

On the last day of camp, Reni accompanied Peter in coming to get Hunter. They stayed to dinner with their family after everybody else had left. Teecie thought Reni looked rather cute with her belly beginning to bulge. James had stayed to dinner as well, and seeing Reni made her look at him and take his hand in hers. She couldn't wait for the time when her own belly was growing larger with his child inside. What a wonderful feeling it would be.

Neither James nor Teecie wanted to be parted from one another for the last week of the holiday before school began. They knew their parents would never let them stay together at their houses, so the only other option was to go away somewhere. But where? And how would they get them to say yes? It took a couple days, but they decided that if they each told their parents they were going to spend the rest of the holiday with their friends, they'd be able to go away together. And since neither of them were rich, they couldn't go away to any place too exotic or expensive, but they thought they could afford to stay at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. Madam Rosmerta never asked questions, and would surely let them stay there.

On Monday, Teecie packed her bags and told her mother that she was going to spend the rest of the week at Patty and Paige's house. At the same time, James told his father that he was going to visit with Daniel for the rest of the holiday. When both sets of parents had given their permission, the kids flooed to their friend's houses. From there, they flooed to the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade.

Madam Rosmerta didn't ask them any questions, but showed them to a nice room with its own bathroom, and a large, clean bed in one corner. There was a fireplace with a couple of reading chairs in front of it. Teecie knew she was going to enjoy the week there.

The first thing James and Teecie did was unpack their bags. When they'd finished, they stood in the middle of the room, and looked around. "Well, what should we do now?" Teecie asked while glancing at the bed.

James took her hand in his, and grinned. "I think we should see how comfortable the bed is," he replied before leading her over to it.

Teecie smiled and sat down on the bed. "It's pretty soft," she said as she petted the space next to her. "What do you think?"

James threw himself down on the bed. "It's perfect!" he cried. "I love soft beds!"

Teecie lay down next to him, and wrapped an arm around his waist. "Me too, though I do like harder things too…" she murmured while moving her hand to his jeans and unbuttoning them.

James smiled and leaned over to help Teecie take her clothes off as well. Within a minute or two, their clothes lay in a tangled heap on the floor, while they lay in a tangled heap on the bed. They loved being able to make love properly, instead of in secret in a cinema. It was the first time in almost a year since they'd been able to do this.

Because James and Teecie were of age, they were able to use magic outside of school, which meant they didn't have to worry about finding Muggle forms of contraception. This allowed them to enjoy themselves with no worries about anything going wrong.

Madam Rosmerta smiled knowingly at them as James ordered a bowl of beef stew, the fish and chips, and a pint of ale. Teecie ate a cheeseburger and chips, and even had room for an ice cream sundae afterwards before they retired back to their room for the night.

Because it was a cool night, James lit a fire in the fireplace. Teecie brought over a blanket, and they curled up on the floor in front of the fire and talked late into the night together. They woke up the next morning in one another's arms on the floor, with the fire now a pile of cold ashes.

After a leisurely English fry-up for breakfast, James and Teecie walked through Hogsmeade, hand in hand. They bought their books for school at the Hogsmeade Flourish and Blotts, as well as all the potions ingredients Teecie would need. James bought a box of strawberry chocoballs for her at Honeydukes, while she bought him a case of mint chocolate frogs.

That afternoon, they fed each other their sweets while lying on the bed. When they had eaten it all, they spent the rest of the day trying out new ways of making love to one another. Teecie never tired of the pleasure James gave her. She didn't think she'd ever tire of it. James knew he'd never even think about any of the girls he'd been with over the last year again now that he was back with his beloved Ticia.

The rest of the week went much the same, with walks through the town and leisurely meals and lovemaking whenever they weren't doing either of the other two activities.

On Thursday, Teecie received an owl from Paige telling her she'd been named Head Girl. "I'm so happy for her!" she exclaimed while showing the letter to James.

"She definitely deserves it," James replied.

By the end of the week, James and Teecie both received owls from their mothers, demanding that they return home from their friend's houses, and spend the last day of the summer holiday with them. James grumbled about having to cut their trip short, but Teecie smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "This is our last year, so they'll want to spend as much time with us as possible," she said before kissing his cheek. James nodded his head and agreed. They packed their bags before settling in for their last night in Hogsmeade. They made sure to make up for losing a night together by packing in two nights worth of love-making into one. Both were exhausted, yet happy and ready to return to their families.

The next morning, Teecie and James flooed back to their houses. Lucius gave Teecie a hug before leaving for work. Adriana put her to work with dinner preparations for that night, and they chattered away the entire day.

"Your father got a letter from Draco a couple days ago," Adriana said, filling Teecie in on the latest news of the family. "He wrote it himself, telling us that his eyesight has finally returned. He said he's looking forward to his job returning to normal this year."

Teecie's heart fluttered with relief to hear this. She'd still never forgiven herself for the potion accident that had left her brother blind. "I'm so happy about that! He must be too," she replied.

"Yes, your father went and visited him the evening he received the letter, and they spent a few hours together, just talking," Adriana said as she kneaded dough for the rye-cardamom buns she was making. "Draco seems eager to move on with his life."

Teecie nodded her head. "That makes sense."

When Lucius returned from work, he was greeted with hugs and kisses, and a plate of sauerbraten and spätzle. "German food, eh?" he mused while taking a rye roll, splitting it open, and drizzling it with honey.

"I wanted to try a cuisine I haven't had in a long time," Adriana explained with a smile. "It was such a long time since I was there."

"When were you in Germany, mum?" Teecie asked curiously.

"Oh, it's been a very long time; it was before I met Albus, maybe 1840 or so."

"And what did you do there?"

"Just traveling around. Nothing very interesting."

Lucius cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows. "Oh, I'm sure it was very interesting, but that's a discussion for another time…" he trailed off, smiling suggestively.

Adriana returned the smile. "Maybe later," she said quietly.

The rest of the evening passed quickly and quietly. Teecie packed her trunk with all the clothes and books she'd need for the year. There was a lot of stuff she was going to need this year, for the classes would be the most intense and the most important of her seven years at Hogwarts.

Teecie slept somewhat restlessly that night, for she had grown used to having James's arms around her, and listening to his gentle snores as she fell asleep. It was going to be difficult to go back to her dormitory at school and not have him in her bed anymore.

The next morning, she was rather tired as she got ready for the long train ride that day. Lucius insisted on driving her to the station for her last time. "It's perfect timing, really, I can see you and Melantha and Lisandra off before going to work. I'm meeting somebody about a building in town anyway, so it couldn't have worked out better," he said with a smile as they flew the car to London.

"I'm sure Mel will enjoy her first trip to school," Teecie said while watching the other cars drive by underneath them as they flew.

When they arrived at King's Cross station, she found James after only a minute. They snogged for a while before he ran off to find them a compartment while Teecie stood around with her family.

Draco had insisted on taking Mel and Liss to the station himself, much to Mel's horror. She complained a couple times to him, but it didn't do any good. Draco had no intention of leaving before seeing both of his daughters onto the train himself.

"Why don't you just come with us on the train if you're so worried about them?" Teecie teased her brother.

"I would if I wouldn't have to watch you snog your boyfriend the entire time," Draco replied. "And that reminds me, I don't want you subjecting my daughters to too much of a show today, so just make sure you keep yourself under some semblance of control, all right?" He folded his arms and raised his eyebrows expectantly.

Teecie frowned and placed her hands on her hips. "Draco, there's no reason to be so rude!" Turning to her father, she continued to speak, "Dad, tell him he can't talk to me like that."

Lucius raised his eyebrows and glanced at his son. "Actually, I couldn't agree with him more. I think it's a good idea for you to continue practicing restraint while in public," he replied while patting her on the shoulder.

Teecie was busy being insulted over this while Mel said goodbye to Draco. Mel quickly turned and grabbed her aunt by the hand, tugging her towards the train. She'd never been as close to Ticia as Liss had, but she still loved her, and found a great deal of comfort in her presence at the moment.

Liss soon caught up with the other girls, and took Teecie's other hand, pulling her away from Mel. They walked hand-in-hand onto the train, and over to the compartment James had saved for them, leaving Mel behind. Teecie was already snogging James while sitting on his lap by the time Mel reached them. She sat down next to her aunt, and talked to the other people in the compartment before turning to watch the show Teecie and James were putting on in spite of Draco and Lucius's warnings.

Teecie and James spent most of the ride on the bench snogging, except for the times they snuck into the restroom to lock themselves inside in order to enjoy themselves a little more intimately.

By the time they arrived at the Hogsmeade station, they were rather exhausted, and ready for a nice drive to the school. Mel seemed rather nervous about going on the boats alone, and hugged both Teecie and Liss before leaving with the other first years.

The school looked just the same as always, warm and inviting. Teecie knew there was a delicious feast waiting for them once they all got settled in, and the first years were sorted. Her stomach started to grumble as she thought about how long the sorting would probably take. To get her mind off of that, she started to recall her own sorting seven years ago. When the Sorting Hat had asked her which house she wanted to be in, she hadn't really wanted to be in any of them, but knew she had no choice. She'd chosen Gryffindor because she liked their colours best, and when she looked back on it, it had been the right choice. She never would have done well in Ravenclaw, though she might have done all right in Hufflepuff. She would have had trouble in Slytherin, but probably would have managed eventually, but Gryffindor had definitely been the best fit for her.

Teecie's thoughts returned to the task at hand when she heard Mel's name called out for sorting. She watched with rapt attention as her niece nervously approached the stool with the Sorting Hat perched upon it. Mel picked up the hat and set it on her head with a grin. After a few moments, the hat called out "Slytherin!" and Mel looked over at her father with an ecstatic look on her face. Draco smiled approvingly, and nodded his head as she took the hat off and walked down towards the table of applauding Slytherins. Teecie cheered loudly, knowing that Mel wanted nothing more than to be a Slytherin.

By the end of the sorting, several new kids had been added to the Gryffindor table, including James and Arthur Potter-Weasley, boys Teecie had seen in passing whenever she'd been at the orphanage. They seemed like polite boys, though she could see a gleam in the dark-haired one that told her he'd be trouble some day. She couldn't help but wonder if he'd be as much trouble as she had been her first year at school.

Finally, the feast began, and Teecie filled her plate with slices of roast beef and mashed potatoes. James had made it easier for himself by taking three plates to load his food onto. Each one was heaped with mounds of food, and Teecie watched in awe as he ate all of it. "Don't you ever get full?" she asked with a grin.

James just shook his head and continued to eat. "I worked up quite an appetite on the train today," he finally said through a full mouth. Teecie grinned and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. They began to kiss intensely, James forgetting his dinner.

The two were deeply embroiled in their snogging before being interrupted out of it by the sound of people laughing at them. "Oooh, James, are you sure that's appropriate for the dinner table?" somebody called out to them.

James pulled away from Teecie to see Arthur and James laughing and crossing their eyes at him. "Kissy kissy!" Arthur cried while his brother made kissing noises at them and cackled wildly.

Teecie rolled her eyes at them. "Grow up, boys," she said.

"You two grow up, you're the ones kissing at the table," James Potter-Weasley said with a wicked grin.

James Lupin leaned forward and said lightly, "Hey Jamie, you're just jealous cuz you don't have a girlfriend!"

Jamie blushed and didn't respond. Arthur punched him playfully on the arm and said something Teecie couldn't hear. Jamie didn't seem to appreciate whatever he'd said, though, and punched him back. Arthur frowned and went back to his dinner after that. Teecie and James began to eat their pudding and let the twins alone.

When the feast ended, Draco walked over to James and Teecie as they were leaving the table. "Just a minute, you two, I want a word," he called out to them. The kids turned and looked at him as he stopped before them, his hands on his hips. "I don't ever want to see another performance like the one you two put on tonight," he said coolly.

"But Draco, we're in love. We can't help it," Teecie said while grabbing James's hand.

Draco narrowed his eyes and leaned in towards them. "You can help it, and you'd better try. I will not have you being a negative influence on my daughters. If you cannot keep yourself under control, I will be forced to send you down to the kitchens during your meals. You can eat with the house elves," he said.

James squeezed Teecie's hand. "The kitchens, nobody will see us there," he whispered at her while wriggling his eyebrows.

Draco's lips thinned to a small line, and he stepped in between the two. "Ticia will be sent to the kitchens alone, Mr. Lupin. I hardly intend to make it easier for you to continue this behaviour," he growled while grabbing Teecie's hand out of James's. "Ticia, you must remember that this is the most important year for you if you intend to get into healing school. You'll be applying in just a few weeks, and you cannot allow your hormones to ruin this opportunity for you."

Teecie gulped and went pale. A few weeks? She'd assumed she wouldn't need to apply to healing school until the end of the year. "Are you sure it's only a few weeks away?" she whispered in terror.

Draco nodded his head. "Yes, Ticia, the entire application process will take place this year before your NEWTs. Didn't Master Wilkes tell you this? He should have told you this," he said with a look of concern on his face. "Or maybe he was planning on telling you during your first class…"

Teecie's heart began to pound as she thought about applying for healing school. Sure it was what she'd wanted for years, but the actuality of it was terrifying. How would she be able to deal with all that went with applying and interviewing while working on her studies? How would she be able to balance all of that? When would she have time for James and her friends? Her breathing became more erratic as she thought about this, and before she knew it, she was gasping for breath and swooning.

James jumped into action and caught her before she fell to the ground. "Professor!" he cried while trying to fan Teecie's face and keep her upright.

Draco reached out and grabbed Teecie by the arm and helped her sit down on the bench she was next to. "Take a deep breath, Ticia," he murmured while sitting down next to her and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "I didn't mean to scare you like this."

"What am I going to do? What was I thinking about becoming a healer? It's too hard. I should just get a job doing something simple, maybe help dad with the honey shoppe when he opens it," Teecie moaned.

James sat down next to her and took her hand in his. "Teecie don't say such things," he said with concern. "You'll do fine on your application and the interviews and all that, I know it."

"But what if I don't? What then? What if I try my hardest and don't make it? What then?" Teecie cried shrilly.

"Ticia, I know you're a very intelligent young woman, and the healing school will accept you," Draco reassured her. "You have a lot to offer them, and they'll see that when they meet you."

Teecie took a few deep breaths before leaning against James. "Thanks Draco, and James," she murmured. She felt herself calming down again. Maybe everything would be all right after all.

"Do you think you can make it up to Gryffindor Tower? Perhaps I should take you to the Hospital Wing instead," Draco said while helping her to her feet.

"I think James can help me up to the Common Room and then I can get to my dormitory all right," she replied. "I'll see Master Wilkes tomorrow in class, and hopefully he'll talk some more about this."

Draco held onto Teecie's arm and seemed unsure about putting his trust in James to see her to Gryffindor Tower. He watched as James put his arm around her waist, and pulled her closely to his side. With a sigh, he let go of his sister's arm and watched as James walked with her out of the Great Hall.

Teecie leaned her head on James's shoulder as they walked up to their Common Room. She felt safe and confident in his arms, and at that moment, was certain that she'd succeed in her goals. Even if she didn't, she knew James would love her just as much as he ever had. It made her feel good to know that.

"James, I have the feeling that we're not going to be able to have too much time alone this year," Teecie murmured as they walked up the stairs.

"I don't even want to think about that right now…" James replied. "We'll make the time. We have to. I don't think I can go for a year without a good shag at least once a week."

Teecie frowned and folded her arms. "James, we don't shag! We make love. Or is that all it is to you? A fun shag to keep you going through the day?" she hissed.

"Can't it be both? I mean, I love you and want to be with you, but…a guy's got needs too, you know," James said sheepishly with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Oh James, how can you even say such a thing? How can you not know the difference between making love and shagging? Do you even know what real love is? Do you even love me?" Teecie cried.

James furrowed his brow. "What? How did we get here, Teecie? Of course I love you, you know that," he said in a tone of confusion.

"But how can you love me and then talk about wanting to schedule shagging-time for the year so you can get your fix? That's not love. You don't really love me at all! You just want me for sex!" Teecie burst into tears and started running up the stairs away from James. He was left on the steps looking after her and trying to figure out what had just happened. He went to bed that night bewildered and upset.

The next day, Teecie wouldn't speak to him. "Go find some other outlet for your 'needs'," she growled. "Go find Roxanne or another one of those girls, I know you slept with them anyway, so you know you liked it."

"Teecie, look, I know you're stressed about the school year and all, but don't take it out on me! I didn't do anything wrong," James cried angrily. "All I've ever done was love you and support you."

Teecie clenched her fists, and stamped her foot. "Damn it James, I just need to be left alone for a while!" she yelled. "I can't handle you and healing school applications right now!"

James bit his lip. "Teecie…this is just applying to school. If it's this hard now, what do you think going to school and becoming a healer is going to be like? Are you going to be able to handle being with me ever?" he asked quietly.

Teecie paled as she listened to James. "I don't know?" she whispered. "I thought I could do it all, but…I'm scared. I can't fail at this, I just can't. I…I don't know what to do."

Master Wilkes had talked his class through the application process earlier that day, and it hadn't done much to calm Teecie down at all. He'd told them that the applications were due in three week's time. Teecie had looked through them as he'd passed them out, and she'd felt her throat start to close up as she read the questions. There were essay questions she'd have to answer, as well as giving a detailed history of her schooling and marks. It was all very intimidating.

All of this was building up inside of Teecie, leaving her devoid of any appetite. The rest of her day hadn't helped either. Each professor seemed determined to cram as much education and homework into her last year as humanly possible. After the first day, she already had two essays due in a week, and Draco had given his class two books that he'd assigned for reading by the end of the month.

Teecie had been looking forward to enjoying her final year of Hogwarts, but she was so overwhelmed on the first day that she couldn't help but think about her first few days at school when she'd run away. Running away didn't sound like such a bad idea now. The thought of not having to deal with work loads, applications, and a horny boyfriend sounded really good to her.

James looked at her and shook his head. "Maybe we need to take another break. Would you like that?" he asked quietly.

Teecie bit her lip and folded her arms. She remained quiet for a few minutes while she tried to think. "I don't know," she finally whispered in reply. "I don't know what I want, I don't know what to do." With that, she turned and fled the Great Hall, and ran to Uncle Sev's office.

When Severus saw Ticia walk into his office, he felt a slight surge of dread as he saw tears pouring down her cheeks. "Ticia, what's the matter?" he asked as she threw herself into his arms.

"Oh, it's just terrible, Uncle Sev," she sobbed. "This is the worst year ever and I want to go home right now!"

Severus sighed as Ticia cried in his arms. This was not the best way to begin a school year. He couldn't help but wonder how much trouble she was going to give him. He did a quick mental calculation of how many days were left in the year. It was going to be a very long year…


	96. The Cake Incident

Author's Note: This will be the last chapter of New Beginnings posted until after Christmas. I have been feverishly working on my Christmas story for the year, which I started shortly after Halloween. It's my own take on A Christmas Carol, with Snape filling the role of Scrooge. I will be posting the first chapter next Saturday, and will continue for the next four weekends until Christmas. I hope you will enjoy it, as I have been thoroughly enjoying writing it. And so, since this will be the last chapter of this story for a while, I want to wish all the readers out there a very Happy Thanksgiving, and a Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah. Teecie and her crazy antics will return with the New Year! Until then!

-Foodie

The Cake Incident

Ticia cried in Severus's office for almost a half hour before he brewed her a strong cup of chamomile tea with a splash of brandy in it. "Take a deep breath, and sip the tea, Ticia, it should help to calm you down," he instructed before sitting down next to her.

Teecie gasped and tried to regain her composure before sipping the tea. It seemed to have an immediate effect on her, and she felt her muscles begin to relax. "I just don't think I can do all of this. I thought I had all year to prepare for applying to healing school. I thought I'd be able to deal with school first, you know, make sure I do really well in my classes before dealing with applications. And now I find out I only have a few weeks and I'll have to do all the essays and interviews at the same time as school. How can I be expected to handle both at the same time? And on top of that, James is demanding a lot of my time too," she explained between sips.

Severus furrowed his brow. "Mr. Lupin is demanding your time? I hope that is all he's demanding of you…" he said coolly.

Teecie frowned and rolled her eyes. "Uncle Sev…that's none of your business…" she replied. "I just don't know how I can juggle all of this without failing it miserably."

"The schedule for applying to healing school was made to conclude before the Christmas holidays. You'll have plenty of time to prepare for your NEWTS," Severus explained carefully.

"I thought I had to do all of it at the same time," Teecie murmured. "I…I can still find time to be with James, I bet."

"Lucky you," Severus replied wryly, "but your main focus must still be on your education."

"But it's all about finding that balance," Teecie said. "I mean, I can't study every minute of every day or I'll go mad. I bet you do things for fun too, don't you Uncle Sev?"

"When I have completed all my responsibilities, yes," he said.

"Well then it's just the same for me. When I get done with my responsibilities, then I can have fun with James."

Severus rubbed his temples. "Ticia, finish your tea, and then I think you'd better go to your dormitory for the night," he said, clearly not wanting to continue the conversation.

Teecie took a large gulp of her tea. "I can go find James and apologize to him first. I acted like a real nutter to him tonight," she said while standing up. "Thank you so much for letting me talk to you tonight, you have no idea how much it helped," she continued while throwing her arms around him and kissing his cheek. "I love you Uncle Sev."

Severus sighed, resigned to the fact that he'd never be able to break Ticia of her habit of invading his personal space. She was far too much like her mother in that respect for her own good. Still, he thought, it could be worse. At least she didn't crawl up onto his lap anymore. "All right, Ticia, that's enough," he said while gently untwining her arms from his neck. "Drink the last of your tea and be off with you."

Teecie grinned and drank the last sip of her tea. With a wave, she ran out of his office, leaving him alone once again. Severus sighed and shook his head. He couldn't wait for the school year to be over…

Teecie ran up the steps to the Gryffindor Common Room as quickly as she could. James was sitting on the sofa talking to Arthur Potter-Weasley about Quidditch when she approached them. She crawled onto the sofa in between them and wrapped her arms around James's waist. Looking at Arthur, she grinned. "Beat it squirt," she said lightly, "I need to talk to my man."

"Your man?" Arthur said while looking slightly nauseous. "Go ahead," he continued while standing up and wandering away.

James looked down at Teecie and kissed the top of her head. "What's up?" he asked quietly.

"I'm sorry I went so crazy tonight. I just got so freaked out about NEWTS and applying to healing school and trying to find time for you. I know we shag, and I know you love me, and I love you, and I love shagging you and making love to you, and I am in a much better mood now. Can you ever forgive me?" Teecie said before stopping to catch her breath. She looked up to see Arthur standing at the foot of the sofa again. He wrinkled his nose and pretended to gag over what she'd said. "I said beat it!" she growled. Arthur rolled his eyes and left for good that time.

James wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "I'm so happy about that, I thought you hated me," he replied. "And we can totally work out a schedule that works for both of us. I guess I ought to think about classes too."

"Oh James, it's so great that you want to work with me. It is important that we focus on school, but I can't stand the thought of not being with you."

They continued to discuss what they wanted to do with their time during the year, and decided to meet on Fridays and Saturdays at the hidden room Teecie had spent so much time in over the past few years. Those were the best days to be together, for they'd be too busy during the week for too much fun.

"This year's going to be tough, but I think we can get through it," James said with a sigh. "We can help each other, you know, supporting each other."

"This could turn out to be a great year if we help each other out," Teecie replied. "It will be good practice for when we get married. Married people are supposed to support one another."

"My parents are good at that," James said with a nod of his head.

"My parents are too."

James and Teecie snogged on the sofa for a while until the common room had cleared out before parting ways. They returned to their dormitories and slept soundly through the night.

The next day, the two went to their classes and spent the evening working on essays and reading books. Teecie was able to finish one essay, and felt less stressed when she went to bed that night.

The next day she was calm enough to listen to a group of second and third year students planning the Lake Party for that coming Saturday. A couple of Hufflepuff girls were working on a list of food to give to the house elves. "I think we should have lots of different kinds of sweets, like pies and cakes," one girl said with a grin. The other girl nodded her head vigorously and wrote some notes down on a parchment.

Teecie sighed and shook her head. It had only been a couple of years since she had been planning the Lake Party. It was a lot of fun to plan the party, but it was just too much work now that her studies were so intense and preparing for healing school was top priority in her life. She was rather glad she didn't have to worry about it anymore. She enjoyed listening to the younger students' enthusiasm over the party. It sounded like it would be a lot of fun.

By the end of the week, Teecie and James were ready for the Lake Party. They were exhausted from the heavy workload of their classes. Friday night, they spent together in their hidden room. Teecie had made sure to not mention to James the fact that she'd stayed in the same room the year before with Zeren when they'd been dating. The memories of that time, though, were quickly replaced with new memories of James. They slept in late the next day, and rolled out of bed in time to eat a late breakfast and dress for the party.

James tried not to drool as Teecie put on her new red bikini. "I don't know, Teecie, maybe you shouldn't wear it," he said while putting his orange swimming trunks on. "All the guys will be staring at you."

"But nothing will happen. It'll be fine," Teecie replied. "And besides, all the girls will be looking at you. You're so muscular now…"

James grinned and puffed his chest out with pride. "I worked out a lot over the summer," he said.

"I can tell," Teecie said while walking over to him and running her hands over his chest. "And I can see you've got even more chest hair than you used to."

"I know, isn't it great?"

"It's really hot…" Teecie said before reaching up and kissing James. James wrapped his arms around her waist, picked her up, and walked with her over to the wall. "Oh James!" Teecie cried as he removed their clothes and began to make love to her. "James we're gonna be late to the party," she gasped.

James didn't respond except to groan against her neck. He sighed a couple minutes later when they were finished. "I can't wait to be married," he murmured while putting his swimming trunks back on again.

"We can do this every day," Teecie added while rearranging her bikini top. "It'll be so great."

"I think once we're married, we should just walk around our house naked," James said while wriggling his eyebrows.

"Why?"

"That way it'll be quicker for us when we want to do it," he replied.

"That's a great idea!"

After spending a few minutes kissing, James and Teecie finally left to walk to the lake. They met up with their friends and laughed and talked as they made their way to the party.

Children were running around and splashing in the water when James and Teecie began to walk around to look at who was there. Liss was standing at the edge of the water, wearing a conservative yellow bathing suit with a white sarong tied around her waist. She was dipping her toes in the water, trying to adjust to the colder temperature. Mel, though, was a little braver, and walked right up to her waist before stopping and turning to call out for her sister to join her.

Teecie joined Liss at the edge of the water, and smiled at her. "Father won't approve of your bathing suit, Mel," Liss called out to her sister. "You know he said we had to have his approval first."

Mel rolled her eyes. "Are you always going to do whatever father tells you?" she scoffed.

"Of course," Liss replied while folding her arms.

Teecie watched as Draco stormed over them and came to stand next to her. "Melantha, I believe I asked you to come to my office this morning before going to the party," he said sternly to Mel.

Mel frowned and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm sorry father, I forgot," she replied sweetly.

"Well, come here so I can see if your clothes are appropriate for a public appearance," Draco demanded.

Mel sighed and walked towards her father. Soon she stood before him, dripping on his shoes in her bright red bathing suit. Draco sniffed and carefully inspected the suit before nodding his approval. "Very well, you may return to your activities," he said.

Mel turned and smiled at Teecie. "Hello Auntie!" she cried while looking carefully at Teecie's bikini. "I wish I could have a body like yours," she said wistfully.

Draco looked at Teecie and frowned. "Ticia, it is positively indecent to show that much skin in public," he said. "I wish you would cover yourself up. You're a bad influence on my daughters."

Teecie put her hands on her hips. "You're not my father, Draco. You've given me this lecture every year and it's not stopped me from dressing the way I like. This is my last year at school and I intend to enjoy myself," she replied.

"I may not be your father, Ticia, but what do you think father would say if he saw you like this? He'd probably have another heart attack if he saw you with so little clothes on."

James had made his way over to the group by now, and joined in the conversation. "I told her she should wear more too," he added, "I didn't want all the other guys ogling her. I mean look at her, she's hot."

Draco frowned. "I do not need to hear you talk about the…hotness…of my sister," he growled.

James put his arm around Teecie's waist and pulled her against him. "But she is," he said.

Draco took a step towards them before stopping. "Take your hands off my sister," he hissed, "now."

James took his hand off of Teecie's waist and stepped away from her. "Sorry, sir," he muttered.

"That's better," Draco replied while walking to his sister and taking her by the elbow. "You're coming with me for a little chat."

"Draco, you can't order me around anymore, I'm an adult now," Teecie squealed as her brother dragged her off behind a tree.

Draco narrowed his eyes and put his hands on his hips. "Ticia Enora Orendes, this is the last chance I'll have to try and impart some good sense on you," he said. "Why must you walk around with little more than a slip of material covering you? Do you want all the boys to look at you? Is that what you want? To be flaunt yourself in front of all the boys?"

Teecie shrugged her shoulders. "I don't see what's wrong with it. James and I know we want to be together forever and I love him more than anybody else in the world. I like to dress this way because I just do," she replied.

"Ticia, nice young ladies don't go around dressed so scantily. I think James is a bad influence on you. Mr. Travers would never have allowed you outside in such an outfit," Draco said. "He never would have groped you in public as James just did. He is a young man who understands proper public decorum."

Teecie sighed and shook her head. "Whatever," she muttered, "You just don't get it. I love James and that's all there is to it. Get over it already." With that, she turned and walked back to James who was still standing at the water's edge.

Draco decided not to pursue the conversation any further. Ticia was no longer a child and had made her choice on how to conduct her life. Whatever consequences came of it would be hers to deal with. There was nothing he could do anymore. With a shake of his head, he walked away.

James and Teecie stood, hand-in-hand, at the lake's edge, and watched as the younger students started a game of volleyball. "Do you want to play?" Teecie asked. James grinned and nodded his head. With a smile, she gently pushed him towards the game. "Go ahead, I don't mind," she replied jovially. James trotted off to join in while Teecie walked off to find one of her friends.

She found Paige helping two of the first years settle an argument. "Well I don't think either one of you is ugly, so there's really nothing to fight over," she said in a soothing voice to two girls wearing matching bathing suits and frowns. "But if you cannot stand the idea of wearing the same outfit, I could change the colour of the suits. Would you like that?" The girls nodded their heads. "I think green would suit your eyes," she said to one girl, "And blue would compliment your skin tone," she said to the other girl. Within seconds, the bathing suits were changed to their new colours, and the girls ran off back to the party.

Paige sighed and rolled her eyes. "Kids," she murmured.

Teecie grinned. "Yes, it's a good thing we were never that immature…" she added.

"Never," Paige agreed, shaking her head.

The two girls walked and talked as they made their way around the grounds. Paige talked about her new classes this year, and about her new role as the editor for the school paper. She also talked about a new passion she seemed to have developed. "Werewolves have been treated abominably over the ages, and it's time it stops," she cried emphatically. "Did you know there are people out there who still want to lock up all werewolves and sterilize them? And not just werewolves, but descendants of werewolves too. Teecie, that means James. If those nutters had their way, you and James wouldn't be allowed to have children!"

Teecie grew pale at the thought, and ran her hand over her stomach. Not allowed to have children? How horrible.

"Werewolf reproductive rights are vital to protect. We can't let all the progress made over the years be overturned."

"Wow, you really sound like you've been studying this a lot," Teecie replied. "I think it's great that you're fighting for people's rights."

"Thanks, I've really begun to feel fulfilled with my life, you know? It must be like when you decided to become a healer." When Teecie smiled, Paige continued. "I've been writing to the editor of _New Moon Monthly_, his name is Randolf Grimm. He's quite charming," she said quietly with a blush. "Anyway, he's offered me an internship next year at the magazine. I'll be able to continue the fight for werewolf rights."

"That's great! I'm so happy for you."

The girls talked for a while longer before Paige spotted Professor Lupin and walked off to ask about spending extra time with him after her classes this year. Teecie wandered off to find somebody else to talk to. After a few minutes, she came across Zeren who was standing by himself and nursing a glass of fruit punch.

"Hey Zeren," Teecie said with a grin as she walked over towards him.

Zeren looked at her for several seconds before frowning. "How in the world did your brother let you out of the school dressed like that?" he said bluntly yet not harshly.

Teecie shrugged her shoulders. "He didn't, I just got dressed and left," she replied.

Zeren snorted as he looked towards the water and saw James playing volleyball. "I bet _he_ told you to dress like that. He probably wants to parade you around like some sort of trophy to all the other guys here," he said coldly. "I would never have let you out of the school dressed like this."

Teecie put her hands on her hips. "Zeren Travers, James doesn't want to parade me around and he does not show me off like a trophy!" she cried. "He allows me to make my own decisions, which is more than I can say for you if we'd stayed together."

Zeren frowned and narrowed his eyes. "You know Ticia, as Head Boy, I could order you back to the school to put on less revealing clothes," he said calmly.

"Oh stop it, Zeren. You're not going to do that, so stop threatening to," Teecie replied. "What's gotten into you? You were so nice this summer helping us out with the summer camp. Now you're in such a bad mood!"

"Is it any wonder why? Here you are flitting around here practically naked," Zeren growled. "Last year if I'd seen you like this, I would have grabbed you by the hand and run back to the school! But now, oh no, Lupin's got his claws back in you now, and much more I bet. I can't even stand to think about it."

Teecie sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry it didn't work out between us," she murmured. "And I'm sorry you haven't found anybody new yet. Why not spend some time with Roxanne or one of her friends?"

Zeren sniffed and rolled his eyes. "I think not," he replied in an insulted tone. "And I really don't think this is an appropriate conversation to have with you in public. Since we are no longer lovers, we can't really speak so frankly about such things."

"Well, fine, I guess that's fair. I'm sorry I upset you," Teecie said. "I guess I'll just go…"

"Yes, maybe you should," Zeren replied.

Teecie opened her mouth to respond, but Portia Weasley interrupted them. "Zeren, you simply must eat something," she crooned while putting a plate of sandwiches in his hands. Zeren smiled, thanked her, and walked away with the food. Portia frowned as she watched him leave. "What did you say to him?" she asked Teecie in an accusatory manner.

"Nothing!" Teecie snapped before storming over to the food table. How could Zeren be so rude to her for no reason? They were supposed to still be friends even though they'd broken up. She hated the thought of no longer having Zeren for a friend, though with how much it bothered James, perhaps it was for the best.

With a sigh, she picked up a plate and began to put food on it. She'd just put a cucumber tea sandwich on her plate when James found her. "Hey baby," he said breathlessly while taking the sandwich and popping it into his mouth.

Teecie smiled at her boyfriend, who was still dripping wet from his time in the lake. "You must be starving," she said while handing him her plate. James nodded while grabbing a handful of sandwiches and adding them to the plate.

Teecie was filling a second plate of food for James, when they were interrupted. "James, look at you, you've grown taller and much more muscular since the last time we were together," Roxanne Zabini purred while running her hands on James's bare chest. "Maybe I was wrong to ever let you go…"

James looked down at her, open-mouthed, unable to even make the smallest sound. She was wearing an even skimpier bikini than Teecie had on, in a most alluring shade of green, and he couldn't help but stare at her. She didn't leave much to the imagination. She must have managed not to have been seen by any of the professors chaperoning the party. When she touched him, he guffawed loudly before looking at Teecie and jumping away from Roxanne. "Quit it Zabini," he croaked lamely.

"Aw, James, you know you like it when I do that, or at least you did during our week together," Roxanne said while smirking at Teecie. "He was one of the best guys I've ever been with, did you know that?"

Teecie smiled coldly and pulled James behind her. "Yes I did know that, because James is the best in the world, and you've slept with every boy in this school," she growled. "Keep your filthy paws off my boyfriend, got it?"

"Or what?" Roxanne asked while reaching over and running her fingers up James's arm. "Maybe I've been regretting letting go of him so easily and I've come to see that I want him back?"

"You do not, you just want to annoy me," Teecie cried while pushing Roxanne's hand away. "Don't touch my boyfriend again or you'll regret it!"

"Are you threatening me? Maybe I need to go to the Headmaster and ask for some protection from you," Roxanne returned with a grin.

"Come on James, let's get out of here," Teecie said, not responding to the other girl. James clung to his plate of food and allowed Teecie to pull him away. When they were far enough away from Roxanne so she wouldn't be able to hear them, Teecie turned and glared at him. "Why didn't you try to stop her from groping you?" she hissed. "I think you liked it."

"No I didn't, it tickled, that's the only reason I laughed," James replied earnestly through bites of his sandwich.

Teecie narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "I don't know, you seemed to be enjoying it," she continued.

"Well I saw you talking to Zeren earlier," James snapped.

"Yes, but we weren't flirting," Teecie cried, "In fact, we were arguing. I don't think he likes me anymore."

"Oh, I'm so sorry for you," James said sarcastically. "Pardon me while I sob into my potato salad."

Teecie smacked James lightly on the shoulder. "Don't be like that, James, I'm very upset. I really like him as a friend still," she said mournfully.

James rolled his eyes. "Teecie, you can't be friends with a guy after you've slept with him, it's just not done. Sure we can say we'll just be friends, but really, we're only going to spend any time together trying to figure out how to sleep with you again. It's just the way we are. So, say goodbye to Travers, and move on. Besides, you know I can't stand him," he said calmly.

"But we were friends first," Teecie insisted. "You don't really think he just wants to hop back into bed with me, do you?"

James frowned and raised his eyebrows. "Was he acting all surly and mean?" he asked.

"Yes, but he's upset because he doesn't have a new girlfriend."

"Yeah, he totally wants to shag you. It's probably torturing him to see you with me," James replied.

"Oh, poor Zeren," Teecie said quietly.

"Yes, poor thing," James smirked. "Poor, poor Travers. He's probably got the bluest balls at the school."

Teecie sighed sadly for her friend. She had no idea he was pining away for her still. Was he really filled with desire for her and unable to do anything about it? If only there was something she could do for him. "Well, what should I do?" she asked James.

"Umm, I think you should leave him alone, let him find a new girlfriend, and he'll be fine."

"I suppose you're right."

"What do you mean suppose? Of course I'm right. I mean, are you thinking you should go sleep with him just to help him out? 'Cuz that's what he wants. For you to feel bad for him and run off again with him and shag all night long."

"Oh James, you know I wouldn't do that again. I only want to be with you, and you know it. I just feel bad for Zeren, that's all."

James smiled and put his arm around her waist. "I know how you can feel better," he whispered in her ear.

"How?" Teecie asked.

"Come back to the school and let me have my way with you," James growled suggestively.

"James! Not now!" Teecie squealed. "Tonight after the party you can totally have your way with me, but for now I want to enjoy the day."

James groaned against her neck. "Oh fine, if I have to wait, I guess I have no choice," he grumbled before tickling her ribs. Teecie squealed and pushed him away. Within seconds, they were chasing each other around a large oak tree.

Teecie caught James and was tickling him until he fell to the ground. She straddled him and continued to tickle him while he cackled madly. She was laughing too, and didn't notice the people standing in front of her for a few moments.

"Hey Arthur, do you think we should go get a prefect to stop this disgusting display?"

"I dunno, it's sort of adorable. You know, in a pathetic sort of way."

Teecie and James looked up to see Jamie and Arthur Potter-Weasley standing above them with wicked-looking grins on their faces. "Look at the two love birds," Jamie smirked. "They're so happy together. I bet they're going to start kissing any moment now."

"So what if we do?" Teecie asked while letting go of James and standing up. She brushed the grass off her stomach and legs as the twins stared at her.

"Well…you shouldn't kiss outside in front of everybody," Jamie replied.

"Why not?" James asked.

"Because it's gross," Arthur answered. "Why should we have watch it? Isn't that the sort of thing that should be done in private? I mean, you two are always snogging in the common room and it's so nasty."

"Some day you'll appreciate it more, you know, when you start liking girls," James retorted. "And in the meantime, you can look away when I kiss Teecie. I mean, it's not like we're the only ones who do it. Daniel and Patty snog nearly as much as we do."

"Yeah, well…" Arthur trailed off, not sure how to respond.

"Oh go on, get out of here," James barked at the twins while wrapping his arms around Teecie's waist. "I know you're just staring at Teecie boobs anyway."

"James!" Teecie cried.

"Well they are!"

Jamie scowled while Arthur bit his lip. "Come on Arthur, let's get out of here. I just got an idea for something anyway," he said before taking his brother by the elbow and tugging on it.

James sighed and kissed Teecie's neck as the two younger boys ran off. "I can't wait for tonight," he murmured.

"I can tell," Teecie replied while rolling her eyes and shifting her hips. "You're just unstoppable aren't you?"

"Yeah!" James growled. "Come on, let's go behind the big maple right here and do it."

"James, anybody could walk over and see us. Anybody like my brother, who would totally kill us. Well, he'd kill you, and then he'd send me to a convent. Why don't you just calm down and go enjoy the rest of the party?" Teecie asked.

James frowned and looked at her with sad eyes. "I don't know if I can wait that long," he said mournfully. "Every time I'm near you, I need to be with you, and the only way to make it stop, is to do it with you."

Teecie sighed and looked around carefully. "Oh all right," she assented. "I'm not going to sleep with you out here, but let's go behind the tree and I can give you a helping hand…" she muttered.

James grinned. "Sweet, a little prelude of what's to come tonight," he said with a devilish wink. "Heh, get it?"

Teecie frowned and shook her head. "I can't believe you just said that," she replied while giving him a push towards the tree. When she was convinced that nobody could see them, she leaned James against the tree, and set to work.

Five minutes later, James was in a much better state of mind to rejoin the party. "Thanks," he murmured as they walked over to their friends. A large group of people were standing around the edge of the lake, talking. Daniel and Patty were talking about Quidditch with a group of fellow fans. James quickly joined the discussion, leaving Teecie to walk over to the girls who were talking about clothes and the latest fashion tips.

Liss and Mel joined Teecie a few minutes later, but Mel soon joined the Quidditch discussion. Jamie Potter-Weasley noticed her and was soon standing next to her. They started talking about the sport and which was their favourite teams. Teecie watched as they talked quietly, laughing once in a while. Jamie leaned in a couple times and said something that made Mel blush, though Teecie couldn't hear what had been said.

The two were getting on very well for a short time before Draco noticed. He swooped over and glared at Jamie. "Melantha, I believe you've spent enough time in the sun for now," he said curtly. "Why don't you and Lisandra come with me into the shade?"

Mel bit her lip and glanced at Jamie. "But father, I was talking to James," she replied calmly.

"I believe you've done enough talking for one afternoon," Draco said while putting his hand on her arm in warning. "Come along now."

Liss eagerly took her father's free hand and waited for her sister to do likewise. Mel glared at her father for a few moments before saying goodbye to Jamie and turning to leave.

Draco nodded his head triumphantly before turning to Teecie. "Ticia, you'd do well to retire from the sun as well. I don't want you fainting from the heat," he said with a sidelong glance at James Lupin.

The sun was at its hottest point in the day, and Teecie was feeling too warm, so she joined her family in the walk back into the shaded area under the trees.

"There now, isn't this much better?" Draco asked with a smile.

"It is much cooler," Liss answered.

Teecie and Mel began to chatter about the day and how school was going. "You seem to be friends with Jamie," Teecie commented with a grin.

"He is rather nice," Mel replied quietly.

"I'd be careful who you make acquaintances with at this school, Melantha. I don't want you associating with the wrong sort," Draco joined in. "If you'd like to make friends, I can introduce you to several girls who come from good families."

"Father is very good at helping make friends with people," Liss added. "He helped me make five friends during my first year here."

"See, your sister enjoyed it very much," Draco said.

Mel frowned and shrugged her shoulders. "Don't you think I can make my own friends?" she asked.

"Of course you can," Draco replied. "You're a Black. We're known for our ability to forge alliances. I only offered so that I could help you avoid wasting your time on people who aren't going to work out for you anyway. People like that Potter boy aren't worth your time at all."

"But he seems perfectly nice to me," Mel said.

Draco took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment before responding. "Now Mel, I don't want an argument. Let us just agree that as an adult, I have more experience than you in certain areas. I know that boy's family and I can guarantee you, a friendship would not be a wise idea."

"Well, I just don't see the harm in it," Mel concluded with a shrug.

Draco and Mel continued to banter for a while, so Teecie wandered off to the refreshment table. James had eaten her lunch, and she was still hungry. She had just filled her plate with sandwiches and taken her first bite when Roxanne appeared again, out of nowhere.

"Just who do you think you are, Orendes? If I want James, there's nothing you can do to stop me," she snapped, her eyes sparking angrily. "You think you're better than me, don't you?"

Teecie set her plate down and folded her arms. "I don't think so, Roxanne, I know so!" she retorted.

Roxanne's nostrils flared and she took a step closer to Teecie. "I'll have you know I'm betrothed," she bragged. "He's rich and far superior to James. I'll be living in a mansion with new dresses for every day of the week while you and Lupin are living in a shack somewhere, if he can even afford a shack. The two of you might end up wandering the streets begging for change."

Teecie narrowed her eyes and took a step towards Roxanne. "If you're so sure James will end up a pauper, then why are you trying to take him from me? He's clearly not going to be able to lavish you with money and jewels," she asked.

Roxanne smiled predatorily. She twirled one of her dark curls before letting go of it and letting it bounce back in place. "Because he's good, and maybe I want him around for a bit of fun on the side now and again. He'd be financially compensated of course."

Teecie wrinkled her nose and looked slightly confused. "You want James to be your boy-toy? That is so never going to happen. James loves me too much and has way too much dignity to prostitute himself like that," she replied.

Roxanne tossed her curls over her shoulder. "I know, I was just messing with your mind," she said lightly while reaching over and snatched Teecie's plate of food off the table.

Teecie shook her head. "That's mine, you know."

"And now it's mine."

"Why are you such a bitch?" Teecie cried.

"Because I can be," Roxanne replied with a shrug.

Teecie growled and grabbed for the plate, but Roxanne moved it behind her, out of reach. "Give that back!"

Roxanne dropped the plate on the ground and smirked. "Oops," she murmured. "Guess you'll have to get a new one."

Teecie was fuming by now and clenched her fists. "I am so glad I'll be done with this school at the end of the year so I'll never have to deal with you again," she growled. "Unless of course someday you need healing and I'm forced to interact with you."

"Like I'd ever go to you if I needed help. I'll be able to afford the best healing attention, not some simple country healer like you'll end up being. You'll probably end up in someplace in the middle of nowhere. People will probably pay you with eggs and bread since they have no money to spare."

Teecie's face was turning red with rage and she opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by the sound of a strange wet crumbling noise. She turned to see a three-tiered chocolate pudding on the table next to her explode into millions of tiny chunks. A few small pieces landed on her shoulder, but Roxanne was hit by the majority of the exploding pudding.

Teecie's jaw dropped open and she looked with wide eyes as Roxanne stood motionless, covered from head to toe in chocolate pudding. Out of the corner of her eye, she also noticed a rustling in a bush off to the side of the refreshment table, but couldn't see who was there.

By the time Teecie returned her attention to Roxanne, she seemed to have regained her voice. "You-you-you did this on purpose!" she shrieked. Professors Lupin and Snape had been close enough to see the explosion and came over to help. "Headmaster, look at what Orendes did to me," Roxanne continued.

Snape frowned as he looked at the pudding-covered girl. "I hardly think this is something Miss Orendes would do to you," he finally replied.

"But she was trying to get revenge because her boyfriend likes me more and this is how she did it. I know it," Roxanne cried.

Professor Lupin raised his eyebrows. "Did you see Miss Orendes do anything to cause the pudding to explode?" he asked calmly.

"I don't have my wand with me. I didn't do it," Teecie said while folding her arms.

"There was nobody else here, and I certainly didn't do it to myself, so you did do it," Roxanne retorted.

Snape walked to the table and examined the area surrounding the crumpled remains of the pudding. He frowned, reached out, and grabbed something to examine more closely. "Ticia, did you bring fireworks to the party today?" he asked while holding out the empty shell of what looked like a firecracker.

"Of course not, Uncle Sev," Teecie replied.

Lupin looked at the empty shell and frowned as well. "Perhaps we should ask the students if they know who was responsible for this," he said.

"It was hers," Roxanne said mulishly.

"I was not walking around all day with a firecracker. Why don't you shut up?" Teecie cried angrily.

"I highly doubt Miss Orendes was the guilty one here," Remus said. "Being that it was a firecracker, it was probably one of the younger boys."

Roxanne frowned and held her arms out. "What am I supposed to do?" she cried.

Snape took his wand out, waved it over her, and instantly, she was clean again. "And I can now see, Miss Zabini, that you are not dressed appropriately for today's event. Why don't you return to the school to change into less revealing clothes?" he asked coolly.

"She's dressed the same as I am," Roxanne hissed while stabbing a finger in Teecie's direction.

"And I am going to ask her to return to the school to change her clothes as well," Snape replied before turning and cleaning the clumps of pudding off of Teecie's shoulder. "Go on, both of you, now," he said calmly.

The two girls glared at each other for a minute. Teecie didn't want to fight anymore and turned to leave, when James ran over to her. "What happened?" he asked while grabbing her hand and turning to his father. "Dad, what's going on?"

Remus held out the firecracker. "Somebody put this in the pudding and then blew it up," he explained. "And the Headmaster has sent Miss Orendes to change into less revealing clothes."

"But…" James trailed off. "But I like her bikini…"

Remus frowned at his son. "James, the Headmaster has every right to send a student back to the school to change clothes if he feels it's inappropriate. Ticia needs to do as she was instructed."

Teecie pulled on James's arm. "Come on, James, you can go with me," she replied.

James stopped protesting and turned to follow behind her. "OK," he said with a grin. "Maybe I'll change my clothes too…"

The happy couple walked past Roxanne as they all made their way back to the school. Neither of them noticed the scathing glares she gave them. By the time they'd returned to their room, they'd both forgotten all about changing into less revealing clothing.

They ended up being too busy with other activities to return to the party that day.


	97. The Sweet LIfe

The Sweet Life

School was now well under way, and the students had settled into their studies and social activities. Teecie was furiously preparing for the application process while James was enjoying concentrating on Quidditch.

One Saturday afternoon, Teecie was sitting in the Great Hall, trying to memorize everything there was to know about the central nervous system. She'd finished eating lunch a half hour previously, and was waiting for James to return from Quidditch practice.

She was deeply embroiled with her studying when James burst into the room. "You will not believe what just happened!" he cried while running up to her and throwing his arms around her.

"What?" she asked bewilderedly while setting her book down.

"Robert Bones had to drop out of the team because his parents said his marks were slipping too much, so the rest of the team held an emergency election, and I was voted to take his place!" James gushed while sitting down and piling food onto a plate.

"So you're now our captain?" Teecie asked. James nodded vigorously since his mouth was too full to answer. "That is so cool! We'll have to celebrate," she continued. "Tonight, in our room." James nodded again and wriggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"There's probably going to be a party tonight in the common room," he added between bites.

"That'll be fun, I could use a party," Teecie replied.

"I heard how you got totally pissed at the party last year," James said with a grin.

"I will not be drinking tonight!" she declared. "I'm never drinking again!"

"Well, hopefully it won't get too crazy tonight," James said, "I want my celebration with you too…"

"Of course," Teecie purred while leaning into him.

James smiled and began to eat again. After a minute, Zeren entered the Great Hall for a late lunch. He sat down alone at the Slytherin table and began plating himself some food.

James wiped his mouth off, cleared his throat, and called out to him, "Hey Travers, guess what! You're looking at the new Quidditch captain for Gryffindor! Too bad you didn't make captain for Slytherin," he said gleefully.

Zeren smiled and nodded his head. "Well that's good to hear," he said jovially. "Congratulations, Ticia, on making team captain."

James frowned and rolled his eyes. "Not her, me!" he cried. "No wonder you didn't make captain if you couldn't even figure that out!"

Zeren narrowed his eyes. "Do you really want to be speaking to the Head Boy like that?" he asked calmly. "I'd hate to have to take points for your rudeness."

"Oh sod off, Travers," James barked. "I don't care what you do!"

"I think you care very much about what I do," Zeren retorted while glancing at Teecie. She frowned and glared at him in response.

James, however, didn't catch the true meaning of the remark. "I just told you I didn't!" he cried. "Idiot," he muttered to himself. With that, he returned his attention to his food. Zeren went back to his lunch as well, leaving Teecie feeling unsure of what had just happened. With a shrug, she picked up her book and went back to her reading.

Later that evening, James and Teecie went to the Gryffindor common room for the party. Robert Bones shook James's hand in congratulation. "Of course I hate to have to leave, but my marks are more important if I want to become a solicitor," he said while patting James on the shoulder. "I know you'll be a great replacement."

James was silent for a moment before nodding. "Well I'm glad I can help," he replied quietly. "I'll try to make you proud."

Teecie noticed that he looked upset when Robert left to talk to other friends. "Are you all right?" she asked quietly.

"I'm fine," he snapped while stomping off to get something to drink.

Teecie sighed, not knowing what was wrong. She was distracted, though, by Patty, who wanted to discuss the latest outrageous thing that Daniel had done. "He actually suggested that we get married when we leave school! Can you imagine me being his wife?"

Teecie smiled and patted her shoulder. "I'm sure you'll make the right decision when the time comes," she said, not saying what she really thought, which was that she couldn't see Patty marrying anybody other than Daniel.

James spent most of the party talking with his teammates. Teecie talked to her friends the whole time, except when she overheard somebody talking about the Lake Party.

"Yeah, it was so cool! And so easy too! All we did was slip the firecracker into the pudding and I lit the fuse with my wand after I was hiding behind the bush with Arthur," a boy chuckled from behind where Teecie was sitting on the sofa.

She whipped around to see Jamie Potter-Weasley laughing with Arthur and a group of first and second year students. "That Zabini girl never saw it coming before-pow-pudding everywhere!" Arthur added.

Teecie frowned and sat up on her knees, reached over the edge of the sofa, and grabbed each boy by the shoulder. "You two got me in trouble with her!" she cried shrilly. "What were you thinking? If anything at all!"

Everybody in the group jumped in their seats, and they scattered to different parts of the room, leaving the twins alone with the angry seventh year. They turned to look at Teecie with apologetic looks on their faces. "We didn't mean anything by it, honest," Arthur replied before biting his lip and tilting his head.

"Yeah, Teecie, it was not meant to get anybody in trouble, because you can clearly tell, we never got caught," Jamie added with a grin. "It's not like she's going to do anything to you. She can't prove who did it."

"She'll do her best to do something to me! That's the way she is. If she's determined to make my life miserable, she will!" Teecie cried. "I can't believe you did that. I should totally write to your dads."

Jamie's eyes widened at this. "But there was no real harm done, Teecie, really. And anyway, what if we promise to never do anything like that again? We'll just keep this between us, how's that?" he asked.

"Why shouldn't I tell your fathers what you did? You deserve to be punished, and you know it," Teecie said while raising her eyebrows.

"I know what we did was wrong," Arthur joined in, "But we don't need to be punished to know that. We'll just try harder next time to do the right thing. We promise."

Teecie narrowed her eyes and sighed disgustedly. "I suppose I can let it go for now, but if I hear of either of you doing anything else like that, I will write to your fathers, I promise you that!" she said before letting go of their shoulders.

"Thanks, Teecie," Arthur replied gratefully.

"Yes, thank you, Teecie," Jamie added with a smile. "That's very nice of you."

Teecie sniffed, turned back around in the sofa, and rejoined her friends in their conversation.

Later that night, when Teecie and James had left the party and returned to their rooms, James didn't seem to be in the mood to celebrate. He sat on the bed with an angry look on his face while Teecie did her best to entice him. Nothing she did seemed to work though, and finally she stood up from where she'd been kneeling in front of him, and sat down next to him on the bed with a sigh.

"James, what's the matter? I've never had a problem getting you ready to go before," she said with a frown.

James sighed and reached out his hand to caress her chest. "I know, I just don't feel like it tonight is all," he replied.

Teecie frowned and pouted. "But I do…" she whinged playfully.

James sighed again and threw himself down across the bed. "Teecie…do you think I'm stupid?" he asked earnestly.

"What? No! Of course not," Teecie replied while lying down next to him and pulling him over so he was resting his head against her chest. "I don't think you're stupid at all."

"It's just that…I didn't get a high enough OWL to study to become an auror, and Robert had to drop out of Quidditch because low marks are bad for his future," he replied.

Teecie was confused by this. "What do those two things have to do with each other?" she asked.

"Well, I took his place, right? So it doesn't matter if I make low marks, because I'm stupid anyway because I have no future," he explained.

"James, no! That's not true. You make great marks, and you're going to be a law enforcer, right? That is definitely not something a stupid person could become."

James was silent for a minute before responding. "I don't know if I want to do that after all," he said quietly. "I don't know what I want anymore."

"There's still time to decide," Teecie said while stroking his arms soothingly. "You don't have to decide right away. Maybe you could have a career in Quidditch professionally."

James sighed. "They only take the very best of the best. I doubt I'd be good enough."

"Well you still have time," Teecie repeated. "I mean, it's just a job, right? It's not who you are as a person. Do you plan on being a good husband to me?" she asked. James nodded his head. "And a good father to our children?" Again he nodded. "That's all that matters, then. Everything else is just extra."

James thought about being a husband and a father in the years to come. Ever since he'd come to Hogwarts, he'd known he wanted to marry Teecie. The thought of children slightly terrified him, but he assumed Teecie would take care of them mostly. He'd just be there for playing Quidditch and chess and the fun things like that.

But he couldn't escape the idea of wanting to be an Auror. He'd always wanted to become an Auror like his mother, ever since he'd been a young child. It had been his main goal for as long as he'd known, and now it was no longer a possibility. He felt utterly lost and didn't know what to do about it. But maybe there was still time to find a new dream to work towards. Who knew? Maybe something even better was out there for him.

He moved up so he was face-to-face with Teecie before leaning in to kiss her gently. "Thank you," he whispered in her ear before kissing her neck, and continuing down her body, showering her with loving kisses.

Teecie sighed blissfully and ran her fingers through his hair as he settled in between her legs. He continued to pleasure her until she cried his name out into the room. When he stopped, he moved back up and kissed her mouth again. "I love you so much," he said before parting her legs and slipping into her. They made love long into the night before falling asleep in one another's arms.

Teecie woke up the next morning before James did, and watched for a minute as he slept. His hair was tousled, and one arm dangled over the edge of the bed. She knew he could do anything he wanted in life if he put his mind to it. With a smile, she snuggled next to him, closed her eyes, and tried to imagine what being married to him would be like. Would they sleep like this every night? Who would make breakfast and clean the house and take care of the children if James had a job too? Maybe it would be best if he did what her father had done, and stay home to care for the house and the kids while she did her healing job each day. Would he want to do that? There was certainly nothing wrong with that.

As she continued to think about it, she also recognized that she wanted to be there for her kids too. She'd always hated having her mother abandon them each year to return to Hogwarts to teach. She wondered if James felt that way about his father. Having Adriana gone had really been hard sometimes, especially since it started after Teecie had been born, and stopped the year she started school. Sometimes it made her wonder what had been wrong with her to make her mother run away to the school like that. She never wanted her own children to ever have to wonder that about her. She was determined to be a better mother than Adriana had been to her.

Teecie was roused out of these thoughts when James woke up and smiled at her sleepily. "Morning," he mumbled.

"Good morning," she replied while leaning down to kiss him. "How are you today?"

"I feel loads better," he replied.

"I'm glad to hear it," she said.

The rest of the weekend was spent studying and finishing essays for the next week. James made sure to spend a few hours on Sunday working on plays and plans for the Quidditch team.

He threw himself into his captaincy with gusto after that weekend. Teecie made sure to attend at least one of his practices a week as a show of support. He was good at coaching his teammates, and had a way of bringing out their best performances. She made sure to mention this to him one night at dinner.

"Yeah, I really like coaching them," he replied while cutting his roast beef. "It sort of reminds me of the way my dad teaches. I think he's the best."

Teecie grinned and nodded her head. "You're a lot like him that way," she said. "You were good when we taught school at camp over the summer too, remember?"

"That was fun too," he replied. "Except for when Lydia freaked out."

Teecie laughed. "Remember us, though? Remember doing boggarts in second year and Kern made the Balrog appear? We all went screaming out of the room that day," she said with a sigh of fond remembrance.

James laughed at the memory too. "I'd forgotten that," he murmured. "What fun times we've had."

"I'm glad you enjoyed school then. I still hated it at the time."

"But you learned to like it."

"Yes, I did. Now I can hardly imagine leaving here."

The conversation drifted off to plans for the future and their lives together. Teecie shared some of her concerns with James, who seemed a little overwhelmed at the thought.

"Maybe we can hire somebody to help clean the house," he suggested. "And our parents will probably help with the kids."

Teecie considered this for a moment before nodding her head. "That makes sense," she finally replied.

She felt more in control of her future as she went into the next week at school. Master Wilkes had been coaching his class on what to expect for the application process, so she felt more confident about that as well. She had already started to fill out the application and was beginning to work on the essay portion as well. It was a demanding task, because she had all her normal schoolwork as well.

The amount of work she had to do hadn't lessened since the year began. Teecie thought that most of her professors were trying to cram as much knowledge as possible into the seventh years' heads before they left. She found herself falling asleep each night before her head even hit the pillow from how exhausted she was each day.

The stress was still at a manageable level, though, even if she was struggling with some of her classes. Transfiguration had always been her most difficult subject, and she was still trying to grasp the concept of non-verbal spells. "My mum can do it as easy as breathing," she grumbled to Professor Weasley one afternoon after class.

"Well, your mother has had hundreds of years to practice it; you've only had one," Professor Weasley consoled. "Don't be so hard on yourself. Some people never grasp the concept."

Teecie was grateful to the professor for being so helpful to her. They hadn't always gotten along very well, but now she had moved past her problems to accept Hermione's help. And Hermione had graciously offered it. Since Teecie was a seventh year, there really was nobody to tutor her. They met a couple days a week after classes to discuss problems and homework. Teecie had also joined the Transfiguration club for some extra help, despite an already full schedule.

The next couple of weeks flew past quickly. All of Teecie's time was spent finishing her application and essays for healing school. She'd had to do a lot of soul searching about why she wanted to become a healer. It seemed so trite to say she wanted to help people, and the more she thought about it, the more she realized that it had helped her. Healing was the first type of magic she'd shown any talent for. It had come at a time in her life when she'd needed something to hold onto, something to help her through the hard times. Healing had been that lifeline for her. It has allowed her to step beyond her problems and see that life had more to offer her than living at her parents' home and being their cook and housecleaner. She had more to offer the world than that. And that was why she wanted to be a healer. To always remember that there was much more to life and living than hiding or letting other people do things for her. It was time to give back to others for once in her life. It was time to grow up.

When she'd finished her essays and had sent them off to the committee for review, she was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. It wasn't to last long, though, for her father sent her a letter that would end her brief respite, but for a good reason.

My Dearest Ticia,

I hope school is going well for you. I know you're busy dealing with applying to healing school as well as your normal classes. It's probably overwhelming at this point in time, but once you leave Hogwarts for Healing school, it will have been completely worth it.

I wanted to personally invite you to something that I have been looking forward to for several years now. It might be a good way for you to take a break from your schooling for a while.

The time has finally come for me to open my own shop in London for the honey. I've outgrown the farmer's market and need more space to sell all the new varieties I now offer. I've been working ever since you left for school to set up the shop. It's finally ready, and next Saturday I'll be having the grand opening. I'd love for you to come. I've sent invitations to your brother and sisters as well, and I hope to see the whole family there.

I'm very excited about this move. The shop is not what one might call "large", yet it is big enough for everything I need. Your mother has already seen the shop, of course, and approves. I worked with a designer to ensure that the place looks its best and that everything is displayed well. It all looks wonderful, and I know you'll like it.

Again, I hope to see you there next Saturday. It's such a momentous occasion after all.

I love you very much.

Your father,

Lucius Malfoy

Teecie ran off to talk to Draco once she'd finished reading the letter. She found him in his office, reading the one Lucius had sent to him. "You're going to go, right?" she cried while leaning on his desk and pointing to the parchment in his hands.

Draco folded his letter and looked up at her. "Of course I'll be attending. This is a very big moment for father and I intend to be there for him," he replied. "We can all go to London on Saturday."

"Dad's going to be so excited! I bet Reni and Kali will come too," Teecie added.

Draco smiled and nodded his head. "It will be nice to see them all again."

"Reni's probably huge by now. Peter will have to roll her in the door!"

Draco frowned. "I wouldn't let her hear you say that if I were you," he replied.

"Of course not!" Teecie laughed. "But I can at least think it." She sat down across from him and looked thoughtful for a moment. "Don't you think we should buy a gift for dad? It would be fun to get something from all four of us."

Draco thought about it for a minute before speaking. "What about a sign with his name on it for above the shop door?"

"He'd love that!" Teecie cried. "And we can all help pay for it."

"Let me work out the details and I'll let everybody know what they owe. You're too busy with classes right now to deal with that." A few days later, he called Teecie into his office after class that day. He showed her a picture of the sign he'd ordered. "What do you think of it?" he asked.

The sign was a deep evergreen and had the words, "Lucius Malfoy, Proprietor," embossed in silver calligraphy. "Oh, it's beautiful, he'll love it," Teecie whispered. "How much do we each have to pay?"

Draco looked at another sheet of parchment and did some mental calculations. "It looks like three galleons each should cover it," he replied.

Teecie furrowed her brow. "It only cost twelve galleons?" she asked skeptically.

"Yes, I was able to get a good deal," Draco said quickly. "Why don't I write to Renata and you write to Kalare?"

"OK," Teecie agreed while reaching into her robes. "And here's my share," she said while putting the money in her brother's hand.

"Thank you," he said as she left to write to Kali. He sat back down and looked at the bill again. It had actually cost thirty galleons, but there was no way he was going to make his sisters use their smaller fortunes to pay for the sign. It had been a pleasure to make that purchase for his father, and money was not an issue for him. It was his duty as head of the family to pay the snake's share of it.

Teecie received the galleons from Kali the next day, and gave it to Draco, who'd also gotten Reni's share. "The plaque should arrive tomorrow, just in time for the opening," Draco said as he put the money on his desk.

"I can't wait!" Teecie cried excitedly. "I know my mum will cry for sure when she sees it."

Draco sniffed but didn't respond. He didn't care what Adriana thought about it; he was doing this for his father, not her. "Father will be very pleased to see it," he finally answered. "And now, you'd better return to your revising. I'll call you when the plaque arrives."

James was upset that Teecie would be unable to attend his Quidditch practice on Saturday, but was happy for Lucius and the grand opening. He was also happy when Teecie promised to make it up to him on Saturday night.

"You're going to have to do a lot to make this up to me; I'm very devastated, you know," he said playfully as they snuggled on a sofa in the common room.

"Oh, I'm sorry you're devastated," Teecie replied before kissing his cheek.

"I suppose I'll get over it," James sighed.

On Friday, the plaque arrived. Teecie went with Liss and Mel to see it after her lunch break, and gasped when Draco unveiled it. "It's so beautiful!" she cried while gazing at it.

Draco smiled. "It is rather handsome, isn't it?" he commented proudly. It was certainly worth every knut he'd spent on it.

"Oh father, it's wonderful," Liss breathed.

"Yes, grandfather will be thrilled," Mel added while running a finger over top of the sign. "I can't wait for tomorrow."

Teecie found herself more excited as the time came closer. When she ran into Uncle Sev in the Great Hall after dinner, she couldn't help herself but ask if he was going to attend as well.

Severus cleared his throat and shook his head. "Your mother did invite me," he replied, "but I have a…previous engagement to attend to at the time."

"Aw, we'll miss you," Teecie replied with a frown.

Severus frowned. "Yes, I am deeply saddened to be unable to attend."

"Well, I'll make sure to tell you all about it afterwards."

"Oh, thank you," he said drolly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I really must be going now."

That night, Teecie fell asleep, exhausted and looking forward to the next day's events. It was raining the next morning, but she didn't mind. She just put on a pair of jeans and a red jumper to stay warm throughout the day. After a bacon and egg breakfast, she met up with Draco and her nieces to floo to the Leaky Cauldron.

Lucius's shop was only a few blocks away from the pub, so they didn't have to go too far. When they arrived, they were surprised to see a crowd already forming outside the door even though it was already open. Her father seemed to have spared no expense, for there was a photographer there, taking pictures for a major London newspaper. She also saw a news reporter interviewing him in front of a telly camera.

Before they could make their way past the media to Lucius, they had to find their way through the crowd of eager fans awaiting a chance to talk to him. Teecie would never understand why so many women found her father irresistible. She thought he looked rather intimidating in his black business suit and shirt that matched the exact shade of his forget-me-not blue eyes.

Just as Draco had taken Mel's hand and called out for Teecie and Liss to follow closely behind him, Reni, Peter, and Hunter appeared next to them. "This is a madhouse," Peter yelled at them while picking Hunter up and clutching him tightly in his arms.

As they inched their way forward, Teecie could see the rest of the family already up at the front, a little off to the side from Lucius.

Reni seemed to be upset at being so far back from the family that she began to push her way through the crowd. Peter hurried behind her, holding onto Hunter with all his might. "Watch it! There's a pregnant woman coming through!" he called out while she buffeted people away from her with her protruding belly.

Draco, holding Mel's hand, and Teecie and Liss, quickly followed suit. Within a minute, they had all managed to join the rest of their family at the front.

Adriana hugged everybody, with the exception of Draco. "Your father thought of all this, of course," she told him with a smile. "I would have been fine with a simple ribbon-cutting. I'm surprised to see that the King himself isn't here…"

Draco smiled slightly before turning to watch his father finish his interview. Lucius was flirting shamelessly with the hapless reporter. He couldn't help but recall the time he saw Gilderoy Lockhart in Flourish and Blotts years ago as a second year student. Lucius put Gilderoy to shame of course. The man knew how to work a crowd better than anybody else Draco knew.

"And now, my dear, you simply must try a taste of my newest flavour, apple blossom-thyme," Lucius purred while dipping a pretzel stick into the sticky substance, and bringing it up to her mouth. "Open wide," he said with a wink.

The news reporter giggled and opened her mouth. She positively beamed when he dropped the pretzel in her mouth. "Oh, it's just to die for!" she gushed while looking into the camera. "I can assure the viewers that Alcedonian Honey is going to be a very big hit." Lucius smiled at the reporter and then at the camera as they ended the interview.

"Grandfather's a show-off!" Roo cried as he walked over to his father.

Draco smiled knowingly. "Yes, he is," he replied with a shake of his head. Tanith joined his side, took his hand in hers, and squeezed it lovingly. Together, they continued to watch the show Lucius put on for the crowd.

Once Lucius had greeted all his customers and taken all the photographs he needed for the newspaper, he made his way over to his family. "I'm so glad you all could make it," he said while giving everybody a hug.

"We wouldn't have missed this for the world," Adriana said before kissing him. "I'm so proud of you, love."

"I am too," Teecie said while giving him a hug. "Can we give it to him now, Draco?" she continued while turning to her brother.

Draco nodded his head. "I suppose so," he said while handing Lucius the large brown paper-wrapped package.

"What's this?" Lucius asked, a look of surprise showing on his face.

"We all chipped in to buy this for you," Kali said quietly.

Lucius smiled and quickly tore off the wrapping paper. When he had it unwrapped, he stared at it silently for a minute. Finally, he clutched it to his chest and looked up at his family. "I don't know what to say," he said hoarsely. "Thank you all…this means more to me than you can ever possibly know." He hugged each of his four children, and kissed them on their cheeks, even Draco. "This will look wonderful above the door," he said while walking with it towards the front of the store. "I'll put it up tonight after closing."

There was a long line at the counter by this time, and Lucius gestured to Adriana. She nodded her head and hurried over to the counter to work at the cash register. Lucius smiled as he walked back over to his children. "Your mother has informed me that she will be working as the shop keeper so I don't have to hire anybody," he explained while watching her take money from the customers. "Wasn't that nice of her? This will give me a chance to continue making the honey and developing the new flavours."

"Are you sure she isn't doing it to make sure you don't hire on some pretty young shop-girl?" Draco asked jestingly.

Lucius laughed. "Well, I do recall a conversation along those lines a month or two ago, now that you say that," he said. "Well, either way, it's a great help to me."

Teecie wandered around the shop and looked at all the well-stocked shelves. There were cookbooks, honeycomb candles, wooden honey spoons and pots to store honey in. As well as all the jars and containers of honey, there were also sweets, baked goods like baklava, and small tubes of honey that were perfect for a small taste of the sweet stuff. There was a shelf of bee-themed items, like wrapping paper, kitchen towels, stickers, and plush toys. There were even a few DVDs and books of "Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree" for children.

Hunter and Roo had wandered over to look at all the toys. Roo pointed to the DVDs and whispered something to Hunter, who giggled. He turned and called out to his father. "Look, daddy, it's Winnie the Poop!" he cried before breaking into peals of laughter.

Peter rolled his eyes and walked over to his son. "Do you think your new brother or sister might like to watch this with you?" he asked while picking up the DVD.

Hunter frowned and shook his head. "No, he won't like it at all, because he'll be too dumb to know what it is," he replied smartly.

It was Peter's turn to frown, now. "Now Hunter, don't give me that cheek. I was going to buy this for you if you behaved today," he replied sternly.

"I don't wanna share with my stupid brother or sister," Hunter pouted while looking intensely at the DVD.

Peter placed it back on the shelf. "Well then maybe we won't get it today," he said quietly.

Hunter bit his lip and glared at his father. "But I want it," he growled.

"Let's see if your attitude improves by the time we leave. If your attitude has changed, we'll buy the show, but if not, you won't get anything today. Do you understand?"

Hunter narrowed his eyes and stamped his foot. "But I want it!" he cried loudly. "I want it now!" He reached out and grabbed the DVD off the shelf and tried to run out the door with it, but Peter caught up with him and took it out of his hands, left it on another shelf, and marched Hunter out of the shop. Teecie could see them through the window. Peter was hugging Hunter while he wailed and cried in his father's arms. She sighed. Poor kid, life just wasn't fair when you're five years old and expecting a new brother or sister. Hopefully he'd learn to accept it eventually.

Teecie's attention returned to her parents. Lucius had joined Adriana at the register. They both seemed really happy about being there, working together. Lucius talked with each customer while Adriana took their money and placed their purchases in bags. Every once in a while they'd whisper something to one another and smile over it. It made Teecie feel good to see how much her parents cared for one another after so many years together.

The rest of the day passed pleasantly. Teecie went out to lunch at a nearby sandwich shop, and did a little bit of clothes shopping before returning to Alcedonian Honey. It had emptied out a little, and so had the shelves. Lucius was making a list of what inventory to restock for the next day while Roo pestered him with questions.

"Grandfather, what is a 'profit margin'?" "Grandfather, can I get a summer job here?" "Grandfather, how do you squeeze the honey out of the bees? Is it like milking a cow?" Roo followed behind Lucius, touching every jar of honey or plush toy he passed. "Grandfather can I-" he stared before Lucius cut him off.

"I say, Rouvin, why don't you help me by handing out pretzels to the customers? That way they can try out the samples," Lucius said, trying not to sound exasperated at his grandson. He handed him a bowl of pretzels and gave him a gentle push in the direction of several customers.

Teecie listened as Roo approached a few women and held the bowl out to them. "Hello ladies, would you like a pretzel to use for sampling the honey?" he asked them politely. They smiled and took a couple sticks each. "My grandfather owns this shop, did you know that?" he continued. "He's the best grandfather in the world. He lets me stay on his farm each summer holiday. And he promised to teach me how to make honey some day."

The women he'd been speaking to smiled and took pretzels from him before engaging him in a conversation. "Well aren't you just adorable," one of them said before reaching out to tweak his cheek. "You look just like your grandfather."

"Yes I do," Roo nodded in agreement. "I've been told I'm a spitting image of him."

"It must be wonderful to be his grandson," another woman said while reaching out to pet Roo's hair.

"Yes, he's the best," Roo said in agreement. "He's taught me many things."

When one of the other women asked him if he was a popular boy at school, Roo beamed and nodded. When she asked if he had many girlfriends, he wrinkled his nose and shook his head. He quickly wrapped up the conversation before running off to find his family again.

Mel and Liss joined Adriana at the register and chatted with the customers as they paid. "What a fun job this would be!" Mel said to Adriana at one point in time. "Maybe father will let us work over the summer here." Draco heard this, and shook his head. Mel frowned and returned to her conversation with Liss and Adriana.

After a couple hours, Kali and Reni had left with their families, and the crowd had thinned out again. Draco gathered Liss, Mel, and Teecie, and they all said their goodbyes to the family.

"I'm so happy that you came," Lucius said as he hugged Teecie. "I hope I didn't take you away from any important revising time today."

"Don't worry dad," Teecie assured him, "I wouldn't have missed this for the world. This was really great; I bet you made a ton of money."

"Well, we'll see by the end of the day," her father chuckled. "It would be a nice thing though, to have a successful opening day."

Teecie gave her mother a hug and watched as Draco and her father embraced. She couldn't help but feel warm and happy to see this, yet held her tongue as she left the shop with her brother.

Over the next week, Adriana sent Teecie letters keeping her informed of how the shop was doing. They'd made over a thousand pounds on opening day, and had been doing well in the subsequent days. "I really enjoy working there, and your father seems happier than he's been in years," she wrote. "I have to remind him not to work so hard, but his strength seems to be returning to him. I think he's even considering having treatment done on his foot finally. It'll be wonderful to have him walking without the cane."

Teecie felt a thrill at this. She hoped her father would go in for healing. He deserved to live without constant pain. Whatever penance he'd been paying all these years, he'd paid off by now. Now it was time for him to move on. It was time for him to start over. She thought that maybe he was doing this by opening his own shop and publishing his memoirs.

She took that happiness with her into the week. James was doing well with his classes and Quidditch. She had turned in her application to healing school. Her family was thriving and happy. The night she received her mother's letter, she fell asleep with a smile on her face. Life was good.


	98. BlancNoir

Blanc/Noir

_**The Ministry of Magic is pleased to announce**_

**_The Hogwarts Black and White Hallowe'en Masque_**

_**October 31 8pm-midnight**_

Every student at Hogwarts received an invitation at breakfast two weeks before Hallowe'en inviting them to the masque held by the Ministry in honour of the Jubilee year. Teecie read the invitation with a grin on her face. "This should be loads of fun," she squealed. "It'll be perfect timing with my interviews for healing school. I'll need to do something to relax."

"What sort of costumes should we wear?" Paige, who was sitting next to her, asked. "Anything that's black or white I suppose."

Teecie shrugged. "I guess we can go as whatever we want," she replied.

"I want to go as a ninja!" James said.

"And what should I go as?" Teecie asked him.

James shrugged. "A snowflake maybe?" he replied. Teecie wrinkled her nose and rolled her eyes. "Well, it was just a thought…"

Liss was seated at the Gryffindor table for breakfast that morning, and joined in the conversation. "I think father would let me go as a black cat," she said with a smile.

"You should ask my Aunt Hermione about getting some help with a costume," Patty chuckled. "She's really good at that."

"I'm going to go as Jadis, the White Witch," Mel called out as she walked past their table.

Over the next couple of days, all the students were busy planning their costumes for the party, but Teecie was too busy with healing school preparations to bother with Hallowe'en. She wasn't eating or sleeping properly, something Draco quickly took notice of, and tried to take care of.

He called her into his office after classes one afternoon for a talk. "Ticia, I can tell that you aren't taking proper care of yourself," he said sternly. "You won't do well in your interviews if you're tired and starving."

"Draco, you know I can never eat or sleep when I'm stressed out," Teecie said with a shrug. "I can't help it; it's just the way I am."

Draco sighed and frowned. "Father and your mother should have taught you how to handle stress better than they did," he said. "Didn't they teach you any relaxation techniques?"

Teecie shrugged again. "I never had any stress at home," she replied. "Mum and dad did everything that was hard."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Why am I not surprised?" he murmured. "Ticia, would you allow me to help you find ways to deal with your stress in a healthier way? The application process is only the first step in what promises to be a very stressful career," he said in a louder voice.

"All right," Teecie replied.

Draco smiled and nodded his head. He reached into his desk, pulled out a small sachet, and handed it to her. "This is lavender, and as you know, it has calming properties," he said. "Keep this under your pillow at night and it should help you sleep better."

Next, he handed her a vial of green liquid. "And here is a potion that will help keep your appetite normal," he continued. "If you take a sip each morning when you first get up, you should be able to eat every day."

"Thank you, Draco. This should really help me out," Teecie said gratefully as she looked at the items in her hands.

"And when you do feel stressed, you should try to find a way to diffuse it," her brother added. "You might find exercise helps, or writing in a journal, or talking to somebody. I am always here for you if you need to talk."

Teecie smiled. "Thanks, Draco," she said. "I suppose I should try to do something to be less stressed."

Draco nodded his head. "Now is the time to learn, before it gets worse."

"I really do hate being freaked out all the time. I wish I could just stay calm."

"All it takes is practice, just like learning any other skill."

"I'll try my best," Teecie said quietly.

"Good, now go and try one of those techniques to relax and see if it works."

Teecie left his office and returned to her dormitory, where she put the lavender sachet under her pillow and the vial of potion on her nightstand. When she was finished, she went to the common room and found James, who was sitting in the corner with a book on his lap.

"Hey James," she said while sitting down on the arm of the chair and running her fingers through his hair. "I was just talking to Draco about finding ways to deal with my stress better."

James closed his book and took her hand in his. "That's good," he said, "I know you're having to deal with it a lot this year. If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know."

Teecie leaned down and nuzzled his ear. "He suggested exercise as a way to combat it," she murmured in his ear.

"That's a good idea. I always feel great after a Quidditch practice. Do you want me to go with you for a run or something?"

"Actually, I thought we could do something else for exercise," Teecie said while wriggling her eyebrows suggestively.

James looked at her and grinned. "Oh? What sort of thing?" he asked casually.

"You know," Teecie said before reaching down and squeezing his thigh.

James jumped up from the chair and grabbed Teecie by the arm. "Let's go exercise," he said quickly while pulling her towards his dormitory.

Teecie followed behind, giggling the entire way.

An hour later, she was resting comfortably in James's arms, and still giggling. "Draco was right," she said before kissing James's cheek. "Exercise is a great way to deal with stress. I feel so great right now."

James smiled and squeezed her lovingly. "So do I," he replied. "We should exercise like this every day."

"That works for me."

"Cool!"

Teecie felt much better after incorporating her newly-found relaxation technique into her daily routine. Dealing with classes, homework, and applications seemed like less of a problem. By taking Draco's potion each morning, she was able to eat normally throughout the day, and the lavender sachet did help her to feel calm at night, which helped her fall asleep.

A week later, Draco called her back to his office to check on her. "You look healthier," he commented with a smile. "You always look so pale and thin when you get stressed. What have you been doing?"

"The lavender and the potion work great," Teecie replied. "And I started doing some exercises every day after classes to help relax, and it really does work. I feel much better now."

"I'm glad to hear it. Lisandra has found some of her classes difficult so far this year. I'll give her the same advice."

Teecie smiled and nodded her head, not telling her brother the form of exercise she'd chosen. She knew he'd never advise Liss to do that, and it would only drive him crazy and hate James more than he already did, so she kept her mouth shut.

No amount of exercising with James could prevent the interview for healing school from approaching. Master Wilkes had been coaching each of his seventh year students who'd be interviewed, so they were a little prepared for what was to come.

"There will be a panel of five interviewers, and you'll sit before all of them. Each will ask you questions and review your responses," he'd explained one afternoon. "Try to come up with truthful and creative answers." He'd given them examples of the sorts of questions to expect, and Teecie had been working for a few weeks on possible answers to them.

The night before the interview, she could barely sleep. The lavender sachet didn't seem to be much help to her, for her nerves were too high. The next morning, Saturday, she was only able to eat a few bites of porridge before having to report to her interview.

One of the classrooms had been reserved for the panel of healers, and they were all sitting at the professor's table at the front of the room when she arrived. They looked quite intimidating as she approached them. One of the women smiled at her and gestured for her to sit at the desk in front of the table.

Teecie sat down and took a deep breath. Her hands were shaking, so she folded them and set them on her lap, hoping nobody would notice. She made her best attempt at a smile, and looked up at the panel. There were three women and two men. Most of them looked nice, except for one of the men, who frowned at her disapprovingly.

One of the women, a kind-looking woman with soft brown hair and blue eyes that twinkled, smiled at her. "Good morning, you must be Ticia Orendes," she said while checking her notes.

"Yes, and good morning to you," Teecie replied quietly.

"Let me explain to you how this process will work," the woman continued. "Each of us will ask you a few questions, and take notes on your responses. When the interview has concluded, you will be free to leave. We will let you know in a month what our decision is."

Teecie nodded her head silently when the woman had finished.

"All right then, shall we begin?"

A blonde-haired man dipped a quill in a bottle of ink. "Miss Orendes, my name is Healer Rockwell, and I run the magical surgery program," he informed her. "Why don't we start with some of the basics? Tell us a little about yourself-your family and interests, and other such things."

Teecie took a deep breath and took a moment to formulate her response. "Well, I'm seventeen years old, and a seventh year here," she began. "I live with my parents on my mother's farm in southern England. My mother runs the farm and my father recently opened a honey shop in London. I have two sisters, Kalare and Renata. They're both married. Renata has one child and is expecting another one in a few months. I have a boyfriend and his name is James Lupin. We plan on getting married when we leave school."

She took another deep breath before starting up again. "Let's see, what are my interests? I love to bake, and read. I like to watch Muggle movies, and shop for clothes. I like school and all the clubs and classes, though I had to drop out of all my clubs because my classes demanded too much of my time. And I like spending time with my family."

Healer Rockwell wrote a few notes on his sheet of parchment. "Well it sounds as if you lead a rather busy life," he remarked.

"Oh, it's nothing I can't handle," Teecie replied. "It's all about making priorities. I enjoy being busy."

"That's good, because being a healer is just about the most hectic career out there," a raven-haired woman said with a soft laugh.

The woman sitting at the end of the row of interviewers cleared her throat and picked up her quill. "Hello, Ticia, I'm Healer Kerr, and I run the midwifery program," she said. "I have a question for you. We ask this to every potential student, and we find that it says a lot about them. What made you decide to become a healer?"

Master Wilkes had told them that this question would be asked sometime during the interview. Teecie had been thinking about it off and on for a few weeks, but hadn't ever come up with an answer that she thought sounded good enough. She bit her lip and squeezed her hands together.

"I…was having some trouble in my third year here," she started slowly. "I struggled with not wanting to be a witch. I spent a lot of time in the Hospital Wing, and one day a boy came into the room with a bloody nose. Master Wilkes was gone, but I grabbed my wand and a healing book and looked up the spell to stop the bleeding. It worked. It was the first time I had used my magic willingly and been good at it. I realized it had felt good to help somebody else out, and to use my magic; that it wasn't a bad thing. I guess I just realized at that moment that healing is what I'm supposed to do with my life."

Healer Kerr smiled. "It sounds as if you're very sure of yourself, and that you've made quite a journey in your life thus far," she replied.

Teecie smiled and nodded her head.

The unpleasant-looking man leaned forward and sneered at her. "I have a few questions for you," he said in a gravelly voice. "My name is Mitchell Huxley, and I am the head of Diagnostics for St. Mungo's."

Teecie bit her lip and folded her hands again. "Hello, Healer Huxley," she whispered.

"Is it true, Miss Orendes, that you ran away from Hogwarts in your first year of school, and intended to quit?" Huxley asked coldly.

Teecie felt as though she'd been slapped in the face. She took a deep breath while formulating her answer. "That was a very long time ago, before I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I can assure you that I am not that childish anymore," she replied coolly.

"And is it true that you were responsible for the expulsion of a fellow Hogwarts student in your third year?" the man continued.

"Not entirely. Lisette Crabbe is a sociopath who attacked me on several occasions. Master Wilkes, Headmaster Snape and her father decided it was best to send her to St. Mungo's for treatment," Teecie replied with an angry gleam in her eyes. She couldn't let this man run her down.

"And is it true that your father is none other than Lucius Malfoy, the former Death Eater? He was rather high up in Voldemort's organization, was he not?" he asked with a sneer.

The last healer, an older woman, leaned forward and looked at Huxley. "Mitchell, what is the meaning of this line of questioning?" she asked sharply.

"I have reason to believe this girl has a history of quitting and not working well with others. And having a former Death Eater, not that anybody could believe such a thing could be possible, for a parent, can't be the best thing for a healer. I'm just trying to establish if this is in fact, the truth," he replied.

"Quit berating the girl! This is neither the time, nor the place," the woman said before turning to Teecie. "I'm sorry, Miss Orendes. My name is Marie Aldred and I'm in the administrative department. The earlier years of schooling aren't in question here. In fact, we only look at your OWL and NEWT results, as well as your extracurricular activities when considering admissions. Be assured that none of those questions will factor into our considerations."

Teecie breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks," she murmured. How had he found out those things about her? That wasn't common knowledge, and they wouldn't have asked any of the professors or her family about it.

"All right, let's get back on track," the final woman asked. "My name is Healer Beaman, and I am in charge of Potions and Herbology. Why don't you tell us about some of the things you have done while studying with Master Wilkes, and about extracurricular activities involving healing."

"Well, a couple of years ago there was an accident in the potions room, and all the first year students were covered in painful boils. I helped take care of them and gave them a potion to take the pain away. That was really interesting, I mean, not seeing their pain, but helping from start to finish," she began. "And a couple of summers ago I spent the holiday working in the elderly ward at the hospital. It was a volunteer position, and I did all sorts of assistant jobs like cleaning bedpans and talking to people, and helping them eat their lunches. I mean, I didn't eat their food, I helped them so they could eat it," she continued with a giggle. "I really enjoyed that too. Except for one day. There was a man there and he died. And I found him. I'd never seen a dead person before. I mean, I've seen some of the animals on our farm after they died, but a person is different. It was sad, but it didn't make me want to quit, it made me want to be a healer even more."

Teecie was quiet for a moment while she recalled her memories. "Oh, and I also helped Professor Charlie Weasley with the hippogriff births once. It was a really magical experience, except that one of them was a stillbirth and it was very sad. That experience really inspired me as well."

After Teecie stopped talking for a while, Healer Beaman nodded her head. "Well those sound like very fascinating experiences, and not many people your age have so much to draw from," she said, sounding impressed.

"It helps to have grown up on a farm, because you're always around when the animals are giving birth. My mother always let me help with the lambing each spring, so I guess I got used to it from an early age," Teecie explained.

"It sounds as if you've got a lot of good reasons to go into the healing field," Healer Rockwell said.

The questions continued for more than another hour before they finally declared they were finished. She shook each healer's hand before leaving. Healer Huxley frowned when she shook his hand. Everyone else seemed to like her, though, so she wasn't too worried about one "no" vote.

James was waiting outside the door for her when she left the room. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hearty hug. "How did it go?" he asked.

"Fine, I think," Teecie replied. "Except for one guy who seems to hate me for some reason. I don't think he's going to vote for me to get in."

James frowned. "Why wouldn't he want you in? He's got to be crazy if he doesn't want you there," he replied. "Do you want me to talk to him?"

"I think it'll be fine," Teecie said quickly, steering James away from the room. "Let's go eat lunch, and then I'd better go find my brother to tell him how it went."

Once they were seated at the Gryffindor table, James made Teecie a plate of food and set it in front of her before dishing up three plates of food for himself. There wasn't really any room for him to have three plates, though, so he stacked one on top of the other and ate his way through one plate at a time. "Now, tell me all about it," he said before stuffing half a tuna sandwich in his mouth.

Teecie talked for a half hour about her interview, and how the panel had reacted. "I think they liked you," James said with a grin. "You'll be their top student when you get there next year!"

When they'd finished eating lunch, Teecie kissed James on the cheek before running off to find her brother.

Draco was working on his curriculum when Teecie arrived. She stood in front of his desk and gave him the details of the interview. "I don't know why that man hated me, but he did," she said while plopping down on the sofa in Draco's office while he poured tea for them.

Draco frowned. "From what you said, there was nothing you did that was offensive to anybody," he said slowly. "I can't imagine why he would say such things to you, but I would like to have a discussion with him about it. It's highly inappropriate to talk about father's past in connection to you, and there would be no way for him to know those things about your time at Hogwarts unless he had somebody inform him of such events."

"You think somebody from the school gave him information about me?" she asked, feeling nervous that somebody would try to sabotage her.

"It certainly seems that way," Draco said with a shrug. "I'll look into it and see what I can come up with." He was congenial after that, but seemed distracted.

Teecie took notice of this, and frowned. "Draco, please don't do anything to jeopardize this for me. Maybe you should just let it go, he's only one vote, and I'm sure everybody else is going to vote yes for me," she said quickly. "I think he just doesn't like Death Eaters, that's all."

"You should not be made to suffer for father's mistakes," Draco replied. "I can understand that he might be prejudiced against former Death Eaters, but you've done nothing wrong and do not deserve such treatment."

"I know I don't, and that's enough for me. Really Draco, it's all right. I'm an adult now, and I want to handle this on my own. Everything is going to be just fine," Teecie said, hoping he wouldn't involve himself in it.

Draco was silent for a moment before responding. "I just want to look out for you. That's my job as your brother and the head of this family. But, as you say, you are an adult, and if you feel you can handle this yourself, then I will respect your wishes," he said slowly.

"Thank you, Draco," Teecie said with a smile. "Oh, and if you happen to talk to dad soon…don't tell him about this, all right? I don't want him to feel bad about it."

Draco nodded his head. "I won't mention it to him," he assured her.

"Good," Teecie said before changing the subject. "So, what are you going to dress as for the Hallowe'en Masque this year?"

"I thought I'd dress as a chaperone," Draco chuckled.

The conversation continued in that vein for the rest of their time together. Teecie felt relaxed when she left his office that afternoon. As she walked towards her dormitory, she passed the room where she'd had her interview earlier that day. The panel had finished their last round of questions, and were leaving the room when she walked past.

Teecie watched as they exited the room, looking carefully for Healer Huxley. She smiled as he walked by, but he just scowled at her in return. "Sir, I couldn't help but get the feeling that you didn't like me today," she called out.

Healer Huxley continued to walk away, so she turned and trotted after him. "Please sir, I would like to know if I offended you somehow."

Huxley stopped and turned to face her. "Miss Orendes, it is inappropriate for us to converse outside of the interviewing room," he said tersely.

"You said you didn't think the daughter of a Death Eater should be a healer. Do you really have a problem with that? Because I can't help that," Teecie said quickly. "Is if fair to penalize somebody you've never met just because you don't like what her father used to be? Don't you think I deserve a fair shot based on my own merits?"

Huxley narrowed his eyes and frowned at her. "If it had been up to me, Miss Orendes, your father would have been given a Dementor's Kiss long before he'd been able to have more children. The only thing a Death Eater is good at is poisoning the next generation into believing them. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd taught you all his beliefs," he said, his eyes glinting with anger.

Teecie gasped while her eyes filled with tears. "My father never did anything like that," she stammered. "He's spent most of his life trying to make up for his past. He hates himself, he really does." With that, she burst into tears.

Huxley scowled. "If you think this will get me to change my mind about your vote, you're wrong, Miss Orendes," he said as she stood before him sobbing.

"I don't care about your vote!" Teecie wailed. "I care about my father!"

Another one of the healers was leaving the room at this time, and rushed over to Teecie. "Oh my dear, don't cry," Healer Beaman said, "You did very well today in your interview. There's nothing to cry about."

"He-he-he hates me because my dad was a D-Death Eater," Teecie explained through sobs. "He's voting n-n-no for me."

"Well, he only has one vote, so I wouldn't worry about it," Beaman assured her. "Why don't you return to your dormitory now? You should have a lie down." With that, she turned to Huxley and took him by the arm. "How many times have I told you, you _must_ stop making the students and applicants cry? You do this every year," she hissed angrily at the man.

Teecie sniffled and wiped her tears away. Healer Beaman wasn't going to let anything bad happen with the voting! Everything was going to be all right! What a relief! With a sigh, she trotted off to talk to Uncle Sev about her day.

Snape sat in his office with his head in his hand, wishing that Teecie would stop talking. She'd barged into his office an hour before, interrupting him from important plans he'd been working on, and had started to talk about the interview. He had no idea how she could talk for so long without any significant pauses.

"So don't you think somebody like him shouldn't be allowed to help choose new students for the school? I mean, you would never allow somebody like that to work here, would you?" Teecie asked from the armchair she was sitting in sideways with her legs dangling over the side.

Snape frowned and rolled his eyes. "No, I would not allow a man like that to work at the school," he replied coolly. "And now, Ticia, if you don't mind, I need to return to my work. I have a very busy afternoon ahead of me."

"But Uncle Sev, this is really important," Teecie protested. "This is my life and my future we're talking about now. Every time I come here to talk to you about something really important I always get the feeling that you can't wait to get rid of me. Do you hate me or something?"

Snape sighed and shook his head. "No, Ticia, I do not hate you," he reassured her. "You just have a knack for showing up unannounced when I'm busy with other things. Perhaps it would be better for both of us if we were to schedule a time to talk. I would be able to ensure that I was free of any other pressing business and could devote my time entirely to you. Is that something you would like?" he asked quietly.

Teecie stood up and walked over to him. "I would love that," she said before throwing her arms around him. "I was so worried that you hated me. You always seem so tense whenever I try to talk with you."

"Well how about we plan on every Monday afternoon after classes for tea?" Snape asked, feeling like it was his only chance of getting her to leave. Tea with her once a week was a small concession to make if it meant having her leave him alone for the rest of the time.

"I'd love that," Teecie squealed. "Just you and me together and we can talk and talk and get to know each other better. And you can help me with ideas for potions for Draco's class. Hopefully I won't cause another accident like I did last year. Are you going to dress up for the Hallowe'en Ball this year? I don't know what I want to go as yet."

Snape resigned himself to having a lengthy discussion with Ticia before she would leave. He talked with her for another half hour before she finally left him in silence once again.

Teecie found James in the common room and quickly led him to their room where they celebrated for the rest of the night. They were so tired they slept in late on Sunday morning.

When they woke up, they spent time snuggling under the covers and trying to decide what to dress as for the Hallowe'en Masque. James still wanted to be a ninja, but Teecie couldn't think of anything to match that. In the end, they decided to go not as characters, but dressed in their finest black clothes. James would wear the fancy robes he'd worn to his brother's wedding, and Teecie would wear her black evening gown.

Both grew more and more excited, as did the rest of the school, as the next two weeks passed. Students talked incessantly over what they were going to wear, and what the ball would be like. Teecie enjoyed the wait, for now that the interview was over, she was feeling much more at ease. She could once again enjoy school for all it had to offer in terms of education and socialization, and she intended to enjoy it to the fullest.

"I can't wait to see your sexy evening gown," James said quietly as they walked down the hall one afternoon. Zeren was walking past them at the time and shot James a dirty look. "Although I know it'll look better crumpled up on the floor next to the bed after the ball ends," James continued while looking pointedly at Zeren.

"James!" Teecie squealed, "Don't talk about that in the hallway…" She glanced at Zeren and flushed, before quickly looking away again. "Draco would kill us if he heard you saying anything like that."

James cackled and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Don't worry so much, Teecie, we're almost done with school and then we'll be married! Draco isn't going to do anything to us," he said before kissing her cheek.

As they walked away, Teecie glanced over her shoulder one final time to look at Zeren as he rushed away from them. She felt sad for him that he was so unhappy during what should have been a very happy time. Hopefully he'd have a date for the ball, at least.

The next thing Teecie knew, it was Hallowe'en, and time to get ready for the ball. Patty and Paige were extremely excited about the evening ahead. "I heard they got the Kanigits to play!" Patty cried while putting on her white Quidditch robes.

"Who are they?" Teecie asked, confused.

"They're only the coolest band of the decade," Paige said while brushing her hair. "I have all of their albums."

"My favourite song is 'The Five Ounce Swallow,'" Patty added.

"It's not about weight ratio!" the two girls sang in unison while holding their wands to their mouths as fake microphones.

"They have this guy, who's really hot, and he claps two coconut halves together and prances around the stage. It's great!" Paige gushed.

Teecie's brow furrowed as she took all of that in. "Wait a minute…kanigits? Coconuts? Swallows? That's all from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, isn't it?" she asked slowly.

"Yes, all their songs are based on the movie and they dress like the characters too," Patty explained. "It's a really popular movie in the Wizarding World."

After all the girls were finished dressing for the ball, they walked down to the common room to find their dates. They were still talking about the band when they got there. Nearly Headless Nick was passing through and heard the discussion. "What do you think of the Kanigits?" Paige asked him politely.

Nearly Headless Nick sniffed. "I don't know anything about them, I can assure you," he replied before floating out of the room.

James was very excited about the band too. He, Patty, and Paige talked about it the whole way down to the Great Hall, leaving Teecie feeling left out. She knew that movie very well, but had no idea it was known in the Wizarding World. She had embraced that world much more in the last several years, but there were many things she didn't know about it. She still felt like an outsider.

She was still thinking about this when she entered the Great Hall, but her attention was soon diverted by the decorations. The entire room had been transformed into all black and white furnishings. The floor and walls were now stark white, and the dark night sky above gave it the look of a black ceiling. All the chairs dotting the room were black, and black jack-o-lanterns floated in the air with wildly grinning white smiles and glowing white eyes and noses. Black candles drifted around the room as well.

There was a person standing at the door wearing snow-white robes and handing out black or white masks, depending on what colour the student was wearing. Teecie slipped on her black mask and grinned as she watched James put his on. They linked arms and walked into the hall.

The other students were milling around the stage set up at the far end of the room, waiting for the band to come out. Both Mel and Liss had found Teecie and were standing next to her. They'd never heard of the band either. "Father would never allow us to listen to such music," Liss said timidly, as though nervous to be around the band at all when she knew Draco would disapprove.

"I can't wait to hear them!" Mel said with a grin. She was looking around for her friends and quickly ran off when she spotted a few of them.

"Teecie you are going to love these guys!" James said as he led her and Liss closer to the stage.

The students began to chant "Ka-ni-gits!" over and over again until the first band member walked onto the stage. At that time, they started to scream and jump up and down. As the rest of the band walked out, the screaming grew louder.

"Hello Hogwarts!" the lead singer called out as he picked up his guitar and strapped it on. "Are you ready to rock?" When the students screamed their assent, he shook his head and cupped his ear. "I can't hear you! I said, are you ready to rock?" The students jumped up and down and continued to cry out. "That's more like it!" he cried before starting to play.

As the band started their first song, James grabbed Teecie by the hand and started to dance. She found it difficult to dance because the song lyrics were so funny she kept laughing. They started the night off with their newest hit: "Not a Shrubbery," a lively, danceable piece. James took turns dancing with both Teecie and Liss, since Liss didn't have a partner, and he didn't want her to feel left out.

When a boy approached Liss with an offer to dance the next dance, Teecie gently encouraged her to accept. Liss twisted the black cat's tail attached to the back of her outfit in nervousness before nodding her head and letting the boy take her by the arm to dance. Teecie smiled before turning to James and dancing with him.

During the next song, "Help, Help, I'm Being Repressed," James Potter-Weasley boldly cut in and asked Teecie for a dance. She was so impressed at his nerve that she indulged him in two dances.

When Teecie had taken a break for punch and biscuits at the refreshment table, she ran into Roxanne, who was dressed as a bride, all in white. Teecie laughed as she saw her. "Who are you trying to kid?" she chuckled.

Roxanne whirled upon her, scowling angrily. "I could say the same for you, little miss slut!" she hissed.

"Is that the dress you're going to be married in?" Teecie asked coolly.

"Of course not! I'll have a new one designed for that," Roxanne scoffed.

"Well that's good, so it's ok when this ends up in a crumpled heap at the foot of some boy's bed tonight," Teecie replied.

"What do you care?" Roxanne asked.

"I don't," Teecie said. "I just think it's funny that you came tonight as a bride all in white."

"Oh it's not like you should wear white on your wedding either," Roxanne returned. "You'll probably be nine months pregnant and have a couple kids by the time you walk down the aisle with Lupin. Instead of kissing at the end, you'll probably shag right there on the floor in front of all your guests!"

"Oh shut up Roxanne!" Teecie cried. "You're ruining the evening."

Roxanne smirked. "Well then my job here is done," she retorted. "I'll just be on my way." She walked off back towards her date, leaving Teecie fuming over the refreshment table.

Liss soon joined her at the table. "Oh I'm parched from all that dancing," she said while Teecie handed her a glass of punch. "Thank you."

It didn't take long for Draco to stop by as well. "Well Lisandra, you seem to be enjoying yourself this evening," he said with a slight frown. "Was that Mr. Krum I saw you dancing with earlier?"

"Yes father," Liss replied. "He's grown so much friendlier now. He danced two dances with me."

"Yes, well, perhaps I should speak with him; become more acquainted with the young man," Draco said stiffly. "I should like to know the young men my daughters are taking up with."

"Oh father, I'm not taking up with him, not at all," Liss quickly reassured him. "He's only a friend, that's all."

"I see," Draco said with a nod. "Still, I like to know with whom my daughters are consorting. I'll have a talk with the lad soon."

Teecie bit into a biscuit and tilted her head. "So Draco, what do you think of the music tonight?" she asked casually.

"Music? You call this music?" he scoffed. "This is nothing more than noise."

Teecie giggled. "I think it's fun!" she declared. "I've never heard their music before tonight. I think the 'One, Two, Five' song is the funniest so far."

"Ticia, you would do well to engage in the finer things in life," Draco said. "I would have taken you to ballets and operas and symphonies if I had thought you'd appreciate them."

"Well you should have taken me and then maybe I'd have learned to appreciate them," Teecie replied. "I did enjoy the dancing lessons you got for me that summer I stayed at the manor." She set her half-eaten biscuit on the table and put her hand on her brother's arm. "Come on, Draco, let's dance!" she cried with a smile.

"Ticia I really shouldn't, I'm a chaperone," Draco said as his sister dragged him out onto the dance floor.

"Oh, one dance won't hurt anybody," Teecie said while holding her arms out for him to take. The dance was a slow one, so they were able to talk quietly while they danced. She watched as another boy approached Liss for a dance, but didn't mention it to Draco as the two walked hand-in-hand to the floor. She also caught Mel dancing with James Potter-Weasley, and also didn't tell Draco about it. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

When the dance had ended, Teecie gave her brother a hug and ran off to find James again. He'd been dancing with Paige, who wandered off to find another boy to dance with. James smiled as he wrapped his arms around Teecie. "Are you having fun tonight?" he asked.

"Yeah, I am," Teecie replied. "It's been a very pleasant evening so far." She smiled and rested her head on James's shoulder. James wrapped his arms around her and swayed to the music. They stayed like this for a few minutes, before being interrupted by the sounds of screaming.

James looked around while pulling Teecie closely behind him. They heard the sound of splashing, and somebody crying out, "Peeves!" Within seconds, Teecie was hit with something that exploded on her and soaked her. She squealed and whirled around to see Peeves flying madly around the room, lobbing water balloons at students.

"Peeves, look what you did!" James shouted at the pesky poltergeist. He was met with a water balloon in the face. He spluttered and wiped the water out of his eyes.

Within a minute, the whole room was in an uproar as water balloons seemed to fly out of nowhere, soaking everybody. Peeves cackled wildly, flying and flitting about the room. With so many wet students, the party seemed threatened to end on a sour note, but instead, everybody began to laugh and continued to dance in their now-soaking costumes.

The Kanigits sang their newest hit song, "Runaway, Runaway!" afterwards as Peeves scowled and quickly disappeared when he realized he hadn't ruined the party. Teecie had fun looking around and seeing everybody enjoying themselves. Even Zeren was having fun dancing with Portia Weasley, which made Teecie feel good. He deserved to enjoy himself.

The party went long into the night, with the students dancing and singing and stuffing themselves with sweets. Everybody was exhausted by the time the ball ended. Teecie held onto James's arm as they walked out of the Great Hall and up to their room. "That was a great party," she mumbled into his shoulder.

They stumbled around while changing out of their costumes and into their pyjamas. It was all they could do to get themselves into bed before falling asleep. They slept the whole night through, waking up in time to hear the birds chirping outside. They stayed in bed the whole morning, enjoying their quiet time alone, discussing the highlights of the previous night. It was a wonderful day.


	99. Silver and Gold

Silver and Gold

As soon as Halloween was over, Teecie's attentions returned to school. End of term exams were scheduled in just under two months, and she had a lot of revising to do if she wanted to pass with good marks. It took almost all of her time to work on her studies. She did make sure to spend time with James and attend to his needs and desires as well, though. He was nervous, for the first Quidditch match of the year was only a few weeks away.

"We just have to beat Slytherin!" he said emphatically one morning at breakfast while glancing over his shoulder at Zeren. He frowned and put his hand on Teecie's arm, holding onto her possessively. "I don't know what I'll do if we lose."

"James, you're going to do just fine," Teecie reassured him while patting his hand lovingly. "I'll love you no matter how the game turns out."

James smiled and squeezed her arm before glancing over his shoulder again. "I'm glad you said that," he murmured. "That definitely makes me feel better."

Teecie smiled and quickly kissed his cheek. She wanted to make James feel more confident of her love and devotion to him. He had good reason to be distrustful of her, for she had betrayed him in the past. She would have to continue working to regain his trust.

When James had gone off to practice, Teecie returned to her revising in the library. She spent all her weekend days there now, trying to memorize all the facts and figures she needed for her end of term examinations. Her head positively ached by the time she quit for the day, but she felt a little closer to passing with better marks.

The next couple of weeks passed pleasantly, with revising and spending time with James taking up most of her time. The Saturday of the Quidditch match came as a welcomed break for her.

She was still very unsure of how the game was played, but sat with Paige who explained it all to her as the match went on. She cheered James on the entire time, and he seemed to be enjoying himself, for she noticed a smile on his face each time he flew past her.

The game went on for over an hour, with both Slytherin and Gryffindor scoring a lot of points. James came close to catching the snitch a few times, but it continued to elude him. Zeren scored several points for his team, which Teecie chose not to cheer for, out of respect for James.

After another half hour, James seemed to zero-in on the snitch. He dove for it and began to race around the pitch. The Slytherin Seeker noticed this and joined in the chase. They were side-by-side, trying to outrace the other when James leaned down to his left and stuck out his hand. He quickly sat back up and clutched at his left wrist tightly before slowing his broom down to a stop.

With a huge grin on his face, James waved his arms and called out for Professor Wood, who flew over to him. Wood flew over to him and watched as James took the Snitch out of his sleeve. "Gryffindor caught the snitch, game over!" he called out to the scorekeeper who adjusted the points. "Three hundred and fifty points to Three hundred points, Gryffindor wins!"

The crowd broke out into loud cheers. Teecie screamed until she was hoarse as she watched James fly triumphantly around the pitch, pumping his fist joyfully above the crowd. He joined his teammates a short time later as they continued to cheer and celebrate their win.

Teecie tried to make her way down the stands to join James on the pitch. It took her several minutes to get there, but he held out his arms for her to jump into when she approached him. They kissed and hugged one another while the crowd around them grew louder and louder. With one final kiss, Teecie said goodbye to James and let him leave the pitch to join his teammates in the locker room. She'd have her own private celebration with him later that night.

Their celebration ended up lasting the entire night, for James was in an extremely good mood. He'd beaten out Travers and proved he was a better player. Teecie had been witness to it, and had been thoroughly impressed by him. She seemed determined to show him so that night and he was more than willing to let her. He was just that sort of giving type of person.

The next morning, Teecie was resting in bed with James, when an owl arrived with a very official-looking letter clutched in its talons. Her stomach lurched nervously as she realized what it must be. It was now a month since her interview with the healing school review board. The letter would contain news of her being accepted by the school, or not.

She bit her lip and sat up. The owl flew out the window once she had taken the letter from it. "What is that?" James asked while sitting up next to her.

"It's from the healing school…" she whispered while holding it up with shaking hands. "I'm too scared to open it."

James squeezed her hand encouragingly. "You can do this, Teecie," he said. "Remember, you're a Gryffindor."

Teecie smiled and kissed his cheek. "Thanks," she said before taking a deep breath and opening the envelope. It took her a moment to register what she was reading:

Dear Miss Orendes,

It is with great pleasure that I am informing you of your acceptance to St. Mungo's Healing School, pending your NEWT results. We feel that you would be a valuable asset in the healing community, and we look forward to helping you in your education.

Again, let me congratulate you in becoming the newest member of the class of 2022. I look forward to seeing you in September.

Sincerely,

Headmaster Thomas Foster

"I…I made it," Teecie finally stammered. "I got in. I made it."

James grinned and threw his arms around her. "I knew you would!" he cried happily.

Relief flooded through Teecie like waves as months of stress and hard work had finally paid off. Before she knew it, tears streamed down her face. "I made it!" she sobbed. "I got in." She stood up and began pace the floor in front of the bed. "I have to tell my parents, and Draco, and Uncle Sev. But who should I tell first? And what do I say to my classmates if one of them didn't get in? I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings by being too happy when they'd be sad."

"Teecie, don't worry about that now, just enjoy your good fortune," James said while handing her the clothes she was looking around for. "Go tell your brother and the Headmaster, and then write to your parents."

Teecie ran out of the room once she was dressed, ready to follow her boyfriend's advice. Her first stop was at Uncle Sev's office. She burst into his room, panting and waving the letter around in her hand. Uncle Sev was looking at what she thought was a handful of fabric swatches. He seemed startled when she approached his desk, and quickly stuffed whatever he was looking at into a drawer.

"Ticia what have I told you about coming here unannounced?" Snape snarled fiercely.

Teecie's face fell, and she let her hand drop down to her side. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely. "I forgot. I was too excited."

Snape sighed. "What is it you're so excited about?" he asked while sitting down in his chair.

"Now it's all ruined," Teecie said quietly. "Now I'm not happy anymore." She began to walk towards the door to leave. "I just wanted to tell you that I got into healing school."

Snape stood up and walked over towards her. "Ticia don't leave yet," he said. "I'm sorry I yelled at you, but I was in the middle of something." He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. "I'm very happy for you. I knew you'd succeed. I'm very proud of you."

Teecie smiled and hugged him. "Thanks Uncle Sev," she replied. "I'm going to go tell Draco now." With a final hug, she left the room and continued on down to the dungeons.

She was very careful to knock on Draco's door before going inside the room. She couldn't hide the grin on her face as she approached her brother's desk. "You have to read this," she said, holding out the acceptance letter to him.

Draco looked concerned as he took the parchment from her and read it through. His concern was soon replaced with a smile of his own. When he'd finished, he set the letter down on the table and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm so proud of you!" he exclaimed before kissing her on the cheek. "My little sister, going to healing school. I can't believe it. It seems like only yesterday you were just a child. You've really grown up and I am just so happy for you."

Teecie was beaming to hear her brother praising her so highly. "Uncle Sev was happy too, but he was busy and I didn't stay too long. I hope my parents are happy too," she said.

"Of course they'll be happy for you. Father will be very proud of you," Draco assured her. "You'll have to write to him today."

"I will! Definitely."

"And I would like to take you out to dinner tonight to celebrate. You deserve it."

"Oh Draco, really? That would be fun!" She was so excited that when she turned to leave she ran into the door with a thud before remembering to open it. She giggled as Draco watched, eyes rolling, while she successfully left his office.

Teecie spent the afternoon writing to her parents and getting ready for her dinner with Draco. She was really excited about going out with her brother. It had been a long time since she'd spent much time with him alone.

She sent a letter to her parents as soon as she'd returned to her dormitory. The response came just before leaving to meet Draco for dinner. They were ecstatic, and sent her a package of biscuits and sweets as well. They also promised to celebrate with her when she returned home for the holidays.

That night, Draco hired a coach to take them into Hogsmeade. He took her to the most expensive restaurant in town, and ordered a bottle of champagne for them at dinner. "I think this occasion calls for a special celebration," he explained before clinking his glass against hers.

Draco spent most of the evening praising her and talking about her future. "You need to start thinking about what you want to specialize in, and where you would like to work when you finish healing school," he said in the middle of their tiramisu.

"I can't even think about that right now," Teecie said with a shrug of her shoulders. "I need to take it one step at a time for a while. I need to deal with finishing Hogwarts. My NEWTs need to be as high as possible or I won't be able to go to healing school."

"True, but it's never too early to start thinking about those things. You can come to me when you're ready and I can see what I can do to help you get hired into the best position possible."

At the end of the evening, Draco presented her with a gold frame for her acceptance letter. He'd had it engraved with her name and the date. Teecie looked at it with a sense of great pride and joy. She hugged her brother, and thanked him for the wonderful night, before returning to her dormitory for a good night's sleep.

Both James and Teecie took their happy moods into the next week. James was excited about school and Quidditch, and made sure to spend extra time with his father, because he'd been toying with the idea of continuing is Remus's footsteps by becoming a teacher. Teecie had mentioned to him at the start of the school year that he had a knack for teaching others. His team was doing very well with him helping them out. Over the summer holiday, he'd quite enjoyed teaching the children in his Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. It had been on his mind a lot since school had begun.

While James was talking to his father and Teecie was off revising in the library, hundreds of miles away in the south, an event was taking place that would affect Teecie's family in ways she had no idea about yet.

Lucius Malfoy stood in his kitchen, putting his orange juice glass in the sink, when an owl flew up to the window in front of him and fluttered its wings to given entrance. He quickly opened the window and let the owl in. It dropped a roll of parchment in his hands, flew to the table and grabbed a piece of toast before exiting from the room.

Lucius shut the window and sat down at the kitchen table again. He slowly unrolled the parchment, and began to read:

Addressed to Mr. Lucius Malfoy, Unplottable, England

On the dissolution of the marriage between Mr. Lucius Malfoy and Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy.

Both parties are from this moment hence, divorced, on this being the 14th day in the month of November in the year 2018.

On the dividing of property owned by Mr. Lucius Malfoy and Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy: Mr. Draco Black, son of the aforementioned people, will retain ownership of Malfoy Manor. Mr. Draco Black will retain ownership of all items within said Manor. Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy will retain seventy five percent of the remaining financial assets in all of Mr. Lucius Malfoy's accounts in Gringott's bank. Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy will retain ownership of all properties currently under Mr. Lucius Malfoy's name, with the exception of the retail store, Alcedonian Honey, in London, which remains under Mr. Lucius Malfoy's name, and the monies involved in said shop. All other assets are to be transferred to Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy's name.

It was signed by a solicitor and a judge, as well as a notary. It was legitimate. Lucius felt lightheaded as he read through the judgment. His hands shook as he held onto the paper. He was divorced. Apparently he had been for a few days now. And he was significantly less wealthy than he had been in years past as well. He didn't care about the money or the property. He still owned his shop and he was putting all the money from it in a Muggle bank, so that money was still his.

All of his ties to the past were now cut off from him. He was no longer Narcissa's husband. He had known it would happen sometime, and had been unsure of how he'd feel about it. At the moment, he felt rather numb. What was he supposed to do now? It felt odd, not having been given the choice in it, but to have had it mandated to him.

He set the parchment down, grabbed his cane, and slowly walked out of the house and up the hill to the olive tree. The olive tree was the highest point of the property, and from there, one could always manage to think through one's problems. From his vantage point on the hill, the world looked large and full of possibilities. He felt quite small and insignificant in the middle of it all. His numbness was turning into peacefulness. He felt a great sense of ease as he thought about his newly-given freedom. He was no longer bound to a woman he didn't love and had caused great harm to. She was free now too.

As Lucius glanced towards the barn, he realized that working on honey was the last thing he wanted to do that day. He wasn't sure what his plans for the day were yet, but he knew something important needed to be done to acknowledge that he was no longer married.

Adriana had taken the car to London to work at the shop, so Lucius had to floo to the Leaky Cauldron. He had been thinking about going for treatment of his foot for many months now, but had never found just the right time for it. Something had seemed to be holding him back from it. Perhaps he still harboured guilt over the thought of living a pain-free life. He seemed to cling to the pain in his foot as some sort of superstition; as if he could only live a good life if his foot was hurting. His life had changed for the better when he'd received that wound. Everything positive in his life had occurred afterwards, and perhaps, deep down, he was worried that his life would deteriorate when he had his foot fixed. But now it was a new day. Now was the time to start over again.

With a deep breath, Lucius stepped out of the Leaky Cauldron, and walked down to St. Mungo's. The treatment for his foot took several hours to complete, and involved muscle-relaxation and rebuilding potions and a few spells to undo all the old damage of his stab wound.

The healer was kind and sympathetic towards him. "It's been a long while since I saw a war wound," he said. "Most people had theirs healed years ago. I imagine you must have been in excruciating pain for many years now. I'd say it's far past time to get this fixed."

Lucius's heart pounded as he stood up and put his full weight on his left foot for the first time in over two decades. He winced in pain as the muscles, taut from disuse, stretched and burned as he took a step.

"It will hurt for a day or two while the muscles grow stronger," the healer said, noticing the look of pain on his face. "But once they're strong enough, the pain will go away, and you'll be able to walk and run like you once did before the injury."

Even though there was pain, it was still more than Lucius had been able to do in many a year. He found it odd to not rely on his cane to walk, and almost did not know what to do with his free hand. It felt strangely empty, and more than once, he took a step and felt a panic for fear of falling without having his cane at hand. But he never fell, not once. The muscles were sore all through his ankle and calf as well, up to his knee. He walked stiffly, but he walked unaided.

"I…thank you," he said quietly to the healer. "You don't know what this means to me."

As Lucius turned to leave, the healer called out after him. "Did you want to keep your cane, Mr. Malfoy? Or shall I dispose of it for you?"

Lucius turned and looked at the cane he'd left on the bed. He'd forgotten it…Did he want to keep it? It had been a part of himself for over twenty years now. It would be like the discarding of an arm or a leg. Could he just toss it aside with so little regard? Perhaps he ought to keep it…just in case. He slowly walked back to the bed and picked it up. "Thank you, I'll just take it with me," he said before turning and leaving the room.

As he walked through the streets of London, his confidence grew stronger. He held his head high as he took his steps without his cane. Ladies eyed him even more than they normally did, and he obliged them with a nod of his head and a wink of his eye. Several of them blushed and giggled as he passed them by on his way to his next stop.

He was amazed at how much younger he felt now that he was not dependant on his cane to walk. His heart felt lighter, freer, and he found that he couldn't wait for Adriana to return home that evening after the shop closed. He wondered what she'd think of him when he walked to their bed that night without the cane. He thought about all the new adventures that were now open to the two of them now that he would be steadier on his feet.

As he walked further into London, his mind on Adriana, he realized that as a divorced man, he was now free to make on honest woman of her. It really was overdue, what with them being grandparents now.

Lucius's next stop was at a jewelry shop. He looked at all the rings and loose stones for over an hour while contemplating which was the best one for Adriana. Diamonds were traditional for an engagement, but they were far more pretentious than she was. Perhaps a different gemstone. Maybe a ruby. Rubies suited her skin, and her Gryffindor spirit much better than diamonds.

With a little help from the shop keeper, Lucius managed to design a most wonderful ring for his beloved. He even found an earring that matched the silver ring band. He held it up to his ear and peered into a mirror. It was a very handsome earring. He ended up buying both of them, and taking the earring to a nearby tattoo parlour.

He only had one piercing, which was not visible when he was clothed, and he'd still been a student at Hogwarts when he'd gotten it. It was rather intimidating letting a complete stranger hold a needle to his ear and shove it through. It was worth it, though, for the earring look wonderful.

Several more women batted their eyes as he walked back to the jewelry shop to pick up the ring for Adriana. He even stopped and flirted shamelessly with one of the ladies who frequented his honey shop. She was clearly impressed with his earring.

Lucius debated over whether to visit Adriana at the shop, or to wait until she had closed up for the day and returned home. He wanted to see her now, and propose to her, and make love to her right there on the shop counter, but there was also the appeal of letting her return home, and proposing to her in the home they'd shared for so long.

In the end, he decided to wait until she'd returned for the day. He'd prepare a special meal for the two of them, and propose to her after they ate. He made sure to pick up an expensive bottle of champagne for a celebration that evening.

His plans didn't go exactly as he'd hoped, for Adriana was home by the time he arrived. He found her sitting at the kitchen table, reading his divorce paper. "You're home early," he said coolly, trying to contain his disappointment for his now-ruined plan for the night.

Adriana dropped the parchment and looked up at Lucius. "Oh, darling…This must have come as such a shock to you," she said before standing up and hurrying over to him. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "Are you all right?"

Lucius wrapped his free arm around her and held her for a minute. "I am, actually," he whispered in her ear. "I took the day off and attended to a few things."

"I think that's good," she replied, "You needed a day off after this."

"I have something to show you, but you need to go sit down at the table again," Lucius said while setting his packages down on the counter next to the door. When Adriana was seated, he put his cane on the counter, and began to walk over to her.

Adriana's eyes grew wide, and she clapped her hands over her mouth. "Oh Lucius!" she cried in a muffled voice while tears sprang to her eyes. "You got your foot fixed! I've dreamed of this for years!" She stood up and embraced him once again.

"I did it for you," Lucius said as he picked her up and pressed his lips to hers. "I want to walk down the aisle with you and not have to use a cane. I want to dance our first dance together without any help."

Adriana looked into his eyes. "You still want to marry me after all these years?" she asked.

Lucius kissed her again. "Of course I do. I love you now just as much as I ever have," he replied. "In fact, I got something for you." He set her back down and walked to the counter to take out the small box in one of the bags. He took a deep breath before walking back over to her.

"Adriana," he began while carefully kneeling down before her and holding the box out to her. "I would be very honoured and pleased more than you can ever imagine if you would become my wife." He opened the box, and let the ruby catch the light. It gleamed magnificently, though not as much as Adriana's face.

"I…oh…this is too beautiful," she said breathily while reaching out to take the ring. "Oh Lucius, of course I'll marry you."

Lucius smiled and took the ring out of her hands, and slipped it on her finger. "I don't think you noticed yet, but I found a matching ring as well," he said while pointing to his new piercing. "So now we are a matched pair."

Adriana reached down and touched his ear gingerly. "I love it!" she exclaimed. "It really looks lovely."

Lucius stood up again and stretched out his sore foot. "I had planned on making dinner for you, but you were early," he said slowly.

"I'm not hungry right now," Adriana whispered while gazing at her ring. "Well not for food anyway."

Lucius smiled and took her by the hand. "Well I believe I have just the thing to sate your hunger," he said while leading her out of the kitchen and into their bedroom.

"Oh really? I might need to be sated all night long…I'm very hungry now," Adriana said seductively.

"Don't worry, I was planning on a full five course meal," Lucius replied while closing the door behind them. "You'll be plenty full by morning." Adriana grinned and took her fiancé's hand, and walked with him over to their bed.

Lucius had been correct, she was very much sated by the next morning. The honey shop remained closed that day.

Back at Hogwarts, James's day went almost as well as Lucius's. The talk with Remus had gone very well. They'd walked down to the Three Broomsticks for fish and chips for lunch, and James had talked at length about his worries and hopes and dreams for the future. "Dad…she's already talking about children. I mean, we've sort of talked about it before, but I think she might be serious this time. I think she really wants to have kids," he croaked before taking a sip of his Butterbeer.

Remus laughed softly. "All women are like that, son," he comforted, "you just have to get used to it."

"I don't know if I'll ever get used to it. I mean, I suppose kids are fine for playing games with or watching movies with, but taking care of them? I can't do that."

"You'll be amazed at what you can do when the time is right."

As they continued to eat, their discussion turned to careers. "I've just been thinking that I can't dwell on not becoming an Auror anymore," James said quietly. "I can't do it to myself. It's just torture."

"What other avenues have you explored in terms of a career?" Remus asked.

James shrugged his shoulders. "Teecie and I talked a while ago about teaching. We both thought I'd be sort of good at it," he replied.

Remus nodded his head slowly while thinking it over. "I can see you being good at teaching. You have a way with people, James, and it might be a great thing for you," he finally said. "What age of children do you like best?"

"I dunno, really. I had a lot of fun with the kids over the summer. But older kids can be interesting too."

"Older kids take a lot of patience. I think you might have the right temperament for primary school age children," Remus said. "You should contact Ginny Longbottom, your old teacher, and ask her advice."

James sighed as he thought about Mrs. Longbottom. She'd been his teacher at the Hogsmeade Primary School, and the first person he'd ever had a crush on. She had such pretty red hair, just like Teecie…"I'll do that," he finally said once he'd snapped out of his reverie.

When they'd finished their meal, the two men went for a stroll through town, until they came to a jewelry shop window. James peered inside and sighed wistfully. "Teecie deserves the best ring in the world," he murmured.

"I'm sure she'll love whatever you pick," Remus said while patting his son on the shoulder.

"I can't afford much. Nothing really. I only have a few hundred galleons and that's to get us started out in life. I can't buy us a house and furniture and all those things _and_ get her a ring."

"She has a rather sizable inheritance, though. You can't forget that."

"She shouldn't have to use her money to buy all we need. I'm supposed to take care of her. I'll be her husband-I have to get her everything she needs."

Remus frowned. "I don't recall instilling such old-fashioned views in you, James. Your mother and I made our life together. We shared all that went into creating a home and a family. There's nothing wrong with allowing Teecie to help out if she's able to," he said. He knew there was no point in offering to help pay for a ring, for he assumed James would never accept his help. His son seemed bound and determined to pay for it himself, even if it meant selling every item he owned to earn the money.

James looked at the rings until one spotted his eye. "Look at that one, dad, isn't it beautiful?" he asked while pointing it out.

Remus leaned in to look at a small gold ring with the tiniest speck of a diamond set in it. He had to squint and lean his head against the windowpane to even see it. "Oh, yes, it's definitely beautiful," he said with a smile. "And I'm sure it's affordable. You ought to look into it now. Maybe the shopkeeper will put it away for you so nobody else can buy it."

James slowly walked into the shop and asked the man at the counter how much the ring was. He had about forty galleons saved up at this point in time, and only earned a couple of galleons a week for his allowance. He hoped he'd be able to buy it for Teecie.

"Well, this one here's not so much," the shop keeper said while looking at it. "This is what we in the business refer to as a 'starter' ring, and it's valued at about sixty galleons."

James sighed and bit his lip. "What if I don't have sixty galleons yet? Is there a way I can put a down payment on it and you can keep it for me until I've paid it off?" he asked hopefully.

"Oh yes, I do that all the time," the shopkeeper said with a smile. "It's called 'layaway,'" he explained. "If you're certain this is the one you want, we can draw up the paperwork right now if you like."

James grinned and eagerly nodded his head. He left the shop a short while later with a lightness in his step that hadn't been there before. He'd be sending off his earnings every week for the next several months until he'd paid off the price of the ring.

"This has turned out to be a great day!" he said while walking back to the school with his father.

"I'm glad I could be here with you," Remus replied with a smile.

James nodded his head. "Me too."

Teecie didn't find out about her parent's engagement until two days after the fact. Adriana wrote a letter to her, explaining what had happened. "We're thrilled of course," she wrote, "I can't wait to show you the ring your father got for me."

Teecie couldn't stop grinning when she'd finished the letter. "James, I have the best news ever!" she cried while throwing her arms around him. "My dad and his wife got a divorce so now he can marry my mum!"

"That's wonderful!" James replied.

"He got her a ring and everything and proposed!" She was silent for a moment while looking around for Liss or Mel. "I wonder if Draco knows yet," she murmured.

She spotted her brother up at the professor's table. He was eating peacefully and showed no signs of having any knowledge of his parent's divorce. Wouldn't Lucius have written to him about it already?

After finishing her breakfast, she ran over to him as he was leaving the table. "Did you hear from dad at all this week?" she asked cautiously, while holding tightly to Adriana's letter.

"No, why?" Draco asked with a frown. "Is anything wrong?"

Teecie bit her lip and shrugged her shoulders. "My mother wrote to me…" she started in a quiet voice.

Draco rolled his eyes. Why would he care about what she'd written to Ticia? "Is father all right?" he finally asked.

"I…I think you should stop by the house after classes tonight and have a talk with dad," Teecie said slowly. "I think he wants to talk to you, but doesn't know how."

Draco's frown increased. "I'll stop in after my morning classes," he said, not wanting to show his concern for his father.

"Good, I'm sure he'd like that," she said with a timid smile before making a hasty retreat to her first class of the day.

Her first class of the day was Herbology, so she had plenty to do to keep her mind off of her family. Why wouldn't they have told Draco? Surely Narcissa would want him to know that she was no longer married to his father. It seemed like a natural thing to want.

Teecie didn't see Draco again until dinnertime, and he looked distracted, but not angry or upset. She walked over to the professor's table and looked more carefully at him. "Draco?" she called out. "Well?"

Draco frowned and beckoned to her to join him. "Father informed me of the divorce," he said quietly. "He said he'd wanted to give mother the chance to tell me first since it was of her doing."

"Are you OK?" Teecie asked while putting her hand on one of his.

"Yes," he said with a wave of his free hand. "I knew this day would come some day, and Malfoy Manor is still mine, which is the most important thing."

"Well I'm glad you're all right," Teecie replied.

"Oh, and I would like to be the one to tell Lisandra and Melantha, so please don't mention this to them."

"I won't, I promise." When she was reassured of her brother's well-being, she returned to her table to finish eating dinner.

The next day, she ran into Liss in the library after classes. "Father told us about grandfather and grandmother," she said quietly while sitting down next to her aunt. "I'm happy for them, but I'm sad for father. I know he doesn't like the idea of his parents being divorced."

"At least he's an adult. It would be worse if there were kids involved," Teecie said while Liss nodded in agreement. "I think it's great. It's about time your grandmother found a boyfriend, and now she can. Well, she could have all along, but I guess she didn't want to while she was married still."

"Father also told me that grandfather proposed to Adriana and she accepted. I think that's so romantic," Liss added.

Mel seemed to think the same thing as well, for she said so when Teecie saw her the next day at lunch. "Grandmother should go out and find herself a good man. It's high time she had some fun in her life," she said emphatically.

The excitement of the divorce and engagement was quickly replaced with nervousness of the fast-approaching end of term examinations. "I have to get perfect marks if I want to get into healing school!" Teecie cried the night before the exams started. She was sitting on her four poster bed with seven books spread out before her while the twins sat at their desks reading their notes.

"You'll do fine, Teecie," Paige called out comfortingly. "You always do."

"Thanks…I needed to hear that…" Teecie said with a sigh.

She could barely sleep that night, or eat breakfast the next day. Her nerves overwhelmed her. Each exam was extremely important to pass with the highest mark possible if she wanted to get into healing school. It was a great motivator to do her best, but it was a lot of pressure as well.

The first exam was Charms, and it went pretty well. The most difficult part was staying calm. She knew all the material, but being nervous always led to her making mistakes. She did her best, though, and felt much more confident as she went on with her day and the exams.

"I think I did all right with the Runes exam," Patty said at lunch that day.

"I know I messed up one of the questions on the Charms exam," James said sullenly. "But I think I did OK on everything else."

With the first day of exams over with, Teecie felt much more confident about the rest of her classes. As it turned out, they went rather well. Herbology and Potions were her best subjects, and those exams were easy for her. She knew she'd done well by the end of that day.

The last day, was more difficult, for her Healing and Transfiguration exams took place then. She'd been working very hard with Professor Weasley to perfect nonverbal spells, and had made a lot of progress. It was a very tough exam, but she thought she'd made it through all right.

By the end of the day, all the students were exhausted. Teecie and James fell asleep in one another's arms on the sofa in the common room, waking up the next day disoriented, but well rested.

With the end of exams brought about the end of the term. "I can't believe it's already the Christmas holiday," Teecie marveled as she and James walked down to breakfast. "By this time tomorrow we'll be on the train home. I don't know how I can stand to be separated from you for such a long time."

"Me neither," James replied while taking her hand in his. "We'll have to get together to exchange Christmas gifts."

"Yes, and I was going to give you part of your gift tonight," Teecie whispered as they sat down at the table. She discreetly reached her hand down and squeezed James's thigh suggestively.

James's eyes grew wide as he glanced up at the professor's table. "What if your brother sees you?" he hissed.

"Who cares?" Teecie whispered back. She grinned at him and boldly kissed him before dishing herself up a large plate of food. "Eat up, we'll need our strength for tonight."

James wriggled excitedly in his seat and plated up two large plates of food for himself. "I can't wait for tonight, maybe we can get started early?" he asked.

"Maybe…" Teecie conceded. "After we're done packing."

James hurriedly ate his plates of food and ran off to pack his trunk. Teecie ate in a more civilized fashion and took more time to pack than he did, but they still had plenty of time to meet in their secret room and spend the afternoon and evening enjoying one another's company.

"I'm going to miss you so much," James said while clutching Teecie tightly against his chest.

"I'm going to miss you too," she replied while running her fingers through the few hairs on his chest. This led into a long discussion about who would miss the other one more and who loved the other one more. They decided in the end that they both loved one another, and would miss one another, equally.

The two spent their last night together before getting up for the train ride home the next day.

Liss and Mel giggled the whole time while watching as James and Teecie snuggled and snogged the entire train ride home.

Lucius was waiting for Teecie when they arrived at King's Cross. She gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek in greeting before snogging James for five minutes before he broke them up and sent James off to find Tonks.

Teecie looked adoringly at her father as they walked to the car. It took her a minute to realize he was walking unaided. "Dad? Where's your cane?" she asked curiously while coming to a halt.

Lucius stopped and looked down at her with a smile. "I finally decided to get my foot fixed," he said quietly.

Teecie's eyes grew big as she looked up at her father with wonder. She felt she no longer knew him anymore. Could an adult really change so much in such a short amount of time? Without even realizing it, her lip had begun to quiver, and tears spilled down her cheeks. Lucius no longer needed his cane, or had even the slightest of limps. He looked tall and proud and dignified. She thought he looked terribly handsome, and felt a new sense of respect for him as they walked.

"I'm glad to be home for Christmas, dad," she said quietly while taking his hand.

Lucius smiled and squeezed her hand in return. "I'm very glad you're home as well," he replied. "I'm sure it will be a wonderful, peaceful Christmas."

"That would be so lovely," Teecie agreed.


	100. An Eventful Christmas

An Eventful Christmas

Author's Note: I would like to thank all my readers for sticking around so long. This is an unprecedented 100th chapter. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought Teecie's Story would be this long, and it's not even over yet…Thank you all for still reading after such a long time!

-Foodie

Teecie's Christmas holiday started off quite nicely. She spent her first night back with her parents, stuffing herself with roast pork, mashed potatoes, and treacle tart. They watched movies in the living room afterwards, just enjoying being back together again.

When they'd almost finished watching White Christmas, they were interrupted by Peter Weasley as his head appeared in their fireplace in a flash of green flames. "I'm sorry to bother you so late at night," he said apologetically, "But I was wondering if Hunter could come over to visit during the day for the next couple of days. I have to prepare for his birthday and Christmas, and apparently he's being burdensome for Reni. She's due in the next few weeks and seems to be having a…trying time of it."

Adriana frowned. "Well Lucius has been helping at the shop this week since business has been so mad lately," she said. "Ticia, would you be willing to mind Hunter for a few days?"

Teecie smiled. "I'd be happy to help," she said while kneeling down to look at her brother-in-law.

"Thanks so much!" Peter cried, relief flooding his face. "You have no idea what this means to me!"

"No problem, it'll be fun," she replied. "He can come with me while I do my Christmas shopping."

The next morning, Teecie was sleeping in, snuggled in her warm blankets, when she felt somebody crawl onto the bed and settle in next to her. The person wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug. "Morning, Teecie," a child's voice said into her ear.

Teecie moaned and rolled over to face him. "Hello Hunter," she slurred while waking up. "How are you today?" She sat up slowly and turned her light on.

"Great!" Hunter cried. "Yiayia's making pancakes and sausages for breakfast. Come on and get up!" With that, he grabbed her hand and pulled on it.

"You go on ahead while I get dressed," Teecie said while standing up. "I'll be out in a few minutes."

Hunter trotted out of the room, leaving her alone to put her clothes on. Once she'd finished that, and had brushed her teeth and hair, she joined everybody else in the kitchen. "Morning," she said while pouring glasses of juice for everyone.

"Morning love," Adriana said while setting a platter of pancakes on the kitchen table. There was already a plate of steaming sausages waiting to be eaten, next to them. "All right, everybody tuck in." With that, she sat down and began to put food on a plate for her grandson.

"Pancakes are my favourites, but mummy never makes them," Hunter said as his eyes grew wide, "but sometimes daddy makes them on the weekends." He licked his lips in anticipation as Adriana cut up a couple sausages into bite-size pieces.

She set the large plate of food in front of Hunter, who poured syrup over his pancakes, and proceeded to devour them in record time. Teecie watched in wonder as her small nephew attempted to eat his weight in breakfast foods. Two pancakes and two sausages was her limit, but he ate almost three times that amount.

"I'm a growing boy," Hunter said when he'd finally finished eating. He patted his distended stomach and belched loudly before giggling over his accomplishment. "I can burp the loudest in my family," he declared proudly.

"Well that's quite an accomplishment," Adriana replied while reaching over with a wet washcloth to wash his face. "Hold still, I'm almost finished," she said as he squirmed in his seat, trying to escape her clutches.

When she'd finished eating, Adriana stood up and gathered her purse and keys. "Well, I'm off to meet your father," she said while walking towards the back door. "He's been at the shop for over an hour restocking shelves."

"Has he eaten yet?" Teecie asked, her brow wrinkling in concern.

"I'll pick up something for him," Adriana replied. "You have fun with Hunter today." She kissed Teecie's cheek, called out her farewell to Hunter, and left the house.

Hunter ran out to the porch and waved as she drove away, before coming back inside and standing next to Teecie. "Now what?" he asked.

"What do you want to do?" Teecie asked while gathering the dishes and putting them in the sink.

"Watch telly! I never get to anymore because of school," he replied.

"All right, you go find a programme, and I'll join you when I finish cleaning up," she said before grabbing her wand. She had never used magic to clean dishes before, and wanted to see how it worked. She could hear the cartoons in the other room as she set to work cleaning the kitchen from top to bottom. It was rather fun and quite satisfying to see the room clean itself so thoroughly, but not have to do any of it herself. And it only took minutes as well.

Hunter was enjoying an old episode of Thomas the Tank Engine when she joined him on the sofa. They decided to be incredibly lazy, and lay about all day, watching telly and eating junk food.

When lunchtime approached, Teecie ordered a pizza to be delivered, which thrilled Hunter to no end. "I've never had pizza at lunch before!" he cried excitedly. He insisted on giving the money to the delivery boy when the food arrived. "Keep the change!" he said as the delivery boy thanked them and left.

The rest of the day passed pleasantly. Peter picked Hunter up just in time for dinner. "What do you think about picking up some Chinese food for dinner tonight?" Peter said while hugging his son.

"I think that's a great idea," Hunter said while clinging to his father. When Peter tried to step away from him, Hunter clung tightly to him, not letting him move any further. "Are you getting Chinese food because you love me?"

"Well…we need to eat dinner tonight and there isn't any time to make dinner," Peter replied slowly. "I do you love you. You know that."

"But you wouldn't go buy dinner for the baby would you? You love me more than him, right?"

Peter looked weary and rubbed his forehead with one hand as he patted Hunter's shoulder with the other. "Why don't we talk about this more on our way home, all right? Let's get going now," he finally said gently.

Hunter turned and waved to Teecie. "See you tomorrow," he called out while Peter led him to the fireplace.

"Have a good evening," Teecie called back. When they'd left, she walked into the kitchen and started looking for food to make for dinner. Her parents were due home in an hour, so she didn't have much time to prepare a meal.

When Lucius and Adriana finally arrived home that night, they were met with the smell of macaroni and cheese baking in the oven. "Oh it smells wonderful," Adriana said while setting a box of honey jars on the kitchen counter. "I'm starving. We were so busy I never had time to take a lunch break today."

Lucius sat down at the kitchen table and set his left foot on the chair across from him. Teecie noticed this and frowned. "Does your foot still hurt dad?" she asked while grabbing her wand and walking toward him. "Maybe I can do something about it.

"Oh it just twinges a bit now and then," he said, waving her off.

"It sounds like you two are too busy over there," she said while returning to the oven to check on the food. "I don't like that mum didn't get a lunch break, or that your foot hurts, dad. Maybe you should hire a third person to help until Christmas is over."

"It's just another day or two. We'll be fine," Adriana said while sitting down next to Lucius and taking his hand in hers. "I don't mind."

Teecie set a plate of apple slices in front of her parents to eat while they waited for dinner. She told them about her day with Hunter and how she planned to take him with her tomorrow to go Christmas shopping. "We'll try to stop by the shop and see how you're doing."

The next day, Hunter insisted on eating out at a diner for breakfast. "It'll be fun to eat at a restaurant," he said after they'd flooed to the Leaky Cauldron together and walked out into London.

Teecie took him to a small diner near St. Mungo's. "I went out to a diner like this after you were born," she said with a smile. "Did you know I was jealous of you when you were born?"

Hunter gazed at the pictures on the children's menu before smiling up at her. "I bet you were. I was very adorable as a baby. I've seen pictures," he replied. "Do you think these pancakes are as good as yiayia's?"

"Probably," Teecie said with a grin. He was incorrigible, wasn't he?

He ended up with a plate of pancakes and bacon, while she ordered a ham and cheese omelet. They talked about Christmas and birthdays in between bites. "Tomorrow is my birthday and then it's Christmas a couple days later," Hunter informed Teecie. "And my parents are getting me loads of presents."

He told her all the presents he was expecting to get as they walked though the streets. "And I know daddy is going to get me that Winnie the Pooh movie from grandpa's store, he promised me," he said confidently before taking Teecie's hand and crossing the street.

They walked in and out of many shops that morning. Teecie was able to get all her shopping done with very little whinging from Hunter about it being too boring, or wanting all the toys he saw. He was too busy bragging about the many presents he'd be tearing into in less than a day.

It was almost time for lunch when they walked over to Alcedonia Honey to see Lucius and Adriana. There were a lot of customers when they arrived. Hunter kept close to Teecie so he wouldn't get separated from her.

Lucius was busy giving customers advice. "No, if you were serving salmon, I would probably go with the smoked honey. That would compliment the fish very well," he said while holding out a jar to a man who already had three or four jars in his arms.

Adriana was working at the counter, bagging purchases and taking money from customers. "Thank you very much. Come again soon," she said to a smiling woman as she left the store.

"Hi mum," Teecie said, "Do you want me and Hunter to go get you and dad some lunch? There's a chippie just down the street, we could get food and bring it back."

"Oh, that would be lovely," Adriana said while handing her daughter a twenty pound note. "Thank you."

Twenty minutes later, Teecie and Hunter returned to the store, their arms full of newspaper-wrapped bundles. Hunter gave one to Adriana while Teecie gave her extra one to Lucius. During a lull in the customers, they sat around the counter eating their food.

Adriana had just thrown the greasy newspapers away when they were startled by Draco rushing into the shop. "Father, I have to speak with you now," he demanded hurriedly. He had a piece of parchment in his hands, and was clutching it tightly. "Can we go into the back room?"

Lucius frowned and nodded his head. "All right," he replied. "Adriana, mind the store, will you?"

Teecie and Hunter watched, open-mouthed, as Lucius and Draco walked into the back room and shut the door. They couldn't hear what was being said, though they could hear loud voices and the occasional shout. Suddenly the door opened and Draco stormed out. Lucius walked out after him. "Your mother knows what she's doing, Draco. Just leave her be," he called out as his son left the shop.

"What in the world happened?" Adriana asked with a look of concern on her face.

Lucius sighed and rubbed his temples. "Apparently Narcissa and Severus Snape have gotten married," he said hollowly.

Adriana's jaw dropped open. "What?" she asked. "Married? Are you sure?"

Lucius shrugged his shoulders. "She wrote Draco a letter and told him so herself. They left the day after school ended for the term, traveled to Italy, and were married. They're now on their honeymoon."

Teecie's brain had stopped working as soon as she'd heard the news, but now it was staring to work again. Her efforts had finally paid off. She'd been hoping for Narcissa and Severus to get together for years now, and had taken steps to facilitate it, but had never really thought anything would come of it. Her heart swelled with happiness and pride, but she couldn't say anything and risk getting into trouble.

"Why isn't Draco happy for his mother?" she finally asked.

"I don't know, I could barely understand him in there," Lucius replied. "I'm sure we'll hear all about it at Christmas though."

Teecie didn't have to wait for Christmas to hear Draco's opinion on Narcissa's marriage. He came over that night to the property to talk to Lucius again, and sat in the living room ranting for an hour.

"He knew she was recently divorced. That must be why he did it, because she was vulnerable," he spat. "I can't believe Snape did this. He just wants mother's fortune for himself. When I see him at school I don't know how I'll keep from killing him!"

"Draco…your mother sounded happy in the letter. She must have wanted to marry him. It's probably why she divorced me last month," Lucius said calmly.

"No! Snape must have put her under the Imperious Curse after the divorce went through. That's why she sounds happy. I should report him to the Ministry for this. Have him thrown in Azkaban. He's been lurking for years, just waiting for his chance, and as soon as he got it, he pounced."

"Draco, I think you're being a little dramatic here, there is no evidence of any such thing. I know you care for your mother, as any son should care for his mother. But you need to think about what she wants. She has the right to make choices in her life. She is an adult after all."

"I cannot believe you're taking Snape's side! Maybe he's the reason for the divorce! He could have put her under the curse before and made her divorce you. I wouldn't put that past him at all. In fact, it sounds more like him."

"I just think you may be making more out of this than there needs to be," Lucius said helplessly. There was no way Draco was going to calm down any time soon. "Maybe you should go home and spend some time with Tanith and the children. Try to relax and enjoy the holidays. Try to be happy for your mother."

The next day was Hunter's birthday, and apparently Reni was just as unhappy over the latest turn of events as her brother was, and the two spent the entire party commiserating together. Reni had always thought that Severus, as her godfather, should worship her, and only her, and was quite unhappy to see that another woman had encroached upon her territory.

Hunter was upset that the attention had been taken away from him on his special day. He spent most of the party in the corner, sulking. He did enjoy the presents and cake. Molly Weasley had made him a five-layer birthday cake, each a different flavour, and put five sparkling candles on the top. "This is the tradition in our family," she explained to Adriana, who was busy serving dishes of homemade ice cream.

"I think it's a wonderful tradition," Adriana replied politely.

"Yes, it's one of the advantages of being a stay at home mother-you get to do those sorts of things for your family," Molly added.

"I'm sure it is," Adriana replied tersely. Molly never seemed to have approved of her, or her parenting techniques, and seemed to point it out any chance she could. It took all her effort not to lob a bowl of ice cream at her head.

Teecie could sense the tension, and tried her best to diffuse it. "So…Molly…how long did it take to bake that?" she asked while grabbing a plate with a slice of orange cake on it.

"Oh, not too long, dear," Molly replied with a smile. "I could show you how to bake a cake sometime."

"Did you know that my mother makes the best baklava in the world?" Teecie asked, squeezing her hand lovingly. Adriana smiled gratefully to hear this. "Maybe the three of us could get together sometime and bake."

Molly smiled and nodded her head. "I'm sure that would be lovely, dear," she said dismissively.

As this conversation was going on, Lucius was talking with Hunter, who was sitting in a pile of his gifts, feasting on cake and ice cream. "So, Hunter, what do you think of all your presents?"

"They're great!" Hunter cried, eager to show them off. "I like this one," he said, holding up a hollow ceramic niffler with a slot down its back. "Grandpa Percy gave me this niffler bank, and he even gave me two whole galleons for it," he said, shaking the bank and listening to the clinking noises they made.

Lucius frowned, and reached into his pocket. He was not about to be outdone by a Weasley. He took five galleons out of his wallet, and dropped them into the niffler bank. "There you go," he said with a smile.

"Wow! That's like…lots of money!" Hunter exclaimed, unsure now of how rich he was. They hadn't gotten to addition yet in school.

Roo had been watching this as he ate his cake, and walked over to them. "Hey, grandfather, you can't give him money and not give me any too!" he said while sitting down and holding out his hand expectantly. "And I should get more because I'm older."

Lucius raised his eyebrows. "Oh you do, do you?" he asked while looking into his wallet. "Don't you think the fact that it's Hunter's birthday means he should get more?"

Before Roo could answer, Mel joined the group. "Are you giving away money, grandfather?" she asked eagerly. "Can I have some too?"

Some of the younger Weasley children heard this, and piped in with their requests as well. Lucius looked around at all the eager children, then back down at his wallet. There wasn't enough change for everyone, and he certainly didn't feel like giving all his hard-earned money away. "Actually…" he started, looking around for someone to bail him out. "I heard that Arthur has some money he was looking to give away…" With that, the group of children turned, en masse, and ran over to the Weasley patriarch. He, of course, couldn't turn them down, and ended up emptying his wallet that evening. Lucius watched this, and rolled his eyes at Arthur. No wonder the man was poor his whole life, no discipline whatsoever when it comes to money, he thought to himself.

The rest of the evening was peaceful. Hunter ate cake until he fell asleep, his head bobbing up and down into his empty plate.

The next morning, the wedding announcement appeared in the society column of the Daily Prophet. Lucius cringed while reading it, knowing he could expect another visit from his son over it.

_The Daily Prophet is happy to announce the marriage of Hogwarts Headmaster Severus Snape and Narcissa Malfoy, nee Black. They were married one week ago in Venice, Italy, where they are now spending their honeymoon. Mrs. Snape wore an evergreen dress with silver trimmings while the Headmaster wore black robes with green trimmings. Mrs. Snape had a bouquet of silver roses, and they exchanged entwining snake rings along with their vows._

_We here at the Daily Prophet wish them a most wonderful marriage. This of course, is a sad day for all those single witches out there trying to catch the eye of Britain's most eligible bachelor, but we won't begrudge him this. He deserves all the happiness in the world._

Lucius shook his head and sighed. Narcissa did deserve to be happy, but he couldn't help but feel insulted that she'd chosen Severus Snape. Things were awkward enough when Adriana invited him over, but now it would be unbearable. Snape always seemed to end up with what he'd had. It made him slightly nervous when he looked at Adriana as she walked into the kitchen to start breakfast. Would he try to steal her one day as well? At least she and Snape never gone too far in developing a relationship. They'd never done anything together that he should be concerned about.

Teecie woke up that morning and walked into the kitchen to see her parents reading the newspaper. Adriana was sitting on Lucius's lap, with her head resting on his shoulder. They were whispering quietly to one another, and Teecie didn't have the heart to interrupt them, so she quietly crept back to her room to leave them alone for a while longer.

She thought they'd be happy for Uncle Sev and Narcissa, but she couldn't tell by the way they were acting. Maybe they were still in shock over it. It had been rather sudden, at least if you didn't know they'd even been seeing one another.

Teecie had just opened her door to attempt to get some breakfast, when Lucius walked past her room, carrying Adriana, who was kissing his cheek and giggling, in his arms. They walked into their bedroom and slammed the door shut behind them. Teecie assumed they'd gotten over their shock of the wedding, and went on with her morning, trying to ignore what she knew her parents must be doing. Couldn't they control themselves more? They were adults, with one of their kids in the house, after all!

She was contemplating flooing to James's house to wish him a Happy Christmas, when her parents reemerged from their room. Both wore smiles on their faces, and looked relaxed and very much in love. "I take it you're staying home today?" she asked, her eyebrows raised quizzically.

"Yes. We've worked very hard and deserve a break," Adriana said. "We need the extra time to get ready for tomorrow anyway. The whole family is coming over, as usual."

The three spent the rest of the day cleaning and cooking for Christmas, and listening to Christmas songs. They were halfway through _It's a Wonderful Life_ that evening when their fireplace lit up with green light and Peter Weasley's head appeared.

"Adriana! Lucius! Reni's gone into labour and she refuses to go to hospital!" he shouted wildly before disappearing.

The three looked at each other, wide-eyed, for a minute before jumping up and rushing towards the fireplace. They took turns flooing over to Reni and Peter's house, and within a couple minutes, they were standing in their living room.

Adriana looked worried when she didn't see anybody in sight, and went to search the house. "They're in here!" she called out after a minute. Lucius and Teecie hurried down the hall, and found her in Peter and Reni's bedroom.

Reni was moaning and thrashing around in the bed. Peter was wringing his hands and looking bewildered over seeing his wife in such pain. Adriana approached her daughter, and sat down next to her on the bed. "Reni, how often are the pains coming?" she asked while putting her hands on Reni's shoulders.

"About every half hour," Reni groaned.

"And how long has it been going on for?"

"About a half hour."

Adriana rolled her eyes. "So you've had one contraction?" she asked carefully.

"Yes and it hurts like hell!"

"I understand that it hurts, Reni, but we have to wait until they come more frequently before we can do anything else."

Hunter ran into the room, looking frightened. "Is mummy ok?" he asked.

Peter walked over to him and gave him a hug. "Mummy's going to be just fine," he assured his son. "Why don't I put you to bed? You know that Father Christmas won't arrive until you're asleep."

Hunter broke away from his father long enough to run to Reni and throw his arms around her. "I love you, mummy," he whispered before kissing her cheek.

In a rare moment for Reni, she embraced her son, and held him for a minute. "I love you too," she whispered back. "Now go to bed."

Hunter went quietly with his father after that, leaving Reni alone in the bedroom with her parents. Lucius sat down in a chair while Teecie sat at the foot of the bed, trying to think of all she knew about childbirth. The contractions had to be more often for it to be real labour. And her water hadn't broken yet. Plus, she could also tell that Reni was just trolling for attention, which was so like her. It was amazing it hadn't happened more often before now, really.

Peter returned to the bedroom about fifteen minutes later, and Reni hadn't had any more contractions. She still moaned and writhed the entire time, though. She made sure to let everybody know that she was not happy, and that they should be grateful to her for enduring the pain of bringing another human life into the world. "I can't believe Severus isn't here," she whinged. "He should be here. He's going to miss the birth and it's all _your_ ex-wife's fault," she spat accusatorily at Lucius.

"Well, I think that this was just a false alarm," Adriana said after an hour with no more contractions. "It's pretty common for this to happen when you're reaching your due date." She stood up and walked to the door. "Why don't we leave you two alone and we'll see you tomorrow, all right?"

Lucius and Teecie stood up and joined Adriana. "Goodnight Renata, Peter," Lucius said before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him. "Why is she so difficult?" he hissed as they walked towards the fireplace.

"She's your daughter," Adriana replied tersely.

Once back home, Teecie tried to get her parents to finish the movie, but they were both too tired, so she watched it by herself before going to bed. She was just about to fall asleep when she was startled by a fluttering sound at her window. There was an owl with an envelope for her.

After opening the window and retrieving the letter, she settled back into her bed and looked at it. She knew who it was from even before opening it. She could tell it was James's handwriting on the outside of the envelope.

Inside the envelope was a Christmas tree-shaped card.

Merry Christmas to my beloved Ticia, I wish we could be together. Next year will be our first Christmas together, can you believe that? I can't. That will be the happiest Christmas ever.

Love,

James

Teecie grinned and reread the card several times before putting it under her pillow and falling asleep. The next morning, she read the card before getting up for the day.

"Merry Christmas!" she called out to her parents as they ate breakfast in the kitchen.

"Merry Christmas, love," Adriana said as she stood up to get her daughter a plate of food.

"Merry Christmas, Ticia," Lucius replied as he turned the page of the Daily Prophet.

"So do you think Reni will be good today? Or will she be a handful as usual?" Teecie asked while sitting down to eat.

"I've never known her to be particularly easy to manage," Adriana replied. "I doubt today will be any different."

Christmas started out like any other year, with Lucius, Adriana, and Teecie exchanging their gifts before cleaning the house for when guests arrived later that day. Adriana prepared the roast lamb dinner, Lucius took care of the barn and animals, and Teecie cleaned the house. She was finding it quite enjoyable to use magic for cleaning; it went much faster than doing it by hand.

She had just tidied up the living room when Draco, Tanith, and the children arrived. "Happy Christmas!" she cried while giving each of them a hug.

"Merry Christmas," Tanith replied as she walked to the Christmas tree to set down the gifts.

The children chattered and cried out as Lucius and Adriana came in to greet them with hugs and kisses. Kali and Paul showed up soon after them, adding to the chaos. Teecie was shocked and pleased to see her sister smile slightly when Draco wished her a Happy Christmas.

The pleasantries were interrupted when Reni, Peter, and Hunter arrived. They all seemed to be in less than joyful moods. Hunter immediately ran to the refuge of Adriana's arms. "Mummy is so mean, yiayia," he whispered angrily.

"Oh? What did she do?" Adriana whispered.

"She wouldn't let me eat my chocolate Father Christmas for breakfast and she wouldn't let me wear my Martin Miggs shirt today," Hunter explained. "And she yelled all morning long."

"Well that's too bad," Adriana replied with a frown. "Maybe the rest of the day will improve."

"Good luck with that," Peter muttered. "She's been like this since you left last night."

Reni was sitting in the middle of the sofa, whinging to anybody who'd pay attention to her, unaware that the conversation was taking place. When she caught Peter's eye, she frowned and narrowed her eyes at him. "Rub my ankles, Peter," she demanded shrilly. "They're so swollen I can't even stand."

Peter sighed and looked mournfully at Adriana for a moment before turning to his wife. "Yes dear," he replied as he walked over to her.

Teecie rolled her eyes while watching this, and hoped that she would behave better when she was pregnant some day.

When the room had settled down somewhat, they opened presents. Teecie got a set of medical encyclopedias from Draco and Tanith. Draco seemed fully supportive of her career path, wanting to help her in any way he could.

"Wow, these are amazing!" she exclaimed while looking through one. The pictures moved just like any other magical picture, and showed the functions of the body in clear detail.

Draco smiled smugly. "Of course they are," he replied, "I'd only buy the very best for you."

Teecie also received a healer's jacket from Kali and Paul, and a set of crystal vials from Peter and Reni. "Thanks everybody!" she called out with a grin.

"You're welcome!" Roo cried as he brandished the pirate sword and put on the eye patch that Lucius and Adriana had given him. "Father, can I be a pirate when I grow up?" he asked Draco. "Avast!"

"No you may not, son," Draco replied with a disapproving frown. "I'm sure you'll find running a business far more interesting than piracy."

Roo looked like he didn't believe anything could be more fun than being a pirate, but kept his mouth shut.

When the presents had all been opened, the kids played with their toys or read books while the adults talked. Things were peaceful for a while, until Roo decided to hit at Hunter's new train set with his pirate sword.

"Quit it Roo!" Hunter growled.

"I'm a pirate, you can't stop me," Roo taunted while knocking over the train.

"Uncle Draco, Roo's bothering me!" Hunter cried.

"Rouvin Black, leave your cousin alone," Draco barked.

Roo looked down at Hunter and stuck his tongue out. Hunter stuck his out in return and kicked his cousin in the shin. Roo winced, dropped his sword, and lunged at Hunter. Within seconds, the two were deeply embroiled in a wrestling match.

The two boys wrestled on the floor together for a few seconds before anybody reached them to break it up. Tanith reached down and grabbed Roo by the shoulder, pulling him off of Hunter.

"Rouvin Black, you know better than to behave like this in public," she admonished while pulling him over the sofa and sitting him down next to Draco, who was frowning. "And you shouldn't fight with Hunter; he's much smaller than you are. You could hurt him."

At the same time, Peter pulled Hunter up off the floor and knelt down in front of him. "Hunter Preston Weasley, you know better than to fight. What has gotten into you lately?" he demanded angrily.

Hunter was fuming from the melee, and couldn't control himself. "Roo hit my stuff!" he screamed while stomping his foot and flailing his arms about wildly. "It's my toy! Not his!" As he screamed, fiery red sparks shot out of his new train set. He immediately calmed down after that, and started to cry quietly.

Peter picked him up in his arms. "I think you need a lie down," he said.

"You can take him to my room," Teecie offered. Peter nodded his thanks and carried his sobbing son out of the room.

"It's not fair!" The room remained silent as they listened to Hunter's wails from the other room. The cries quieted down when Peter shut the door and returned to the living room.

"He's having so much trouble with the new baby," he said with an exhausted sigh. "He's been getting into fights at school and throwing tantrums on a daily basis. I just don't know how to help him."

"A good spanking ought to smarten him up," Reni spat. "He's been playing the brat for far too long now."

"Oh Renata, you don't need to strike children," Adriana chided. "He's feeling out of control right now, and unsure of his role in the family. He's convinced that you're replacing him."

"I don't know how to convince him otherwise," Peter said. "I just feel so horrible for him. When I was growing up, there was always another kid showing up, so you just got used to it. Maybe waiting so long was a mistake."

"He needs to be shown how special he is, apart from being somebody's older brother. Do something that helps strengthen his identity as an individual," Adriana said.

The two continued to talk while walking to the kitchen, so Peter could help Adriana with the meal. Everybody else remained sitting in the living room, talking amongst themselves.

An hour later, dinner was ready. Teecie went to her room to wake Hunter as everybody else walked into the dining room. The meal started off smoothly, and everybody enjoyed themselves and the food. Reni was unusually quiet, especially after having been so vocal earlier in the day. She didn't eat much food, and excused herself to use the restroom several times.

Adriana looked concerned, but didn't say anything. She returned to the kitchen to retrieve the pudding and brought it into the dining room. Reni pushed her dish away when her mother set it in front of her. "I'm not hungry," she murmured before wincing and clutching her stomach. "Oh, I don't feel too good," she cried.

"What's the matter?" Peter asked, leaning over to take her hand.

"I…I…oooh!" she groaned while clutching her husband's hand tightly. "I think…I think…" she was breathless from the pain, and clutching her stomach.

Adriana put her hand on her daughter's stomach and frowned. "It's definitely dropped," she said while standing up and taking Reni by the elbow. "Come on, let's get you comfortable." They walked slowly to Lucius and Adriana's bedroom, Reni doubling over with contractions every minute or so. Peter followed closely behind, closing the door behind him.

Draco jumped up and headed towards the fireplace. "I'll get the midwife," he said.

Teecie ran for the encyclopedia volume explaining childbirth, wishing to be able to assist the midwife. She put on her healer's jacket, and hoped she would make a good impression on her.

Adriana's head popped out of the bedroom door. "Draco, tell the midwife Reni's water just broke!" she cried before slamming the door shut.

Lucius was busy boiling water, gathering towels, and trying to be useful, and attempting to not think about the state of his bed, when the midwife arrived. He showed her to the room, while Teecie followed behind.

Hunter was upset to see his mother in pain, and at being left out, and began to cry again. Paul picked him up and took him to the living room to comfort him.

"This could take hours," Draco said to Tanith as she was busy clearing the dinner table. "Maybe we should go back to the Manor and wait for the news."

When the dining room was clean, the Blacks returned to their home. Kali and Paul stayed with Hunter, who thoroughly enjoyed having their full attention.

As Paul taught Hunter the finer points of Quidditch, Reni was being poked and prodded, and was very unhappy about it. Lucius, feeling more than a little uncomfortable, made a hasty retreat and joined the others in the living room. He hadn't had an option about helping when Hunter had been born, but he had one now, and was very happy to have it.

Teecie stood next to the midwife, trying to take in all she could. Reni was making it really difficult to concentrate, though. She was moaning nonstop about needing pain potions. The midwife took a few vials out of her bag and poured small amounts of each one into a glass before handing it to Reni. "Drink this and the pain should go away in a minute," she instructed.

Teecie looked at the vials and noted the ingredients so she could talk to her class about them when she returned to school. They seemed to work, for Reni calmed down and settled into the pillows more. Peter fussed around her, trying to make her as comfortable as possible.

The midwife showed Teecie how to measure Reni's dilation. She found it fascinating, and couldn't wait to share the whole experience with her classmates. "She's almost there, eight centimetres," she announced after a minute.

"It won't be long now," the midwife said. "Maybe another hour or so. Now that you're not in pain, you might try walking around a little bit, it usually helps."

Peter and Adriana helped Reni out of the bed, and took her out to walk up and down the hallway. Teecie stayed behind with the midwife and peppered her with questions about childbirth. She also informed her of her extensive experience with hippogriff births.

Hunter ran over and joined his parents in the walk up and down the hallway. "Mummy are you OK?" he asked worriedly.

"Yes Hunter, your mother is fine," Peter said. "She's getting ready to have the baby."

Hunter bit his lip. "Is the baby going to sleep in my room tonight?" he asked.

"No, the baby will stay in our room after it's born."

"So I'll be all by myself? And you'll all be together?"

"For a while, but then the baby will have its own room."

"Maybe I can sleep in yiayia and grandfather's room."

"No, I think we should be together as a family."

"Then maybe I can sleep in your room too?"

"Maybe, we'll see. First I need to help your mum, all right?"

"All right, I guess."

Hunter ran back into the living room and joined Lucius at the computer, who was searching for new mattresses.

A few minutes later, Reni, Adriana, and Peter returned to the bedroom to see how far Reni had progressed. She had dilated one more centimetre, but the midwife told her to remain on the bed until she was ready.

Reni was beginning to fuss again. Even though she wasn't feeling great pain, she could still feel the sensation of the contraction, and it was far from pleasant. "Peter," she moaned as her legs began to shake.

"It's all right, honey, I'm here," Peter said while putting his arms around her and kissing her cheek. "You're doing a great job."

Adriana helped Reni change into a nightshirt and get settled back into the bed. The midwife examined her one last time and announced that she was ready to start pushing. "Why don't your mother and your husband sit on either side of you, holding you up while you push? Miss Orendes here can assist me," she said.

When everybody was in their assigned position, Reni began to push. She pushed for a long time with very little progress. After an hour and a half of pushing, the baby had only moved down a few inches. "Keep on trying, Reni," Teecie cried excitedly. "I think I can see something."

"Oh, you keep trying!" Reni yelled. "I'm finished! Can't you apparate this thing out of me?" She threw herself back into Peter and Adriana's arms, exhausted. "I quit."

"Don't quit now Mrs. Weasley, you're doing just fine," the midwife said. "Just take a little break and regain your strength. This baby will be born very soon."

After a short time, Reni sat back up and returned to pushing. It took another hour of pushing before Teecie could clearly see something. "I see the head!" she shrieked, "It's got red hair!"

Peter grinned and squeezed Reni's hand. "You're doing great!" he said while kissing her head. "You're almost there."

The head emerged in a few more pushes, then the shoulders. When those were free, the midwife told Reni to stop pushing, and reached down to support the baby's head and ease it the rest of the way out. "Now Miss Orendes, get ready with the towel and carefully take the baby to the table and I'll help you momentarily," she instructed.

Teecie grabbed the towel next to them on the bed and held her arms out as the midwife gently placed the baby in her arms. "It's a boy!" she called out as Teecie rushed over to the table.

Everybody cheered and Adriana burst into tears while hugging Reni. Reni lay back in the bed, exhausted and triumphant. "Let me see my son!" she cried as the midwife and Teecie cleaned him off and cleared his airways. Soon he was screaming loudly, and it was the greatest sound any of them had heard in a long time.

Reni had just taken her son in her arms when the door opened and the rest of the people in the house poured inside the room. "I wanna see!" Hunter bellowed over the screams as he ran up onto the bed. Peter helped him over to look down at his brother. "He's all red," he said with a wrinkled nose.

"Well he just did a lot of work," Peter said with a grin. "Being born isn't easy, you know." He gave Hunter a squeeze and reached out to touch his newly-born son.

"Have you two been thinking about names yet?" Lucius asked while looking approvingly over his newest grandchild.

"We had a few in mind, but I don't know what Reni thinks," Peter replied. "What do you say, honey?"

"I think Jaron suits him," she said with a smile while cradling her son.

"I like that name too," Peter agreed. "Welcome to the family, Jaron."

Author's Note: A "chippie" is a fish and chip shop in Britain.


	101. Life Moves Pretty Fast

Life Moves Pretty Fast

Jaron spent his first night in the world in Lucius and Adriana's bed with his mother, father, and brother. Hunter insisted on staying with them, snuggling down into Peter's arms, and falling asleep while his mother was feeding his brother. Adriana had cleaned the bed, but Lucius still insisted on buying a new mattress when his daughter and her family returned to their own home in a day or two.

"Where are we going to sleep in the meantime?" Adriana asked as she sat down on the sofa next to Lucius after their guests had fallen asleep.

"A hotel," Lucius said while standing up and taking her by the hand. "Let's go."

"What about me?" Teecie asked. "Where am I going to sleep?"

"Your bed is unoccupied, so you can sleep there," Adriana said.

Teecie was about to protest when she realized that her parents would be gone for the night, and James was just a floo call away. "Oh fine, leave me all alone with them then," she grumbled.

As soon as her parents had left the house, Teecie ran to the fireplace and invited James over. James quickly came over to her house, grinning madly. "Mum and father went away for the night too, and Peter has Gabriella over and wants to be alone with her, if you know what I mean. Mum and dad don't have a clue of course, so this is perfect. I put pillows on my bed and left a spell on my room to make it sound like I'm snoring if they try to check on me when they get back tonight. It's fool-proof," he explained as Teecie pulled him into her bedroom and shut the door.

"Oh James I've missed you," Teecie said while sitting down on her bed and taking his Christmas card from under her pillow and showing it to him. "I read it over and over last night."

James sat down next to her and kissed her. "I missed you too," he whispered as they lay back on her bed.

The next morning, James managed to sneak back to his house undetected by anybody at the property. Teecie was in a very good mood as she made breakfast for her family.

Hunter ran out of his grandparents' bedroom excitedly. "Morning Teecie! Guess what, I'm a big brother now!" he cried while hopping around the room uncontrollably. "And I'm going to show Jaron all my trains and toys!"

Teecie looked at her nephew in amazement. "I'm happy to hear that you're so excited about Jaron," she said while handing him a plate of eggs and bacon.

"Of course I am. Big brothers are the coolest in the world," Hunter replied. "Uncle Paul told me so yesterday. He told me all about how cool my daddy was when they were growing up and he was Uncle Paul's big brother. My daddy is the best person in the world."

"I see, so you want to be just like your father?"

"Yes I want to do everything he does."

Peter walked into the room at this time, wearing a dazed smile on his face. "I can't believe Reni gave birth last night," he said while taking the plate of food from Teecie. "I can't believe I'm a father-again!"

"But you were my daddy first, remember?" Hunter asked, looking nervous.

"Yes, I was your dad first," Peter said before kissing the top of Hunter's head. "You'll always be my oldest son." He took the plate into the bedroom and came back several minutes later without a plate, but with a small bundle in his arms instead. "Giving Reni a break so she can eat. Apparently she's starving."

"Ohh, let me see him," Teecie said while walking over to him. Peter put him in her arms, and she squealed. "He's so tiny and adorable," she breathed. Jaron had a pointed nose, a delicate bright red mouth, and tufts of red hair sticking up, straight as an arrow. She was excited that it didn't take a long time to get to hold him. It had taken forever for her turn to hold Hunter after he'd been born.

Peter and Hunter ate their food while Teecie continued to gaze at the nephew in her arms. She couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to hold her own child in her arms one day. Would her son or daughter have red hair like hers or brown like James's? Would he or she be as tiny as this baby was?

Before she could sink any deeper into her fantasy, she was interrupted by Reni bellowing from the bedroom. "Where's my baby!" she shrieked. "Bring him back!" Apparently her maternal instincts were kicking in. Teecie walked Jaron back into the bedroom and to his mother's waiting arms. "Took you long enough," Reni said while thrusting her empty breakfast plate at her sister.

Teecie took the plate and sat down on the bed next to Reni. "He really is adorable," she said with a smile.

Reni beamed and looked down at Jaron. "I do have the prettiest genes of the family, don't I?" she said. "He has my nose, and he is handsome even if he isn't blonde." Jaron began to squeal and squirm in his mother's arms. "Oh, he needs to be fed. Get out," she continued while moving to open up her nightgown. Teecie frowned before standing up and leaving the room, making sure to shut the door behind her.

Lucius and Adriana didn't return home until late that morning. "We stopped to purchase a new mattress," Adriana explained. "How did things go last night?"

"Just fine. It was pretty quiet," Teecie replied.

"That's good to hear," Adriana said. "So the baby didn't keep you and James up all night?"

Teecie flushed and quickly turned towards the sink to rinse dishes. "James?" she asked.

Adriana waved her hands dismissively. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble," she assured her. "I just assumed that when the cats were away…you know…"

The conversation ended abruptly when Lucius walked into the room. "Did you sleep well last night, dad?" Teecie asked quickly.

Lucius looked at Adriana and grinned. "What little sleep I managed to get was very refreshing," he finally replied.

"Oh? You didn't get much sleep? That's not good," Teecie said with a concerned look on her face.

"Don't worry, I'll live," he reassured his daughter. "Maybe I'll have a lie down on the sofa later on."

Teecie watched as her parents interacted with one another throughout the day. They were both very affectionate towards one another. Adriana seemed almost clingy with Lucius, never seeming to leave his side for more than a few minutes. Lucius appeared fine with this, and was unable to keep his hands off of her. Had their engagement done this to them?

The only time they weren't climbing all over each other, was when either of them was holding Jaron. Adriana didn't appear quite as crazed with Jaron as she had with Hunter, which was a relief. Lucius seemed relieved as well. Teecie assumed they must have resolved their baby issues before now.

Reni and her family returned to their home the next morning. James had spent the night again, and had to hide in Teecie's bedroom until they'd left before making his escape. It was lucky, for Teecie's parents arrived home just moments later. They had spent another night at the hotel, and brought their new mattress back with them. They promptly took the mattress into the bedroom. A moment later, Teecie had to duck out of the way as the old mattress went zipping past her on its way out the kitchen door and into the backyard.

The bedroom door was shut when she knocked on it a while later. "Do you want me to start some tea for you?" she called out to them.

"Uh…no dear, that's fine," Lucius replied hurriedly. "Your mother and I are just making the bed and getting the mattress situated. We'll be out in a while."

She only stood there for a second or two before hearing her mother moan loudly. Teecie gasped and clapped her hands over her ears. They weren't making the bed! She was utterly horrified, and could barely take her hand off her ear long enough to grab her wand out of her pocket and cast a silencing spell over the room. With a grimace, she ran back into the kitchen, hoping she could forget what she'd just heard.

While she was frantically sweeping the floor, she had a realization of what her brother must have felt like when he'd walked in on her and Owen on her fourteenth birthday. She felt the sudden urge to apologize to him for that.

A couple hours had past, and Teecie was in the middle of a floo call with Paige when her parents finally reemerged from their bedroom. Lucius set a plate with a grilled cheese sandwich on the floor next to her so she could eat and keep talking at the same time.

Paige was excited to hear about Jaron. "I can't wait to meet my nephew!" she squealed happily. "I think they're coming over tonight or tomorrow. Grandma Molly is super excited. Jaron is her first official great grandchild. She's sure to spoil him rotten, but she also spoils Hunter too, so that's nothing new."

Patty joined the conversation as well, and soon they were all discussing the latest thing Daniel had done to ruin Patty's life.

"He was talking about marriage again! Can you believe it?" she cried indignantly. "He's just determined to marry me."

"So if he asks you, you'd say no?" Teecie asked.

Patty bit her lip and shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno," she mumbled before quickly changing the subject back to Jaron.

The three girls talked for another hour before Percy shooed them away. "I'm waiting to hear from your brother," he informed them. "You can get caught up on all your gossip on the train back to school in a few days."

Teecie spent the rest of the holiday reading her encyclopedias and keeping house while her parents worked at the honey shop. When it was time to return to school, she was more than ready to go. She hadn't seen James or her friends in several days, and missed them.

Mel and Liss joined the older kids in their compartment on the train. The girls spent the entire ride chattering about Jaron and babies. Daniel and James sat silently with their eyes glazed over, trying to maintain their sanity as best they could.

In the middle of the discussion about the smallness of Jaron's fingers and toes, Daniel clasped his hands to his chest and giggled, trying to sound like a girl. "Oh James!" he cried in a high-pitched voice. "You should have seen the size of the Snitch I caught the other day during practice. It was so adorable!"

James grinned and joined in with his own falsetto. "Was it super cute? With little tiny wings and everything?" he cried. When Daniel nodded his head, both boys sighed in unison. "Awww!"

As the girls glared at them, Daniel grinned again. "James, if I ever do that for real, will you promise to Avada Kedavra me?" he asked.

"Sure thing, mate," James replied, "But you have to promise the same thing for me."

"What are mates for?" Daniel promised.

Teecie rolled her eyes at James. "James, you'll feel the same way when you have a baby one day," she replied.

James blushed and frowned. "No I won't," he said sullenly. "And stop talking about babies already!" With that, he jumped up and tapped Daniel on the shoulder. "Come on, let's get out of here. Too much girliness in here." Daniel jumped up and quickly followed him out of the room, leaving the girls in peace to continue their baby talk.

When they left the train in Hogsmeade and boarded the awaiting carriages, Liss and Mel confided in Teecie. "Father is still very upset with Uncle Sev," Liss said in little more than a whisper.

"He's been grumbling about it the entire holiday," Mel added.

"Hopefully that won't lead to any trouble," Teecie said.

They all sat together at the Gryffindor table that night at dinner and watched the professor's table the entire time. The whole school was buzzing about the wedding and Snape was congratulated throughout the evening by students and the other professors.

Draco was silent, but fuming during dinner. Teecie could tell he was not doing well. He kept shooting dirty looks at Uncle Sev, who was in turn, doing his best to ignore the praise he was receiving. Teecie wanted to go talk to him about the wedding, but knew she couldn't when her brother was so close. Perhaps sometime in his office she could speak to him about it.

There were no incidents during the meal, and the students returned to their common rooms when they'd finished eating. Teecie and James snogged on the sofa for about an hour before parting and going up to their dormitories.

The next morning, Draco wasn't at breakfast. Liss and Mel joined Teecie at the Gryffindor table once again. Mel was eating her porridge in dainty sips when Jamie Potter-Weasley plopped down beside her.

"So, are you still mad at me?" he asked cautiously.

Mel scowled at him. "Yes I am, _Potter_," she replied emphatically. "You don't see that what you did was wrong, so I'm still upset with you."

"Oh come on, it was just for fun," Jamie said while holding out his hand. "Let's be friends again."

Mel frowned and slapped his hand away. "No way!"

Jamie frowned and folded his arms. "Fine, be that way. See if I care." With that, he stood up and stormed off to the other side of the table.

"What's wrong, Mel?" Teecie asked cautiously.

"That boy and his brother teased my friends during our flying lesson just before the holidays and he flew past one of them so fast that she fell off her broom and hurt herself. And he thought it was so funny," Mel explained angrily. "He's such a showoff! Father was absolutely right about him."

"So you're going to hate him forever?" Teecie asked casually.

"Yes, or until he realizes why he was wrong. Which will probably never happen because he's too thick-headed."

"But don't you want to be his friend still? Maybe you should forgive him this time," Teecie suggested.

Mel looked towards where Jamie was sitting at the far end of the table with a group of his friends. Jamie laughed loudly and gestured grandly with his hands. She scowled and shook her head. "No, he has to be sorry first," she replied.

Teecie didn't push her niece any further, knowing it would do no good. She went off to classes with a smile on her face, remembering what it was like to be angry at the boy she loved.

Her schoolwork picked up immediately that day. There was the feeling that the seventh years were racing towards the end of the finish line, and they were beginning to sprint the last lap of the track.

By the end of the first day, she and her fellow seventh years were exhausted and needed to relax. As Teecie was leaving the library to go up to her dormitory, Tristan Blake, a Ravenclaw in her year and a noted lothario, caught her by the hand.

"Hey Teecie," he said with a grin before kissing her cheek. "What do you say we go back to my dormitory and have a little fun? It'll be like old times."

Teecie flushed and gently pushed Tristan away from her. "No thanks, Tristan, I'm back together with James now," she replied.

"Oh come on, Teecie, that didn't stop you last year. I remember you were seeing that Hufflepuff guy and a few others besides me at the same time," Tristan replied. "I'll give you my signature magic massage again. You loved that, remember?"

Teecie's flush deepened at the reminder of her wantonness the previous year. Tristan had been absolutely right. She recalled with shame a time when she had gone from his dormitory down to Chet's in the same evening. She'd thought neither boy had realized it, but they must have swapped stories somewhere along the way.

"No Tristan, James and I are exclusive," she finally replied.

Tristan sighed. "All right, but you're missing out on a fun night," he said. "I remember you were loads of fun…"

"I'm flattered, but I really must go now. Good night." With that, she turned and quickly walked back to the Gryffindor common room. She threw herself into her newest Defense Against the Dark Arts essay to try and forget about the conversation that had just taken place.

The next day, she went to tea with Uncle Sev after classes. She hoped it would continue to keep her mind off her growing feelings of shame and guilt.

"So…how are you doing, Uncle Sev?" she asked casually. "How is Aunt Narcissa?"

Snape sniffed and sipped his tea. "Both she and I are well," he replied quickly.

"We were surprised to hear about the wedding," Teecie continued. "I wish I could have been there."

"We both felt it was for the best if just the two of us were present. There was no call for any fuss to be made, and there would have been plenty of that had your family been involved."

"Did you at least take pictures?"

"There are a few pictures, yes." Snape reached into his desk and pulled out a framed photograph. He handed it to Teecie, who took it eagerly.

The Snape and Narcissa in the picture stood stock-still, side-by-side. Narcissa was holding her bouquet of silver roses and looking straight ahead. Snape held his head high and had his hands at his sides.

""I thought you would have a magical picture taken," she murmured with a frown.

"It is a magical photograph," Snape replied with a furrowed brow.

Teecie smiled and handed it back to him. "It's a lovely picture. You seem very…happy…in it."

Snape sniffed again and put the photograph back in his desk. "It was a most satisfying experience."

"I hope my wedding is satisfying too," Teecie replied. "You and Aunt Narcissa are going to be invited of course."

"I am sure we will attend." They drank their tea in silence for a while after that. A minute later, Snape spoke again. "Hopefully your brother will be speaking to me by that time."

"I'm sure he will be. Maybe you should try to talk to him now."

"Perhaps." Snape looked thoughtful for a moment before draining his cup.

A few days later, Teecie noticed Narcissa walking through the hallway up to Uncle Sev's office. She had a large silver paper-wrapped box with a green bow on the top, in her arms. Teecie remembered with a jolt that it was Uncle Sev's birthday. There was no time to buy a present, so she made sure to wish him a Happy Birthday that night at dinner.

A visit to Draco's office that evening revealed to her that Narcissa had also visited him. "How are you doing?" Teecie asked her brother. "I know this has been really hard for you lately."

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "Mother assured me of her happiness," he admitted. "She swore to me that it was her choice to marry."

"Well that's good, isn't it? Now you don't have to be upset anymore."

"If your parents ran off and got married without telling you, don't you think you'd be a little upset?"

Teecie bit her lip. He did have a point. She'd have been terribly hurt if her parents had done that to her.

"My mother is important to me, Ticia. I care very much for her, and when she makes a major life decision, I should be a part of it. As the head of the family, I should have been consulted."

"I suppose they should have," Teecie conceded. "Uncle Sev probably should have asked for your permission, but it wouldn't have changed the outcome, would it? Either you'd have said yes and they'd have been married, or you'd have said no, and they'd do exactly as they did. It both ends with them being married."

Draco looked quizzically at her for a minute without speaking. "When did you become so wise?" he finally asked plaintively.

Teecie grinned and shrugged. "I'm going to be a healer, it's about time I started being wise," she replied lightly.

Draco chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Go on, get out of here before you miss curfew," he said lightly.

"Will you make up with Uncle Sev?"

"I'll think about it."

Teecie threw her arms around her brother's neck and kissed his cheek. "Goodnight," she said before running out of the room.

Draco seemed to have calmed down a bit after that, even though he never spoke with Snape, at least not in public.

Teecie was soon distracted, though, for the Ministry of Magic announced its next event for the Jubilee celebration.

"The Eira Festival-a winter celebration," James read from a flyer. "This should be fun! There's going to be snowball fights, ice skating, an ice sculpture contest, and loads of other stuff!"

Teecie grinned while looking at the flyer. "There's going to be a winter cooking contest and a fashion design contest," she added. "This will be fun!"

"And it's on my birthday too!" James pointed out. "I have to win a contest on my birthday."

They spent the rest of the day together planning out what contests to enter. James remembered hearing at dinner that Travers was planning on entering the ice sculpting contest. James decided he needed to enter it too.

"What will you make?" Teecie asked.

"Not sure yet, but I'll think of something." He had been trying to think of the best way to propose to Teecie, since he'd made his last payment for the engagement ring a few weeks ago. He thought maybe he could make some sort of sculpture for her. Of course, he had to muster up the courage to ask her father's permission first. Hopefully he'd manage that before the festival.

The entire school was excited over the Eira festival. Kids were busy choosing the events they'd enter during meals, and talking about it in the halls between classes.

Teecie was unsure of the athletic events, but decided the cooking contest would be fun. "I just have to think of a good winter recipe," she said to Patty and Paige one night in their dormitory.

"I think I might do the fashion contest," Paige added.

"I'm definitely doing the snowball fight, and probably the ice skating too," Patty said.

Teecie spent a few days thinking about what to make for the cooking contest. She received a letter from her mother saying she'd be entering her baklava in the contest. "Your father thinks it would be a good way to promote the honey to the Wizarding world," she wrote. "He's thinking about opening up a second shop in Hogsmeade, or at least getting Honeydukes to sell his products."

In the end, Teecie decided to create a hearty winter soup for the contest. The house elves had set aside part of the kitchens for students to use for testing and making their recipes. She spent two Saturday afternoons experimenting. It was a lot like creating potions, she decided. Different amounts of ingredients affected the entire product, either for good or bad.

James enjoyed being her taste tester. He ate bowl after bowl of her soups, giving her honest feedback for her to use. "This is the best one yet!" he declared while using his spoon to point at his empty bowl. "Can I have more?"

Teecie knew this was the right recipe because this was the first time he'd asked for seconds. She filled his bowl again and gave him a kiss.

She was in such a good mood that she managed to ignore Roxanne's taunts that night at dinner. "You're entering the cooking contest?" she scoffed while standing behind Teecie at the Gryffindor table. "Cooking is for Hufflepuffs and poor people." She left in a snit a minute later, though, when nobody paid any attention to her.

As the Eira Festival drew nearer, James grew more and more agitated. He couldn't think of anything to sculpt, and he still hadn't mustered the courage to ask Lucius Malfoy for his permission to marry Teecie. He could barely manage to even be around Teecie, for whenever he saw her, his heart would start to pound uncontrollably and he couldn't talk to her about it.

He had almost decided to return his ring to the shop and abandon any idea of proposing to Teecie, when he ran into Lucius Malfoy one afternoon after study hall. It was so sudden he didn't have time to run away.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Lupin," Lucius said curtly. "I was just in Hogsmeade looking at retail space and thought I'd stop by the school to speak with my son. Do you know where he is at this time?"

James looked up at Lucius with wide eyes, stammering incoherently.

Lucius frowned. "Have you seen him?" he asked.

James took a deep breath and spoke the first words that popped into his head. "I have a ring-I bought it with my own money; I love Teecie, and I want to marry her," he blurted out loudly.

Lucius looked down at James with raised eyebrows. He'd been wondering when this moment would come. He quite enjoyed watching Lupin squirming nervously in front of him and decided to prolong the discussion.

"_You_ want to marry _my_ daughter?" he asked coldly. "Ticia is my youngest daughter, and she is very precious to me. I wouldn't want a boy who was unworthy of her to win her hand in marriage."

James took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. "I love Ticia and I will make sure she's safe and happy all her life because I love her," he proudly declared.

"What sort of career do you plan on having?"

"I'm going to become a teacher, like my father."

"And will you be able to support Ticia in her endeavours to become a healer?"

"Yes, I'll do everything I can to help her. I want her to be happy."

"And will you be able to provide Ticia with the level of comfort that she is currently accustomed to?"

James faltered for a moment. He'd never be wealthy like Teecie's parents, and as a teacher, could never lavish her with riches, but he also knew that she wouldn't care in the least. "We will work together to build a life we'll both be proud of," he finally said confidently, looking Lucius directly in the eyes.

Lucius returned the gaze for a long while before nodding his head slightly. "I am pleased to hear that, Mr. Lupin," he replied, "I would hate to think my daughter had married a lazy or unambitious man. I am sure the two of you will create a life that we shall all be proud of."

James looked at Lucius with confusion. "So…it's OK?" he asked cautiously.

Lucius rolled his eyes. "Yes, since you need it spelled out: You may marry Ticia," he replied as though he was making a great personal sacrifice.

James grinned and clapped his hands together. "All right!" he cried. "Thanks a million, Mr. Malfoy! Now I just need to figure out how to ask her."

"Yes, well, you'll have to figure that out on your own," Lucius replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must speak with my son." He turned and walked towards the dungeons, leaving James feeling light-headed and invigorated.

As James was busy facing his biggest fear since the boggart he'd encountered in his second year, Teecie was in the Hospital wing helping with a major medical emergency.

"I have horns!" Mel screeched while looking into a mirror at the orange and fuchsia-striped horns sprouting out of her forehead. "What if they messed up the spell? What if I have to look like this forever? It could be just like Adriana's potion that got spilled on her."

"I'm sure this is easily fixed," Teecie reassured her niece while trying to keep a straight face. "What did they do? Did you hear the spell they used?"

"No, Jamie and Arthur were laughing too hard."

Teecie looked through a couple of books and consulted with Master Wilkes to figure out what to do. "A simple shrinking solution will work to get the horns small enough to use a dissolving potion to get rid of them entirely. Because it's solid bone, you'll need to give her a dose of pain reliever before you do anything else," he said. "Would you like me to assist?"

Teecie bit her lip and glanced across the room at Mel. "Maybe you can just sit by and watch me?" she asked. "You know, just in case?" Wilkes nodded and walked over to talk with Mel while Teecie gathered the potions she'd need to treat her niece.

When she'd put all the vials on the work station next to Mel's bed, she took a deep breath and slowly picked up the vial of pain medicine. She held it out to Mel. "Drink this, it should work instantly," she instructed.

Mel swallowed the contents of the vial, and held onto the empty glass tightly while waiting for her treatment.

Teecie picked up the bottle with the shrinking solution, and filled an eyedropper with it. She put a few drops on each horn, and stood back to watch as they immediately shrunk down to little nubbins. When they stopped shrinking, she took the vial of dissolving solution and put several drops on each one. They began to steam, and evaporated from Mel's forehead.

"Luckily they don't go any further than the skull's surface, but you will need to use a skin regeneration spell to cover up the holes that have been left behind," Wilkes said after examining Mel's head.

Teecie took out her wand and held it to the first hole. "Corium Augmentum," she said clearly. A fresh layer of new pink skin grew over the hole. She smiled before quickly doing the same to the next one.

"The skin will go back to normal colour by tomorrow," she assured Mel as the younger girl gazed apprehensively in the mirror.

"Oh thank you, Auntie!" Mel cried while throwing her arms around Teecie's shoulders. "Now I can go tear Jamie and Arthur's heads off."

"I think you should rest until supper, Miss Black," Wilkes said. "You'll have plenty of time for tearing heads tomorrow."

It turned out that there would only be one head to tear, because Arthur apologized to Mel during dinner, and ended up eating pudding with her.

Teecie enjoyed telling Patty, Paige, and James about her healing job during dinner that night. They all seemed impressed that she'd done it all on her own. James seemed ecstatic in fact. He hugged her several times that evening, and had a grin on his face that nothing seemed to be able to displace.

"James, what's gotten into you today?" Teecie asked while he led her by the hand up to their hidden room.

"I'm just in a great mood is all," he declared as they entered the room and quickly ran up the stairs to their bed. "Life is going pretty good for us lately, don't you think?" He gently pushed her down onto the bed and promptly freed her of her clothing.

"Life is wonderful," Teecie agreed with a smile as James took his own clothes off and threw himself on top of her. Neither of them could stop smiling the entire night.

The next morning, as James looked down at Teecie, who was still asleep in his arms, he knew what he wanted to sculpt for the Eira Festival. If he did it right, he might win more than just the contest.

A/N: The chapter title is taken from a line in the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off. People who have seen the movie might even be able to pick out the subtle reference to the movie in this chapter.


	102. Looking Towards the Future

Looking Towards the Future

The day before the Eira Festival, the students were abuzz with excitement. They were busy talking about the contests they'd be entering, and wondering what the weather would be like. "I hope it snows just a little, because it'll look so pretty," Paige said while sketching out the winter coat she'd been working on all week.

"I'd hate for it to snow too much," Teecie added. "A blizzard would ruin everything!"

She stayed up late that night, preparing the vegetables for her soup. She was nervous for how she'd do in the competition, especially knowing that her mother would be entering the contest as well. It was nothing, though, compared to the angst James was enduring.

James was up late into the night working on the sketches for his sculpture. His idea was very simple; he wanted to sculpt his proposal to Teecie. He'd make himself down on one knee, holding out the ring to Teecie, who'd look down at him with a look of shock on her face. The only problem was- James didn't really have any artistic talent. In fact, he couldn't really figure out why he'd decided to enter in the first place. Travers would most likely win, which would just humiliate James in public and in front of Teecie.

Zeren had been talking all week about his grand plan to sculpt a dragon that breathed icy fire. The dragon would be green and life-sized of course. He and James had exchanged words at one point in time.

"I sure hope it's not so realistic that it tries to eat you, Travers," James said with a frown as he passed by Zeren after Charms class earlier in the week.

"Why Lupin? Would you miss me?" Zeren asked casually.

"Oh, I'd cry into my soup every night," James sneered.

"I never realized you cared so much. I mean, I know Ticia would be devastated," Zeren replied coolly.

"Teecie wouldn't even notice if something happened to you. I keep her too well satisfied to pay any attention to you."

"Well that's good that you've finally learned to. I always knew she ran to me because you were a lousy lover, so that's a good thing that you've improved. It would be exhausting to be married one day and have to take her on as a mistress because you couldn't keep her satisfied. I'd do it of course, what with my generous nature, but I'd be exhausted. Ticia is quite a handful, if you know what I mean."

Zeren's look of superiority nearly sent James over the edge, but somehow he'd managed to stay in control. He reminded himself that Zeren was dealing with his jealousy of him by lashing out.

James smirked and looked at Zeren. "That's a good one," he replied lightly, "I'll make sure to tell Teecie you said all that about her tonight. You know, after I'm done making sweet love to her."

Zeren's eyes narrowed. "Whatever," he replied. "I have to get to my next class. Potions with Ticia. You have fun in remedial Muggle Studies or whatever you're taking to become a nursery school teacher. I have to say, that's right at your mental level, so that ought to be the perfect career for you." He walked off in a huff, relishing the fact that he'd gotten the last word.

James had been more determined than ever to beat Travers at the ice sculpting contest after that confrontation. He'd worked with his brother Peter to make some more sketches to work from.

"I can't believe you're going to propose to her at the festival," Peter said while shaking his head wondrously. "You are crazy."

"You'd better not tell anybody," James growled. "If Teecie finds out before I ask, it'll ruin my life!"

"Relax bro, your secret is safe with me." Peter wasn't about to upset James, because James knew way too much about him. He'd be grounded for months if his parents found out half the stuff he and Gabriella had gotten up to over the last couple years. They still didn't know about the time she'd spent the night with him in the tree house in the backyard last summer, or when they'd snuck into Knockturn Alley in their third year and gotten tattoos of each other's initials on their backsides. He didn't want his parents to know that for a long time—if ever.

When James was finished, he and Peter talked about how best to do the carving. Peter offered to assist him, knowing James would never be able to do it himself. James happily accepted his help.

On Saturday, the students were nearly uncontrollable. Professor Weasley had to quiet them down twice during breakfast so she could explain how the festival and contests would work. Everybody would work on their contest entries for a few hours before the judging began. Students could enjoy the festival during and after the judging.

James was so nervous that he could barely eat anything, nor could he talk to Teecie about it. He sat with Peter, discussing quietly what he was going to do. Peter reminded him of the best way to hold his wand in order to make the finest details in the ice.

"Make sure to be delicate with it," Peter advised. "The ice is hard, but not completely forgiving."

James nodded his head, trying to remember everything.

Teecie wasn't very nervous about the cooking contest, because she didn't really care if she won or lost. She was, however, looking forward to seeing her parents. She wondered how Adriana and her baklava would do.

Once she'd finished eating, she kissed James goodbye, and headed down to the kitchens with the other students who were entering the cooking contest. They were going to cook it there and take it to the judges' tent later on.

As Teecie was busy creating her masterpiece soup, James was struggling with a gigantic slab of ice. He had three hours to create his work of art. Unfortunately, Zeren, who was right next to him, didn't seem to have any problems carving ice. His dragon was coming along nicely, and it already looked rather impressive.

James looked back at his piece, which was little more than two large lumps, and felt his confidence fall. He couldn't let Travers beat him, not on his birthday!

Remus stopped by to see how his son was doing, and tilted his head when he saw the sculpture. "So, James…what exactly will you be making?" he finally asked.

James bit his lip for a moment before answering. "It's sort of a surprise," he replied quietly.

"I see," Remus said with a nod of his head. "Well, keep up the good work," he continued while petting James on the shoulder. "And by the way, happy birthday."

"Thanks!" James grinned. When his father walked away, he went back to his sculpture. He was working on himself first. The lump slowly began to take on the shape of a young man.

He had just finished carving the final details on his head, and was admiring his work, when somebody called out to him. He quickly spun around to see who was talking, forgetting that his wand still had a fine jet of fire coming from the top, and accidentally sliced through the ice man's neck. He gasped while watching his ice head slowly slide off the body, and land with a thud in the soft snow at his feet.

James's mouth was still open with shock as he turned to see Zeren doubled over with peals of laughter. "Oh that was the best ever! I will never forget that!" he cried.

James scowled and looked back at his decapitated sculpture, and felt his heart fall. All his plans were now ruined. Travers would win the contest, and James would be a defeated man. Any hopes for proposing to Teecie had now been dashed.

After a couple more minutes of mourning, Peter arrived on the scene and looked at what had happened. "Oh no…" he murmured while leaning down to pick up the head. "You know, there may be a way to fix this." He took his wand out of his jacket, lit a small flame, and held it under the neck for a few seconds before walking to the body and setting the head back upon it. "If I hold it for a minute or so, hopefully the ice will refreeze and the head will stay on.

James bit his lip and watched as Peter held the head up. "You think it'll work?" he finally asked. He glanced over his shoulder at Travers, who was now dyeing his dragon green and looking rather smug. "It's gotta work!"

"Relax, James, I've got it under control," Peter assured him while letting go of the head. They watched as the head stayed up without slipping. "See, I told you it would work."

James grinned and clapped his brother on the back. "Thanks!" he cried. "Will you help me with the rest? It's not looking too good when I do it."

"Sure." The two of them spent the rest of the allotted time working feverishly on the sculpture. Peter had just finished dyeing Teecie's hair red when the time limit ran out.

Zeren looked at the ice figures and scowled. "You're not going to…" he trailed off.

James grinned wickedly. "Yes I am!" he replied emphatically.

Zeren narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. He didn't seem able to speak, and quickly stormed off to the other side of his dragon, away from James. James sauntered back to survey the work he and Peter had done, nodding his approval before walking off to buy some hot chocolate.

While James was busy sculpting, Teecie was finishing up her soup recipe, and putting it into a container to take to the judges' tent. It was still piping hot, so she floated it down there.

Adriana was in the tent with a tray of baklava when she arrived. They hugged before turning in their entries. "Let's go look around," Teecie suggested when they were done.

"Where's dad?" she asked as they walked arm-in-arm around the school grounds.

"He didn't want to close the shop for a day, so he's there," Adriana said as she walked to a stall selling hot cider. She handed Teecie a mug before taking her own and paying for them

"Oh, that's too bad," Teecie said with a sigh. "I wanted to see him."

"I'm sorry love, but you know how dedicated he is to the shop."

"I know."

They walked around and looked at all the events. There was a snowball fight on the Quidditch pitch that the students seemed to be thoroughly enjoying. Teams had been set up, and each one had their own strategy to win.

One side had built a wall to block the snowballs, while another used an overhead approach—flying on broomsticks and dropping snowballs below. Yet another team had dug holes and was hunkered down to avoid the snowballs.

Teecie and Adriana sat in the stands for a while to watch. They laughed as the kids, as well as a few professors and other folks from Hogsmeade lobbed snowballs at one another. Teecie pointed out her friends to Adriana, who cheered them on as the game advanced.

Others soon joined them in the stands, making for an exciting time. The team with the wall seemed to be leading, until the team who'd dug holes made a surprise attack. Several of their team members had dug tunnels, crawled through them and popped up suddenly on the protected side of the wall to pummel them with snowballs.

The game went back and forth for some time, until Teecie got cold, and they left to walk around again. They went past the outdoor stage area set up by the edge of the Forbidden Forest just in time to watch the fashion show begin.

Paige modeled her coat herself, and seemed to enjoy her time on the runway. The coat, a periwinkle blue suede cape that had matching fur lining and feathers dangling from the sleeves, looked very chic and was sure to place. Teecie was happy for her.

She and Adriana sat next to Carl and Rey. Carl was quite enjoying watching his best friend walking the catwalk. "You go Paige! You look fabulicious!" he called out to her while Rey sat with his head buried in his hands. He looked like he wanted to sink into the ground and disappear.

"Must you be such a diva?" he hissed at Carl.

Carl grinned and wriggled his eyebrows. "Yes I must!" he replied before turning and noticing Adriana for the first time. "Oh my God! I haven't seen you in years. How are you?" he cried.

Adriana laughed lightly. "I'm fine," she replied. "I'm surprised that you remember me."

Carl waved his hand. "That DuJour concert was the best I've ever been to. I'd never forget seeing you there," he said. "Look at you, you are so gorgeous! You should be up there modeling."

Adriana blushed and smiled. "Thank you," she murmured.

"Oh and speaking of gorgeous, a little Teecie-bird told me that you and Mr. Malfoy are engaged to be married," Carl continued with a grin. "Is he here today?" he asked casually while running his fingers through his hair.

"No, he had to work," Adriana said.

Rey rolled his eyes as Carl continued to talk with Adriana.

"How are things with you, Rey?" Teecie asked quietly.

"Fine, my classes are going really well," he replied. "I'm enjoying my Muggle Studies class, even though my family can't stand the idea of me taking it." He grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "But they're going to have to get used to that, aren't they?"

Teecie laughed and nodded her head. "Good for you," she said.

They stopped talking when Carl began cheering again for Harper Carmichael, the Ravenclaw in their year who was modeling his dress. He'd designed a jumper dress of off-white knit material. It was a lovely dress, with a V-neck, long sleeves, and a matte silver belt to cinch it at the waist. It was floor length, and Harper wore matching silver slippers on her feet.

"Look at you, my little snow bunny!" Carl cried while blowing her a kiss.

When Harper had left the catwalk, he turned to Teecie. "Do you remember that really old programme Project Runway? I used to watch reruns on telly when I was growing up. I wish they still made that programme, because I would totally win it."

After the fashion show had ended, Adriana and Teecie went to find James at the ice carving contest. They arrived just in time for the judging to begin. There were many good entries. When they came to Zeren's dragon, they both stared in awe at it. It was massive, and breathed angry red fire that glistened in the cool winter sun.

Teecie was still admiring the dragon when Adriana walked around it to look at James's entry. Teecie was surprised to see her rush back to her moments later.

"Ticia, love, I'm going to go back and see how my baklava's doing," Adriana spoke rapidly, avoiding meeting her daughter's eyes. "I'll come back in a while." She hastened away, not giving Teecie time to question her. Teecie watched as her mother walked towards Remus, who was going towards the sculptures. She grabbed his arm, whispered something in his ear, and pulled him towards the recipe tent with her.

Teecie was thoroughly confused at her mother's behaviour, and shook her head as she began to walk towards James's sculpture. Zeren caught her hand before she could get there, and pulled her aside behind the dragon. "I just…It's not…I…" He didn't seem himself at the moment. The Zeren she knew was never unable to speak his mind. She was surprised again when he threw his arms around her and kissed her cheek. "Less than a year ago we were still going out," he finally said. "Promise me that you'll never forget our time together."

Teecie looked at him with confusion. "Of course I'll always remember our time together. What makes you say this now?" she asked.

Zeren smiled and boldly kissed her on the mouth. "Nothing," he said before waving his hand, "Nothing. I think James is waiting for you."

"OK…um…well then I guess I'll go see him," Teecie replied before turning and leaving Zeren behind.

The first thing she noticed upon arrival at James's sculpture, was herself looking shocked. It took her a minute to take everything in. Ice James was on one knee, looking up at Ice Teecie, and had a sparkling ice ring in his fingers, which he was holding out to her. The icy Teecie had her hands clapped against her cheeks, and appeared to be gasping.

James had done a very good job getting the figures to really look like themselves. She was quite impressed, and quickly looked around to find the real James down on one knee, parallel to his ice self, holding out a real ring in his fingertips.

Teecie opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come out. She blinked back tears that had suddenly sprung to her eyes. She strongly resembled the icy girl standing next to her. She looked into James's eyes and smiled.

James took a deep breath, and started to speak. "Ticia, I have loved you since the first time I saw you when we were eleven," he said hoarsely. "You are the only girl I've ever loved, and we have gone through a lot together. I can't imagine living my life without you. Would you do me the great honour of becoming my wife?"

Teecie wiped the tears from her eyes, held her arms out to him, and nodded her head. "Yes James, of course I'll marry you," she sniffled.

James grinned and jumped up into her arms. They hugged and kissed before he slipped the ring onto her finger. They were so focused on each other that they hadn't noticed the crowd of judges and students gathered around them, until they burst into applause.

Teecie and James looked around, surprised, to see their friends and family standing around, witnessing the moment. Zeren stood beside his dragon, arms folded, and nodded very slowly at them. He smiled sadly before walking away from the scene. Tonks, Remus, and Adriana stood close by as well, wiping away tears of their own. Tonks and Adriana hugged, blubbering happily.

The rest of the festival went by in a blur to James and Teecie. They were aware of the fact that Zeren won first place in the sculpting contest, and that Teecie took second in the cooking contest, behind Adriana, who took top prize for her baklava. Carl and Paige tied for first in the fashion show, something they were both very excited about.

Once their friends and family had finished congratulating the happy couple, James and Teecie went off on a walk to be alone for a while. They held hands and didn't speak, just enjoyed being in one another's company. James ran his finger over Teecie's ring, feeling a thrill at its presence. He had worked for so long to get the ring, and then to work up the nerve to ask her father's permission, that it felt like the biggest accomplishment in his life to see that ring shining on her hand.

Teecie always knew she and James would get married, and he had even proposed a few years ago, but this felt so different. This was official. It was really going to happen. Her heart fluttered while gazing at her boyfriend—no, her fiancée, she reminded herself. Her fiancée…what a most wonderful word. She couldn't wait to show her ring to her family. What would her father and her brother say? She knew Draco still didn't think James was good enough for her, but perhaps her gorgeous ring would make him change his mind.

Teecie got her answer to Draco's reaction the next day at afternoon tea. She held her hand out to him, and grinned while he admired it. Draco held the ring close to his face in order to properly see the diamond. "It is always as I imagined a ring he'd buy for you would be," he finally said.

Teecie furrowed her brow and withdrew her hand. "What does that mean?" she asked defensively.

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "It looks like it is within his budget. That's all," he replied. "He's a young man who lives within his means. That is a good trait." He didn't want to start a fight with his sister, but he couldn't admire such a trifling trinket. He only hoped it didn't turn her finger green.

Teecie frowned and looked at her ring. "You hate it," she sighed. "I knew you would. It doesn't matter that it's not the size of a boulder; it's the love that James has for me that counts. And no diamond could truly show that off."

Draco sipped his tea and didn't speak. Teecie left soon after that in a huff.

Uncle Sev's reaction was a little more polite, in her opinion. He admired her ring and claimed to be happy for her. "You don't think that he's not good enough for me?" she asked cautiously.

Snape frowned and shook his head. "The two of you are content to be together; that is all that matters," he said. Teecie grinned.

"I think married life is softening you up a bit, Uncle Sev," she exclaimed.

Snape frowned again. "I highly doubt that," he replied with a sniff. "I am the same person I have always been."

Teecie knew this was untrue, but also knew better than to press him on it. Aunt Narcissa was having a good effect on him and that's all there was to it.

Life returned to normal a few days later. Teecie and James were rudely interrupted out of their bliss by a Charms exam that neither had revised for. In spite of the lack of preparation, they ended up doing fairly well.

James threw himself back into Quidditch practice, for there was a big match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff in a month, and he wanted to make sure they kept up their winning streak.

Teecie continued on her healing studies. She had been so busy when school started again, she'd never had the chance to regale her classmates with the tale of assisting in Jaron's birth over the Christmas holiday.

Master Wilkes was impressed with the way she'd helped out. He gave her extra credit to write a paper about it. It took up a lot of her free time, and it made the days fly past. Before she knew it, it was the beginning of February.

James was more obsessed with Quidditch than ever, and Teecie was left alone in the evenings until he came back inside from practice, cold, starving, and full of adrenaline. She'd been getting less sleep since their engagement, so she took time after dinner during his practices to catch up on her sleep. This seemed to be working well for her, so she continued in this way until about a week before Valentine's Day.

The week before Valentine's Day, James became stressed out about the game, and seemed to need all her attention. He talked about it nonstop, to the point where Teecie couldn't get her work done. He tossed and turned in their bed at night, keeping her awake.

Finally, one night, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close to herself. "James, you're going to do just fine. Does it really matter if you win or lose?" she asked.

James cuddled in her arms and sighed. "I dunno," he finally said. "I just feel like I have to win this game or…"

"Or what? Are you afraid the sky will fall? Or that I'll break up with you?" Teecie asked.

"I just feel like I don't have much to offer you is all," he finally admitted. "Winning is something I can do."

Teecie kissed his cheek. "James, your ring is already on my finger. You don't have to keep trying to prove yourself to me. You've already done it."

James smiled. "Did I?" he asked.

"Of course you did," she said while holding up her hand and showing him her ring.

James sat up. "So you promise you won't hate me if I lose?" he asked slowly. When Teecie nodded her head, he continued. "And you won't make fun of me if I lose? And if I win, what will you do?"

"What do you want me to do if you win?"

James grinned and wriggled his eyebrows. "You know what I want you to do…"

Teecie rolled her eyes. "All right, if you win, I will agree to that. And if you lose, we'll still do it, OK? I told you, it doesn't matter if you win or lose," she assured him with a pat on the hand.

James's grin grew even bigger, if that was possible. "Well…that definitely makes me feel better!" he replied after a minute.

Teecie's grin matched his as her eyes drifted down towards his lap. "I can see that," she murmured. She moved her left hand down and wrapped it around him. "Does it feel better with the ring on now?" she whispered in his ear. James groaned and nodded his head, unable to speak. That night, he realized for the first time, that there really were some advantages to being an engaged man.

Things returned to normal after that. The students were starting to look forward to the next Hogsmeade weekend on Valentine's Day. Teecie always enjoyed that weekend because it was her birthday as well.

Lucius wrote to her a few days before the weekend:

Ticia,

I will be in Hogsmeade on Saturday to look at possible retail space, and to speak with the proprietor of Honeydukes. As it will be your birthday, I would like to take you and Lisandra to lunch. This will be my last chance to do so, as it is your final year at school. I look forward to seeing you on Saturday.

Your Father,

Lucius

Teecie was looking forward to spending time with her father, even though James grumbled about it. "I wanted to go to lunch with you," he mumbled.

"We'll have dinner together," she promised. "And that night, I'll totally make it up to you…"

James smiled wickedly. "It's your birthday, so I'll have to return the favour."

"You know I'd never say no to that," she replied.

The next morning, Teecie sat down to breakfast, and was surprised to receive an owl from Hunter. He'd been learning how to write at school apparently and wanted to wish her a happy birthday.

Deer Teecy

Hpee Bithdy! I laf yo veree much! Giss what! Jrn is my bst frund. He pups and eets and sleaps. Thts all. He is barign. By!

Hunter

The letter touched her heart so much that she went up to the professor's table to show it off to her brother. Draco, had received one as well. They traded and read each other's letter.

Deer Ankl Darco

Hw aer yuo! I am fin. Yuo ar my fivrt ankl. I lve yuo. Giss wat? Mum tuk Jarn to skul. He puped and scremd. He iss silleee. By!?

Hunter

"Are you going to write back?" Teecie asked after handing Draco his letter back.

"Of course," he replied with a smile. "I'm his favourite uncle after all. I can't disappoint the lad. Perhaps I'll offer him a chance to spend some time at the Manor over the summer holidays this year. He'd probably enjoy spending more time with Rouvin."

Teecie smiled and nodded her head. "They do like to hang out together," she agreed.

Draco wished her a happy birthday before she left for Hogsmeade. She walked with James and her friends into town. Liss walked with Mathias Krum, alongside them. James made sure to keep an eye on the two, ready to step in between them or beat Krum to a pulp, should the need arise.

The first stop of the day was at Honeydukes. Lucius was there taking measurements of the shelves when they arrived. He was too busy to notice them when they walked past him. Teecie was at the fudge counter when he finally did see her.

"Good morning, Ticia," he said in greeting while she shoved a huge piece of chocolate in her mouth.

"Hi," she said in a muffled voice.

Lucius looked around and saw Liss and Mathias seated at the soda counter. He frowned and his eyes narrowed. "Does Draco know about Lisandra and that boy?" he asked.

"Yes, he must, because she'd never go out with a boy unless he said it was OK," Teecie replied after swallowing the fudge.

Lucius sniffed and glared at Mathias for a moment. "I think I should check in on them for Draco, just in case." He proceeded to march over to his granddaughter and her beau.

Teecie watched as Mathias cringed when Lucius spoke to him. He grew pale and his eyes were wide with terror. Liss hugged Lucius and spoke calmly and with a smile on her face. This seemed to reassure him, for her only stayed a minute longer before returning to Teecie.

"The boy seems to have honourable intentions," he said as though quelling Teecie's fears. "I think we have nothing to worry about."

They watched as Liss and Mathias settled into their swiveling stools and bent over a chocolate soda with two straws. Lucius wrinkled his nose while watching the scene unfold. "That is hardly sanitary," he commented.

"I think they'll be all right," Teecie said while James joined them.

"Good morning, Mr. Malfoy," James said with a smile.

"Good morning, Mr. Lupin."

Teecie held her hand out to her dad. "Look at my ring," she demanded.

Lucius took her hand in his, and held it up closely to his face. He was silent for some time before lowering her hand and smiling stiffly. "It's very nice," he said tonelessly.

Teecie bit her lip and placed her hand on James's. "James worked long and hard to earn the money to buy it for me," she said proudly.

"I have no doubt of that," Lucius replied while looking at James. "He has always worked hard for you. You'll have to make sure you never forget that, because that is the mark of a good husband."

James smiled gratefully at this. "Thank you, sir."

Lucius nodded his head. "You may have to remind her every so often," he continued. "I have to remind Adriana of the same thing once in a while as well."

"Dad!"

"What? Sometimes wives need to be reminded of what wonderful husbands they have. We do a lot for our families and are rarely acknowledged for it."

James nodded his head in agreement. "Your father's right," he said.

Teecie rolled her eyes. "OK, I'll make sure to remember that in the future," she replied.

The Honeydukes proprietor approached Lucius. He nodded his farewell to Teecie and James. "I'll meet you and Lisandra in an hour outside the shop for lunch." With that, he walked to the back office to work on his deal.

James and Teecie walked through town over the next hour, exploring the shops. James showed her where he'd gotten her ring. There were many that were larger, but she rubbed a fingertip over hers, and decided that hers was much better than any of them.

When it was time for lunch, James left for the Three Broomsticks while Teecie waited with Liss for Lucius to finish at Honeydukes. "Did you enjoy your morning with Mathias?" Teecie asked quietly.

Liss's cheeks flushed and she averted her eyes. "He's a wonderful boy," she replied in barely more than a whisper. "I was surprised that father gave me permission to go with him, but he said it was all right when I asked."

Teecie shrugged her shoulders. "He probably thinks that nobody would try to do anything to you since he controls their Potions marks, and could take lots of points from any house he wants."

"That's true," Liss considered. "Mathias is a good boy though, and would never do anything inappropriate." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Though he did try to hold my hand while we drank our soda." Teecie gasped and clutched at her chest in mock horror. "I know, it's scandalous isn't it? Imagine if father found out. You won't tell him, will you? I don't want Mathias to get into any trouble."

"I promise, your secret is safe with me," Teecie vowed.

Both girls were whispering and giggling when Lucius arrived. "What's so amusing?" he asked while brushing a few specks of lint from his black robes.

Liss flushed again. "Nothing," she stammered.

"All right then, let's go to lunch. I think the Crying Quail would be nice. What do you think, Ticia? It is your birthday after all," Lucius said.

"Sure, that works," Teecie replied agreeably.

As they walked to the restaurant, Liss took one of Lucius's hands, and Teecie took the other. "Did you make a deal today?" Teecie asked.

"Yes I did. I was able to purchase an entire shelf of space for Alcedonia honey. Your mother will be able to sell her baklava as well. It should do nicely, especially since we can advertise it as award-winning," Lucius said with a smile.

"Are you still going to open a bakery, grandfather?" Liss asked.

"I believe so. The space next to the shop in London is available, so I might buy it and expand the shop to include a bakery. And I'm still working on finding space in Hogsmeade for Diagon Alley for a second location."

Liss squeezed his hand as they walked into the restaurant. "Oh grandfather, that's so ambitious," she breathed. "I'm so proud to be your granddaughter."

Lucius puffed out his chest with pride while squeezing her hand in return. "Why thank you, Lisandra," he replied.

The group was seated near the front window so they could look out at all the people passing by. Lucius spent the meal recalling all of Teecie's most embarrassing childhood moments, which made Liss laugh until tears streamed down her cheeks.

"How did you manage to get onto the horse's back with a jar of jam in your hands? You were only two," she asked while wiping her eyes.

"I have always wondered that myself," Lucius added, "as well as how you got the lid off the jar. Once that was done, it was no problem to get the jam in the horse's mane."

Teecie shrugged her shoulders while cutting her steak. "I don't remember it, maybe it was magic," she replied.

"Perhaps, but I have always suspected that Renata played a role in it," Lucius said. "She denied it at the time, but I can't see how else it happened."

"How did your magic manifest itself, auntie?" Liss asked curiously before sipping her French onion soup.

Teecie grinned and patted her curly hair. "My hair used to be completely straight, and when I was younger I decided I wanted curly hair, and it just happened the next day! It's been that way ever since."

Liss nodded, impressed, while Lucius frowned and set his fork down. He cleared his throat before speaking. "Ticia…I thought you would have realized by now that that was just a story your mother and I told you. It wasn't true; your hair has always had curls."

Teecie's eyes grew wide as she touched her hair. "It was a lie?" she gasped.

"More like it was our attempt to get you interested in magic," Lucius replied. "We were concerned because you were six years old and hadn't had your magical break yet. We thought maybe you were a squib, so we tried to pique your interest in magic. Your looks seemed to be the best way to entice you, because you were always rather proud of yourself. It didn't work though, and it was Kalare who finally helped you with it. She hid your favourite Ariel doll and you became so frustrated that you magically summoned it to yourself. You were quite happy to have found her, if I recall correctly."

Liss grinned at her aunt. "Well it's a good thing you got interested in magic, because you wouldn't be a healer otherwise," she said.

Teecie sighed and rolled her eyes. "I wasn't really that bad, was I, dad?" she asked.

"I'm afraid you were. You remember how much you disliked Hogwarts at first. I wasn't surprised at all. You always preferred Muggle toys and books over magical ones."

"Well at least I grew out of that," she replied. "I don't know what I'd do if I wasn't going to be a healer."

The meal passed pleasantly, with several more stories before a small chocolate birthday cake was brought to their table. "With compliments from the chef," the server said while lighting the candles.

Teecie wished for good results on her NEWTS before blowing them out.

Lucius escorted the girls back into Hogsmeade before taking his leave. "Your mother sent your gifts up this morning by owl, so they should arrive this evening." The girls walked with him to the Three Broomsticks and waved as he flew back home again. James was still there with his teammates when the girls joined him.

The discussion about Quidditch was rather boring, though, and when Paige, Carl, and Rey walked over to the table, Teecie and Liss quickly joined them as they walked to Gladrags.

"Our winning outfits are being displayed in the shop window," Carl said as they crossed the street.

"There they are!" Paige cried, pointing to the display. Magical mannequins walked around the window front, posing and showing off the clothes.

"Wow, this is so cool!" Teecie said as she looked at the display.

Inside the shop, Carl and Paige were beyond thrilled to see their clothes on the racks for sale. "What if somebody bought our stuff?" Carl squealed. The two continued to chatter and stand by their clothes while other students came into the shop. Liss and Teecie shopped and tried on clothes for the rest of the afternoon.

When it began to grow dark, James and Mathias escorted the two of them back to the school. Teecie ate dinner with James, as promised, before returning to their secret room to open all the presents that had arrived during the day.

Her family had sent her medical books and clothes for her birthday. Adriana had also sent her a pile of bride and wedding magazines filled with magical post-it notes. Each time Teecie opened a page with a note on it, Adriana's voice spoke from it. "These flowers would look really good with your hair colour and skin tone." "This bodice would so compliment your frame." "James would look so handsome in a tuxedo like this, don't you think?"

"Is your mother going to help us plan the whole wedding?" James asked while nibbling his fiancées ear.

"Well she is planning her own wedding right now. I guess she's just trying to help. I mean, we are going to have to start dealing with this stuff."

James took the magazine out of her hands and tossed it on the floor. "But not tonight," he murmured while gently pushing her back in the bed. Teecie giggled and let James have his way with her. It was a wonderful way to end a great day.


	103. Plans and Weddings

Plans and Weddings

The Gryffindor-Hufflepuff Quidditch match was well under way, and James flew through the air on his broom, icy cold air piercing his lungs as the other players flew around the pitch. Thick swirls of snowflakes blew in every direction around him, blinding him in his search for the Snitch. Every once in a while, he thought he'd glimpsed it, but to no avail.

At one point during the madness of dodging Bludgers and other teammates, he looked over and saw Teecie sitting in the stands gazing at him. He forgot what he was doing as he looked at his fiancée. She was so pretty, sitting there, wrapped in a blanket, her cheeks rosy from the cold. When she looked up at him and waved, James turned his broom around and flew towards her, his mind no longer on Snitches and Quaffles, but on his beloved.

He was only about ten feet from her when he spotted the Snitch flying right next to Teecie's head. She seemed to notice it at the same time, for she jumped up and began to shoo it away. "Not in my hair again!" she squealed. "James, get it!"

James plowed into the crowd, sending people flying and falling over one another as he leaned over on his broom, arm outstretched for the Snitch. When he managed to get his hand over it, the end of his broom caught against the side of a bench, sending him catapulting over the end of his broom, and he flew over the top of the stands, down to the ground below. His cry could be heard until he landed and went silent.

Teecie screamed and began to run down the stairs to find James. She was soon joined by Remus and Peter, who were frantic to find him as well. They found him in a crumpled heap on the ground. He wasn't moving. Master Wilkes and Professor Wood arrived moments later.

"Don't move him!" Wilkes commanded while kneeling down to examine him. Teecie burst into tears and threw herself against Remus, who wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. Peter patted her shoulder comfortingly.

Professor Wood, who had joined them moments later, looked at the scene and gingerly pulled something out from under James's leg. "He caught the Snitch," he said soberly. "He won the game. Wilkes, is he all right?"

Wilkes was taking James's pulse and examining him. "Yes, his left leg is broken and his right shoulder has been dislocated. But he's breathing and he has a pulse," he replied.

Wood nodded his head. "I'll let the crowd know." He left to make his announcement to the utterly silent crowd.

Wilkes conjured a stretcher and floated James onto it. He groaned as he was floated out from under the stands and up to the school, followed closely behind by his family and loved ones. The silent crowd broke into loud applause as he past by them.

When the small group had made it to the Hospital Wing, James was fully awake. He moaned in pain and tried to sit up, but Teecie forced him to lie down again. "No James," she said firmly. "We have to check that you don't have any neck or back injuries."

Wilkes insisted that Teecie not assist him. "You know you can't treat people this close to you, Ticia," he admonished when she began to protest. She sat down and held James's good hand while Wilkes continued to examine him. James leaned against her with his eyes closed. The pain was overwhelming, and soon he was shivering with shock.

"Well, your spine and neck are fine, so Ticia, why don't you cover him up with the bedcovers while I prepare the potions he'll need," Wilkes said before walking away.

Remus helped Teecie cover James with the blankets. He sat down in a chair next to his son and petted the knee of his uninjured leg. "How are you doing, son?" he asked quietly.

James, whose face and lips were drained of all colour, grimaced in pain. "Dad," he croaked in a whisper, "don't leave me."

Remus squeezed James's knee reassuringly. "I'm not leaving any time soon."

Wilkes returned after several minutes with two goblets for James. "This one is a pain reliever. The bones will hurt while they heal, and I'm afraid that there is no spell or potion for relocating your shoulder. I'll have to do that by hand. Take the potion and you won't feel it when I reset your bones."

James took the silver goblet Wilkes was holding out to him and drank it in a couple gulps. Immediately the pain began to dissolve. Wilkes waited a few minutes before testing to see how much pain James could feel. When he was sure that the potion was working, he took hold of James's ankle. "Now hold still while I reset the bone," he said before pulling hard on it. James's leg straightened out with a sickening loud crunching noise.

Teecie cringed and took a deep breath while trying not to think about what was going on with James's bones. The shoulder relocation was successful as well, and she nearly fainted at the squelching crack that his shoulder made. "Don't ever get hurt again," she moaned while sitting down next to him in a chair. Normally sitting in on a bone relocation wouldn't have bothered her, but this was James. She couldn't stand to see him in pain.

Before leaving them alone, Wilkes held out a gold goblet for him. "This is the regrowth potion. Take this and your leg will start to heal," he instructed.

James gulped the potion down and handed the goblet back to Wilkes, who took it and the other one to the other end of the room. When they were alone, Teecie carefully crawled onto the bed next to him. "I will try to not get hurt again," he said weakly while laying his head on Teecie's chest and closing his eyes. He drifted off to sleep to the sound of her beating heart, while she patted his hand.

James didn't wake up until the next morning. The sun was just rising and he was starving. He looked around the room and saw a small pile of cards on the desk next to him. People must have sent get-well cards. His focus was on his stomach, though, so he didn't stop to read any while continuing his search for breakfast. He smiled when he saw Teecie sleeping in the bed next to him. "Teecie?" he called out.

Teecie's eyes flew open and she sat up to look around, slightly disoriented from sleeping in a strange bed. When she saw James, though, she smiled and hopped out of bed a moment later and ran over to him. "Oh James, how are you?" she asked before covering his face with kisses.

James patted his stomach and frowned. "I'm so starving that I think I might die," he said dramatically.

"Oh no!" Teecie cried with alarm. "Let me go get you some food," she said before jumping up and running out of the room.

She returned about fifteen minutes later with a tray heavily laden with food for him. "I didn't know what you wanted so I brought some of everything. They aren't serving breakfast yet, but Nili insisted on making some for you."

James grinned to see the large pile of delicious food ready for him to eat. There was bacon and eggs, pancakes, a Belgian waffle, an omelet and a plate of fruit. It looked like just enough for him, he thought with a smile. When Teecie had helped prop him up and set the tray in front of him, he attempted to pick up his fork. He was able to get his hand around it, but was unable to lift it up, for his shoulder was too stiff and sore. He set it down mournfully with a deep sigh. "I'm no good with my left hand," he murmured sadly.

"Here, let me feed you," Teecie said. She sat down next to him and carefully fed James his breakfast. "You'll probably feel like this for a day or two," she said while he took a bite of Belgian waffle.

James frowned. "What will I do? I'm right-handed," he muttered.

"I can help you as much as possible," Teecie replied.

"But I do everything with my right hand."

"Well then I'll do everything for you."

"Really? You'll do _everything_ for me?"

"I'll try at least."

James grinned and leaned back in his pillows. "Will you take care of this for me?" he asked, pointing to his lap and wriggling his eyebrows. "Normally I'd do it myself, but with my arm all busted up…"

Teecie quickly glanced around the room and saw that they were still alone. "James…in here?" she whispered.

"I can't help it," he said, squirming uncomfortably.

Teecie glanced around before quickly pulling the curtains around his bed and moving the food tray to the table. Next, she slipped into the bed and pulled his hospital gown up to his stomach.

"Oh, you poor, suffering thing," she said, frowning. "Let Doctor Ticia help you with this most uncomfortable medical ailment."

James tried to remain as quiet as he could while Teecie helped him with his predicament. Teecie was more than happy to help her fiancée out. It was somewhat thrilling to be engaged in such naughty behaviour in a place where they could be caught. It wasn't the first time, either, for most of the times she'd been with Chet had been behind the curtains of windows in various hallways of the school. And in one of her wilder moments last year, with a seventh year Slytherin boy whose name she couldn't recall, they had shared a tryst in one of the stalls of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Being with James, of course, was much more satisfying.

When they were finished, James lay back in the pillows, catching his breath while Teecie used her wand to clean up after themselves. "Thanks Teecie," James said with a goofy grin on his face.

"You're welcome," Teecie replied primly. "Though I think we shouldn't do that again until we're back in our room."

Wilkes checked in with them an hour or so later, and administered a lower dose of pain potion. "This will take the edge off," he explained. "I also want you to walk around a bit today. Let Ticia help you. You need to regain your strength."

The rest of the morning, James and Teecie spent carefully pacing the floor of the Hospital Wing. By lunchtime, he was both exhausted and starving. Teecie hand fed him a sandwich and bowl of soup before eating her own lunch.

They spent that afternoon reading through the get well cards and receiving visitors. Remus and the Gryffindor Quidditch team gathered around him with balloons and a plate of fudge from Honeydukes.

"Harry sent this up for you when he heard about what happened," Remus explained while holding out the plate of fudge. "He said it reminded him of his school days."

When things had settled down again and Teecie and James were alone, she brought him his copy of the Daily Prophet to read while she worked on homework. After she'd finished, James complained that reading was making his shoulder ache.

"Oh you poor thing," she said with a frown while taking the paper from his hands. "Well, since reading is too strenuous for you, why don't we work on our wedding plans?"

James's eyes grew wide and he opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. "Uh…uh…" he finally stammered.

"Let me go get the magazines my mum has been sending me. I'll be right back." With that, Teecie hopped up and ran out of the room.

James felt a panic rising in him as he was left alone with his thoughts. Saying they were going to get married and actually preparing to do so were two completely different things. Wasn't it Teecie's job to plan everything? He'd be happy enough with a trip to the Ministry of Magic to pay the fee for the marriage certificate and then head over to the Leaky Cauldron for some fish and chips to celebrate afterwards. His main focus was on the honeymoon. He had some definite opinions of what to do and where to go.

His father had told him about a trip he'd taken with his Marauder friends back in the summer between their sixth and seventh years. They'd traveled to the States and had gone to a place called "Disneyland". It sounded like such a fun adventure that James had always wanted to recreate that experience. He knew Teecie had always wanted to see California, so it would be a perfect opportunity. He figured they'd be able to see all the major Muggle towns like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego and it wouldn't take more than a couple days to see all there was to see there.

James had the entire honeymoon planned out by the time Teecie returned with an armful of books and magazines. "My mum sends these to me when she's finished with them. She's done planning her own wedding so she doesn't need these back," she explained while dumping the pile on James's bed. She picked up one of the magazines and opened it to a page of dresses. "You look through these and tell me which ones you like most, OK?" She grinned and kissed James on the cheek. "This is going to be so much fun!"

James sighed and began to flip through the pages. All the dresses looked the same to him. They were all white and frilly and fluffy. Some of them had sequins, others had sashes, but the only thing he cared about was what Teecie was going to be wearing on their wedding night. Maybe he'd buy her something special to wear as a present to himself.

"Do they have any magazines for wedding night clothes?" he asked casually while continuing to flip through the pages.

Teecie grinned and shook her head. "I don't think so," she replied. "Unless I got you a copy of This Witch magazine. Do you want me to go get you one?" she asked casually.

"I have no idea what that is," James sputtered, trying not to blush.

Teecie waved her hands dismissively. "Please, James, I've seen your collection of them under your bed," she said, not angrily. "Have you seen anything in them that you want to see me wear?"

James bit his lip and shrugged. "Most of the women in them are naked…" he admitted quietly.

"Well then we'll have to go to London before the wedding and pick something out. Or you can go alone and surprise me."

James grinned. "So…you're not angry about the magazines?"

"No, not really," Teecie said lightly. "You chose me and I feel confident about that. And besides, if I made you get rid of them, then I'd have to get ride of my Lusty Wizard romance novels, and I'm way too fond of them."

"What? You read romance novels?" James cried.

"In my spare time over the holidays…and they're illustrated too," Teecie purred. "And they're magically animated…Anyway, there's nothing wrong with it. We're going to be together, but it doesn't mean we can't look at others. It just means we can't touch. Except each other. That's always OK!"

James grinned and leaned over to kiss her. "Can I touch you now?" he whispered in her ear. He reached up and pressed a hand against one of her breasts, giving it a healthy squeeze.

Teecie giggled and brushed his hand away. "Not until we're back in our room!" she hissed.

After a couple minutes of snogging, they returned to planning for their wedding.

"When do you want to get married?" Teecie asked. "I don't want to do it in June, because we'll still be in school until the last week, so that's too soon. Besides, everybody else gets married in June. What do you think about July?"

James considered this for a moment before nodding his head. "July works fine for me," he replied. Four months left in his life as a single guy. Four months and he'd be a married man. He'd be somebody's husband. His heart began to pound again as the thought overwhelmed him.

"And I think I'd like pink roses for my bouquet. Don't you think that will be beautiful?" James nodded his head, no longer listening to what she was saying. "Oh, and I think we should have vanilla cake with raspberry filling and white icing. And we should serve lots of appetizers at the reception. And I'd like to have Hunter as the ring bearer and Liss, Mel, Patty and Paige as my maids of honour. I assume you want Peter to be your best man. And Daniel as one of your groomsmen."

James's throat felt like it was closing in on itself, so he couldn't speak. He saw spots before his eyes, and felt extremely lightheaded. "Uh…Teecie, I don't feel so good," he finally managed to say in slurred tones before falling back into his pillows. The room went dark after that.

The next thing James knew, he was opening his eyes and saw his father sitting next to him. Teecie was nowhere to be seen, so he felt more at ease. "Dad?" he croaked while attempting to sit up. "What happened?"

"You passed out, son," Remus said while petting James's forehead. "Ticia said she was talking about wedding plans and you just keeled over. She's off eating some dinner now, so I decided to stay with you."

"Dad, it was awful…She kept talking and talking and talking. Dad…in four months, I'm going to be married. Married! How did you handle the wedding and all the planning?" James asked with a sigh.

Remus smiled sympathetically. "Just keep in mind, son, that even if Ticia asks for your input on the wedding, she's going to go with her own decisions. So, you don't really have to have any opinions at all. Just agree with whatever she says. It's actually good practice for your marriage," he replied soothingly. "There's an age-old phrase that all married men know. It doesn't matter what class or nationality you are. It's universal and as old as time itself. That phrase is, 'Yes, dear'. If you learn that and use it often in your marriage, then your marriage is destined to be a peaceful one."

James frowned. "It's just so overwhelming to think about. How can I be a husband? I mean, sure I've thought about this forever, but thinking and doing and being are totally different things. Dad, what if I've made a huge mistake and end up being the worst husband ever? What if Teecie hates me after we get married and wants a divorce? I don't think I could handle that."

"You are going to be a wonderful husband, James, and you know why?" When James shook his head, Remus continued. "Because you want to be a good husband. That means you'll try harder for Ticia, and devote yourself to her. That's what every wife wants."

James smiled wanly. "Thanks dad," he murmured. "I needed to hear that."

The two men were still talking quietly when Teecie returned from dinner with a tray for James. He sat and ate while Teecie chattered to Remus about her wedding plans. Remus listened intently, nodding at appropriate times at what she was explaining. She was rather intense in her enthusiasm, and he could see how his son had been overwhelmed by it all. He was happy to act as a buffer for a while until she left to return to her dormitory for the night. James spent one more night in the Hospital wing, as his leg was still too stiff to walk up all the stairs to his dormitory.

The next morning, Teecie arrived early to help James walk down to the Great Hall for breakfast. His shoulder was feeling good enough for him to feed himself, and he proceeded to stuff his face with enough food so he'd never have to speak while Teecie chattered on about wedding plans.

Fortunately for him, Teecie was soon distracted again by classes, and he was able to get away from wedding-talk for the rest of the week. Unfortunately, by the next weekend, Teecie received a letter which brought it all back to the forefront of her mind.

"My parents are getting married in two weeks!" she cried excitedly on Saturday morning after reading the owl Adriana had sent her. "They're not having an actual wedding though," she continued with a frown, "They'll be going to the Ministry to exchange vows there. I was hoping for a big wedding so I could be a bridesmaid."

"I wonder why they don't want a big one," James commented.

"Mum says that dad doesn't want to draw more attention to them right now. With the Jubilee celebrations this year, everybody is remembering how bad the war was. Dad doesn't want to annoy anybody," Teecie replied quietly.

"Are you going to go?"

"If I can. There's going to be a dinner afterwards, but I would like to see my parents get married." That night, Teecie wrote back to Adriana to ask permission to go with them to the Ministry. The next morning, she received another owl in response.

Ticia Darling,

Of course you can go to the ceremony! As you are of age, you could stand as one of our witnesses. Would you be willing to do that for your father and me? We'll need two, and Draco is going to attend as well as the other witness. We'll make the appointment for as late in the afternoon as possible so you won't have to miss too many classes. I know how important it is for you to keep up with your studies.

I will keep you informed of when the meeting will be. Until then, I love you very much, and I look forward to seeing you in a couple weeks.

Love,

Adriana

Teecie spent her afternoon tea that day with Draco, talking about her parents. "Are you looking forward to seeing dad on such a happy day?" she asked.

Draco pursed his lips and breathed through his nose for a few moments before answering. "I am happy that he is happy. The marriage is of course little more than a technicality. They've been together since I was a child—in fact, they've been together longer than he was with my mother." He took a large sip of tea and remained quiet for a while after that.

"Well if you think it's nothing more than a technicality, then why are you going?" Teecie knew he wasn't happy, and wanted to make sure he didn't put a damper on her parents' special day.

"I will be there for my father at important times. I support my parents. That does not mean that I share their happiness."

"Well I'm happy for them, for our dad and your mum. It's about time they both moved on from the past and started looking forward to the future."

Draco took a deep breath and set his teacup down. "Ticia, I understand that you are happy for your parents. I am happy for father's happiness, but I don't share your excitement. I will be present at their ceremony as a show of support for him, but that is all you can expect of me," he said firmly, signaling the end of the conversation. "Now, why don't you tell me about the potion essay that's due this week?"

Teecie soon switched over to talking about school, and spent the next hour chattering on about the healing potions Master Wilkes had used on James. Then she talked about James and her wedding plans. When she pulled out pages she'd torn out of wedding magazines with dresses on them, Draco decided that afternoon tea was over and quickly wrapped up his discussion with his sister.

When Ticia had left, Draco treated himself to a well-deserved tumbler of Ambermead. It had been a long time since he'd last had some, so he made sure to savour every sip. By the time he had finished, he no longer remembered why his sister had agitated him earlier.

Teecie was so excited for her parents that it felt as though she was floating on a cloud over the next two weeks. Somehow she managed to keep up with her studies and pay attention to James during this time. James had fully recovered from his injuries, and seemed to have more energy and stamina than Teecie remembered him to have before.

The night before her parent's civil ceremony, James kept her up half the night. She was tired the next day, and glad that she didn't have to go to her afternoon classes, because she would have been too tired to concentrate.

On Friday afternoon, after lunch, Teecie and Draco flooed to the Leaky Cauldron before walking into London. Draco led the way down a dingy street Teecie had never seen before. All the shops and buildings were dilapidated. It was definitely not the sort of place a person would want to spend too much time in.

There was a telephone booth outside the dusty shop that hid the Ministry of Magic from view of the Muggle world. Draco picked up the receiver and dialed the number for the Ministry. When he announced himself and his sister, two nametags appeared in the change slot for them. Teecie was amazed while watching all of this. She gasped in shock as the telephone booth began to move, sinking into the ground like a lift. "This is like being inside the TARDIS!" she cried.

The ride was over far too soon for her tastes, but the wonders continued as she looked around the promenade. There was a row of gilded fireplaces on either side of them, flanking them as they walked. In the very centre of the floor, there was a large fountain. In it stood a solid gold Harry Potter, with an owl on one shoulder, and his wand hand held aloft as though warding off a foe. At his feet was a house elf wearing a tea cozy on his head and looking adoringly up at him. Harry was holding the house elf's hand. There was also a statue of a hippogriff next to him. A fine spray of water emanated from Harry's wand, covering the entire fountain in a shimmering dome. Teecie could see images of flowers and random shapes magically projected on the spray. It was quite impressive.

Draco stood before the fountain with a look of utter revulsion on his face. Teecie was afraid that he might become ill, but he managed to remain calm somehow. His face was stony when they went to the security desk and checked in their wands, and remained so by the time they arrived at the judge's office.

Lucius and Adriana were sitting in chairs outside, waiting for them. Lucius was dressed in his nicest green robes, and looked as handsome as ever. Adriana wore a silver sundress and a matching headband to pull back her long black hair. They were holding hands, but let go and stood up when Draco and Teecie turned the corner.

Lucius shook Draco's hand in greeting while Adriana hugged her daughter. "I'm so happy you could come today," she said.

Teecie had wanted her parents to get married her entire life, so she was extremely happy to be able to attend the ceremony.

After a couple minutes, the judge's clerk called them into the office. There were several papers to be signed before they walked into the judge's chambers.

Lucius and Adriana stood before the judge's desk while Teecie and Draco stood on either side of them. The judge opened a book and began reading from it. Lucius and Adriana took turns exchanging their vows and rings, and within a few minutes, were kissing and had been pronounced husband and wife.

Tears sprang to Teecie's eyes when she heard those words. She had remembered to take her camera with her, and made sure to get a few good shots of their kiss. It was the most wonderful moment of her life.

When it was over, the four of them signed the required paperwork, and that was it. After walking out of the Ministry, Lucius kissed Adriana and Teecie, hugged Draco, and left to return to the honey shop.

"He's working on his wedding day? What, was this his lunch break?" Teecie asked, shocked.

"There's nobody else to run the shop, and your father is worried about losing the business," Adriana explained. "As it is, he's going to lose a week's worth of business when we go on holiday next week. You know how he frets."

"But this is your wedding day!" Teecie cried.

"I'm fine with it, really, dear," Adriana assured her daughter. "Why don't you and your brother return to the school while I finish making arrangements for tonight?"

Draco walked back to the Leaky Cauldron with a frown on his face. His own father working on his wedding day! And the worrying about the honeymoon couldn't be good for his heart. Draco decided to send somebody over from one of his businesses to mind the store for Lucius so he could take a well-deserved break and not lose any money. He also wouldn't have to be concerned about anything. That should make a most wonderful wedding gift.

When he returned to Hogwarts, Draco spent the remainder of the afternoon inquiring into the best-qualified person to send over to the honey shop. It took some time, but he felt he'd made the right choice.

Teecie spent her afternoon telling Mel and Liss about the ceremony. They sat under a tree by the lake, squealing and sighing over every minute detail.

"I wish I could have been there!" Mel cried. "Father is so mean sometimes!"

"But father knows it's better for us to be in class," Liss replied sensibly. "Father always knows best."

Teecie couldn't get over how obedient Liss was. What would happen if she rebelled against Draco some day? Hopefully he wouldn't get too upset…

That night, James joined Teecie at the family celebration at the farm. The entire family had come, and it was loud and wonderful.

Teecie was in the kitchen with Adriana, when Reni and her family arrived. Hunter ran into the room and threw his arms around Adriana's legs. "Yiayia, does this mean you're not my yiayia anymore?" he cried with a worried look on his face.

Adriana knelt down and hugged him tightly. "No Hunter, I will always be your grandmother, and Lucius will always be your grandfather," she explained. "By getting married, we made a statement to the world that we love each other. That's all. It's a very good thing, don't you think?" Hunter nodded while laying his head down on her chest and allowing his grandmother to hold him.

"Guess what!" Hunter finally said a minute later.

"What?"

"Today at school my teacher was mean!"

"What happened?"

"This dumb girl was chasing me at recess, so I dipped her braid in my ink well in class, and teacher made me stand in the corner for a whole hour!"

"Did you learn anything from it?"

"Yes. Next time I'm just going to hit her the next time she chases after me. Girls are gross."

Adriana bit her lip before admonishing her grandson for wanting to hit girls before shooing him out of the kitchen to go find Roo.

James wandered into the kitchen minutes later to find Teecie. "Are you going to be in here the whole time?" he asked quietly. "Your dad and your brother don't seem to be enjoying my company very much."

"James, you'll be family in a few months. Maybe you should try to make friends with them. Talk about Quidditch or other guy things."

"I can't talk about guy things with your dad and brother."

"Why not? They're guys."

"Cuz guys only talk about sex, and I can't talk to them about that."

"Well talk about Quidditch then. You've won all your games this year, go brag about that. It'll impress them."

James groaned before turning and walking back to the living room. Teecie felt bad for him, but knew he'd have to deal with it someday. He had to get used to her family, just like she'd need to get to know his family better.

When she brought a tray of appetizers to her family, she was happy to see the men deeply embroiled in a discussion about the finer points of Quidditch. Mel and Roo had joined in as well. "If I was on the team, I'd definitely be a Seeker, too, just like you, father!" Mel declared.

Draco smiled and patted her hand. "And I have no doubt that you'd be just as great as I was," he replied with a smile. "It's just too bad that Slytherin doesn't accept girls on their team."

"But that's not a rule."

"No, but it's the way it's always been and the way it always will be." He patted her hand again, sympathetically. "I am sorry, Melantha."

Mel frowned and crossed her arms. She remained silent after that, obviously deep in thought.

As Adriana passed out appetizers to her family, Teecie sat next to Liss while she was holding Jaron. Liss held him in her arms and cooed at him. "I'm going to have a baby like him some day," she declared to Teecie.

Hunter was at Liss's side the whole time, instructing her in proper baby care. "You have to hold his head or it'll flop around," he informed her. "And if you stick your finger in his mouth, he'll suck on it. And if he throws up on you, you have to take a bath."

Liss smiled at him. "Thank you, Hunter," she replied, "you sure know a lot about babies."

Hunter beamed with pride. "I'm an expert. I'm the only one who can make him stop crying after dinner," he stated.

Peter sat down next to Teecie and joined the conversation. "He's right. Hunter seems to have the magic touch when it comes to calming Jaron down. Jaron loves his big brother."

Hunter grinned and petted his brother's head. "I love my baby brother," he crooned.

Peter smiled happily to hear this. "Yes, you two are already causing trouble together. Did you hear what Hunter did just last week?"

"No, what happened?" Liss asked curiously. Everybody in the room quieted down to hear Peter's story.

"Last week we had a bit of a scare," he stated. "Hunter was taking extra time one morning getting his show-and-tell things together for school, so we were running late and not paying enough attention to him. I rushed him off to school and dropped him off before heading to the Ministry just like every day. When Reni got up to feed Jaron a while later, she was shocked to see him not in his bed. She was in a total panic thinking he'd been kidnapped when she spoke to me through the fireplace at work. I flooed home immediately and we searched the entire house with no sign of him. I was frantic and about to contact the Ministry about it, when Aunt Ginny pops through the fireplace with our Jaron in her arms! Apparently, Hunter had smuggled him into a bag and taken him in to school for show-and-tell."

Hunter looked sheepish and shrugged his shoulders. "I just wanted to show him off," he explained quietly.

"We were so relieved to see Jaron safe and sound. I'd never been more terrified in my life, nor felt so helpless," Peter continued.

"There's nothing worse than the idea of your children being missing," Adriana said quietly. The thoughtful silence that statement caused was broken by the sound of the kitchen timer ringing. Adriana jumped up and ran into the kitchen while Teecie led everybody into the dining room.

When everybody was seated, Adriana carried out a large crown roast of pork that was seated triumphantly on a fluffy bed of kale on top of a silver platter. Lucius was given the honour of cutting it and serving his family. Within minutes, everyone was tucking in to the delicious meat, mashed potatoes, and vegetables.

While they ate, the younger girls peppered their grandparents with questions about the ceremony. They made sure to describe it in great detail for the girls.

James seemed to have grown more comfortable by now, seated between Roo and Hunter. When starting on his third helping, Lucius frowned at him. "Don't they feed you up at the school?" he asked, amazed that anybody could fit that much food in his body.

"Oh Lucius, leave him alone," Adriana chided playfully. "He's got a healthy appetite, and he's still growing." With that, she put two spoonfuls of green beans on James's plate and patted his cheek. "Such a good boy."

James blushed and ate his beans with gusto. Roo tried to engage him in an eating contest, but Tanith forbade him to do so.

"Proper gentlemen do not eat like pigs at the table," she explained. When she glanced at James, he began to slow down. He had to set a good example for the children after all.

After dinner, Adriana set a small wedding cake at the centre of the table. She'd had it made especially for the occasion, and it was complete with a bride and groom on top. Lucius stood next to her, and together they cut into the cake. Next, they fed small pieces to one another while their granddaughters squealed and Teecie took pictures.

When everybody had been served, Lucius and Adriana told the family about their honeymoon plans. "We're going to go to Germany for the week. It's beautiful there this time of the year."

Draco thought about this. He and Tanith had spent a full month on their honeymoon tour. It hardly seemed right that his father only got one week. Perhaps he'd been too worried about the shop to plan a longer holiday.  
He cleared his throat and set his fork down before making his announcement. "Father, I would like to give you your wedding present now," he said while standing up. "I would like to send somebody over from one of our offices to run the store for you while you're on holiday. This way you won't lose any income and will not need to worry. I would also like to increase your holiday to a full month. The farm and the shop will be properly cared for, I can assure you."

Tears sprang to Adriana's eyes, and she grabbed her husband's hand, giving it a squeeze. "Oh Lucius, isn't that wonderful?" she cried.

Lucius appeared to be a little misty-eyed himself while standing up to embrace his son. "Draco, I don't know what to say," he said before hugging him. "Thank you."

"It's the least I could do for you, father," Draco replied.

When everybody had settled down from the excitement, they retired back to the living room. Teecie sat next to James while she made him hold Jaron. He was less than thrilled to do so. He was certain he was going to drop the baby or hold it the wrong way, or otherwise incur the wrath of his future sister-in-law, because he was rather frightened of her. He wanted to remain on Reni's good side for as long as possible.

Jaron didn't fuss, though, and after a while, James became more comfortable holding him. He was little, and sort of cute, but he didn't do much. Just sort of laid there, sleeping. It got a little boring to watch after a while, but he didn't say that to Teecie. She was under the impression that every little sigh or flutter of his eyes was fascinating or adorable.

"Won't it be wonderful when we have a baby of our own?" she whispered while snuggling against James.

James gulped and nodded his head. "Yes, in ten or fifteen years when we're old enough for one," he replied.

Teecie frowned. "Hunter was a year old by the time Reni was our age. We can have a baby any time. We are old enough," she said.

James thought about having a one year old child in his life and couldn't fathom the idea. It was insane. There was no way he was ready to be a father right now. The thought alone made his stomach hurt.

"My mother was Reni's age when she had her other daughter, Eleanor," Teecie continued. "Of course, she was married too, so that made it easier. And of course at that time, she was probably considered old to be having her first child at seventeen. Can you imagine having a three year old? Or more than one child at our age?"

James's head was spinning again, and he quickly handed Jaron over to her. "I need some water," he croaked before rushing out of the room and into the kitchen.

Paul was in there getting a soda from the refrigerator when he arrived. He stood next to James by the sink, drinking in silence. "Babies make women go crazy, don't they?" he said a minute later. James nodded in agreement. "Kali's been going on lately about wanting a baby," Paul continued. "I don't know if we're ready. I don't know if she's strong enough. But she insists on wanting one. I'm trying to talk her into adoption. We'll see how it goes."

"Good luck, mate," James said sympathetically.

"Thanks, and good luck with Teecie. Try to keep her distracted from babies as long as possible."

"Thanks."

When James went back into the living room, Jaron was in Adriana's arms, so he was safe to return to Teecie's side. He did happen to notice Adriana trying to catch Lucius's eye a few times, but Lucius somehow managed to look away every time. The rest of the night passed uneventfully, much to James's pleasure.

Teecie's parents hugged her before she and the rest of the Hogwarts crowd returned to the school. It would be an entire month before they returned from their honeymoon, and already she missed them. She hoped they had a wonderful time, because they deserved it.

A/N: This chapter makes reference to two other short stories from the True Revenge series: The Maraudeteers and Dragon's Tears, both posted under ElfFlame's name. Check them out if you haven't already. The Maraudeteers was co-written by ElfFlame and myself and is a great fun summer read. Dragon's Tears is much more serious but sets up a lot of what happens in Teecie's Story.

-Foodie


	104. Past, Present, and Future

Past, Present, and Future

"No James, not tonight, I have way too much revising to do," Teecie said while batting James's hand away from the buttons of her nightgown. "You need to start revising too."

"But Teecie…I gotta…" James moaned while reaching out again towards her chest. "You can't torture me like this."

"James, I have to revise! My NEWTs are the last thing standing between me and healing school!" Teecie slipped out of their bed and moved over to the desk with her book in her hands. "I'll just study from here if you can't be trusted to keep your hands to yourself."

James whinged for another minute or two before picking up his Charms book and opening it up. "This is a really crappy substitute for you," he mumbled.

"Give me one more hour, James, OK? Then we can shag for the rest of the evening. I promise," Teecie said, feeling sorry for her fiancée's misery.

James grinned and settled into the bed with his book. "That works for me!" he declared. He remained silent after that.

When the hour had passed, James tossed his book on the floor. "All right, it's time!" he called out while patting Teecie's side of the bed. "Let's go!"

Teecie smiled and closed her books. "You are nothing if not persistent," she mused while walking over to the bed and slipping into the sheets. She kissed James and wrapped her arms around him. "And I love that," she whispered in his ear as he returned her kisses.

All thoughts of NEWTs and books were quickly forgotten as the two became engrossed in their evening activities. They slept soundly that night, awaking the next morning refreshed and ready for another day of school.

The next day, Teecie was excited to receive an owl from her parents, who had just returned from their month-long honeymoon in Germany. They sent her a few pictures, and a few chocolates they'd bought along the way, with the promise of much more to come when she came home at the end of the school year. Liss and Mel received similar letters, as did Draco.

Schoolwork and the impending final exams soon took over the students' minds. Teecie's insomnia returned as it did every year. James was there to comfort her and help her remain calm.

"You're going to do just fine," he reassured her one evening while massaging her shoulders. "You'll sail through your NEWTs and right on into healing school."

Teecie sighed as James soothed her taut muscles. "Oh James…I love you…" she murmured. "You're so good to me."

James leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "I try my best," he whispered in return.

"I can't wait to be married to you."

"Me neither. It'll be so great to come home after work to our house and have dinner and talk. We'll be just like our parents—watching telly and talking about our day and snuggling."

"I like snuggling."

James smiled and moved his hands from her shoulders down around her waist, and pulled her close against him. "We can snuggle now," he said while nuzzling her ear.

Teecie closed her eyes and let James hold her. His calmness washed over her like a gentle wave, and soothed her nerves. When she went back to revising later that night, she was no longer stressed out.

Over the next few weeks, she tried her best to maintain that sense of calm. She was able to put this into practice one Saturday afternoon during tea with Draco.

"How are your wedding plans coming, Ticia?" he asked while pouring tea into her cup. "I know your mother is handling most of the intricate details of the wedding itself, but I would be perfectly willing to make the announcement in the Daily Prophet society page for you. It's just a detail that you don't need to worry about yourself. And you only have about one month before invitations will need to be sent. Have you given thought over whom to invite? If you like, you can make your list and leave it with me, and I can handle the invitations as well. I'll make sure to add your list to my own, as well as your parents."

"But how can I do all that when I have NEWTS to worry about?" Teecie asked.

"That is why I offered to help. I know you have too much to be working on for school without having to deal with wedding issues. Let me take those on for you, and you just worry about school," Draco explained calmly.

"I'm not doing anything for the wedding. You and mum are doing it all for me. I feel left out," Teecie said with a frown.

Draco frowned and folded his arms. "Your first priority right now is school. When you finish your NEWTS, then you can take on a task or two. Don't worry about it until then," he said before changing the subject to potions. The discussion about potions made her feel better, as well as more prepared for her Potions NEWT.

The next day, Teecie had tea with Uncle Sev and poured out all her school and wedding concerns to him. Snape sniffed when she'd finished talking, and set his teacup down. "That is precisely why Mrs. Snape and I eloped," he replied. "And Draco is correct; you must let your top priority be school for now. The wedding will still be there when you finish. I know that between Draco and your mother, your wedding will be a time in your life that you will never forget."

Teecie sighed and nodded her head slowly. "Thanks Uncle Sev," she said, "that makes me feel a lot better." She took a sip of her tea before speaking again. "So…how is Mrs. Snape?"

Severus smiled ever so slightly. "She is well; thank you for asking," he said quietly.

"And how are you?"

"I am well. I received a rather amusing owl from your nephew Hunter this morning. Would you care to read it?"

"Sure!"

Snape reached into one of his desk drawers, took out a sheet of parchment, and handed it to Teecie. She held it up and began to read:

Deer Ankl Sev!

Hi! I am gud. How ar yo! Ges wot? Dady is meen. He grundd mee. Al I did wos cut hiz har. He woz napping. It wos fun. He wos made. No telee fo tow hol daes. No fun. By

Hunter

Teecie laughed so hard that she nearly choked on her tea. "He gave Peter a haircut? I wish I could see what he looks like!" she cried.

"No doubt he's been to a barber shop since then," Severus replied sensibly. "And he's probably hidden every pair of scissors in his house."

"I hope so! It's a good thing Hunter didn't give Reni a haircut."

"Oh, the boy is far too intelligent to do that. He knows better than to upset Renata."

Teecie sighed. "I wish she wasn't such a harsh person," she said sadly.

Severus sipped his tea in silence for a moment before responding. "It is in her nature to be harsh. She was not born so, but the circumstances of her early life shaped what she became."

He thought back to the wonderful year he'd spent caring for his goddaughter. More than once he'd wondered what her life, and his, would have been like had he raised her entirely on his own. Perhaps Renata's sweet nature would have remained so, instead of warping into a lifetime of anger and frustration. Perhaps she would have made better choices in life. He would have been a good father to her, had be been able to raise her.

"I suppose she's a little better since Jaron was born," Teecie said. "She doesn't snap at people as much as she used to. Maybe she likes being a mum now."

"Perhaps," Severus murmured, lost in his own thoughts.

Teecie left soon after that, since it was clear he was no longer in a talking mood. When she returned to her common room, she found James talking about strategies for the Quidditch match against Ravenclaw at the end of the month. She sat and watched him as he talked. She loved his enthusiasm over everything in life. He sat in the centre of his group, gesturing wildly, his eyes gleaming and his cheeks red with excitement.

Teecie thought he'd never looked so handsome before. Her heart fluttered as she gazed at him. All her concerns and worries about their wedding flew out of her mind. Nothing else mattered for James and herself, just as Uncle Sev had said.

As she looked at James, she realized how lucky she was to be marrying him. Her thoughts wandered off to the other boys she'd been with over the years.

Her first thought was about Owen and her very brief engagement to him at the age of fourteen. She would have been miserable if she'd married him. She had thought she'd been in love with him, and had enjoyed their intimate time together, however short it had lasted. The horror of having Draco and Uncle Sev walk in on them, was something she'd never have been able to get out of her mind, no matter how hard she'd tried. Owen also represented a terrible time in her life, when she'd found out the truth about her father, and the thought of being bound to him and those horrible memories was just awful.

And then there was Zeren. He had definitely had husband potential. He'd been a gentle and wonderful lover, and would never have left her feeling lonely or unsatisfied. The main problem with him had been his attitude towards her choice of career. He would never have fully supported her choice to become a healer, and that would have hurt her terribly. And there was also the fact that he thought she was too loose with boys. That had caused their breakup and it certainly wouldn't have helped with a marriage. But part of her still loved Zeren and always would. It wasn't the first time that she'd thought about marrying both Zeren and James. Of course it would never happen, but it was an interesting thought.

None of her other boyfriends wouldn't have worked out either. Rey, because of the obvious fact that he was in love with his boyfriend. He'd been a wonderful first boyfriend, though, and she would never forget her first kiss.

Stephen Weasley might have made a good choice, if the age difference hadn't been so awkward when they were together. Never mind that the fact that they had never actually gone out. Teecie smiled at the memory of their naughty behaviour during their tutoring sessions. If Professor Weasley had ever found out that her son spent most of his tutoring time snogging the girl he was supposed to be helping, she'd probably have had a stroke. Besides, both of Teecie's sisters had married Weasleys. Somebody had to break the cycle.

Chet would make a terrible husband. All he'd have done was brag to his friends about shagging her, and try to get her involved with them too. That was not something that sounded remotely good to her. He'd been a great shag, but never anything more.

James really was the most suitable for her. He actually loved her and cared about her feelings. In fact, he put her feelings and needs above his own, something none of the other boys had done. He wanted to be with her and only her. She knew she'd never have to worry about him cheating on her. It was such a lovely thought to be able to trust him so much. And she knew she would never cheat on him again. There were still some trust issues with that, but she knew eventually James would trust her completely.

She continued to look at James while wondering if he ever thought about his old girlfriends and considered what sort of wives they'd have made. Roxie would be the worst wife in the world. She'd never be home at night because she'd be out with a different man each day of the week. Whomever she married would have to be comfortable with the idea of being a cuckold.

Well, she'd never have to worry about James having a different wife, so she didn't put much more thought into that. Instead, she returned to gazing at him and imagining what their evening would be like now that he was so invigorated with the Quidditch planning.

James didn't disappoint Teecie that evening. He was indeed full of energy, and managed to keep going until the wee hours of the morning. Fortunately she didn't have a morning class that day, and was able to sleep in.

During the next week, James's focus remained on Quidditch and the match against Ravenclaw. Teecie was well aware of how much he wanted to win the match. If Gryffindor won the match, they'd win the House Cup, a glory he would be able to keep with him for the rest of his entire life. It would be so good for his self-esteem if he won.

James seemed more confident about the game. Ever since they'd had their heart-to-heart discussion, he seemed not to stress out about it as much.

A week before the game, there was an announcement in the Daily Prophet the excited everybody in the school:

_The Ministry of Magic is pleased to announce the Jubilee activity for the month of May. After the final Quidditch match of the year this coming Saturday, Hogwarts will play host to an exhibition for any and all current or former Quidditch players. People of every position will get a chance to show off their skills. Anybody wishing to participate will need to register their name and preferred position with Professor Oliver Wood no later than Friday morning. We hope to see the stands filled with cheering witches and wizards as they watch their friends and loved ones play a game for all the ages._

"This will be so much fun!" James cried. "I'm going to sign up."

Over the next couple days, Teecie found out that Lucius, Draco, and Kali would all be participating as well. Draco hadn't originally planned to join, but upon hearing that Harry Potter would be playing, had decided that it was important not to let his house down.

Lucius joined because he was feeling healthier than he had in a long time. Adriana had expressed her concern, but he wouldn't attend merely as a spectator. It was time to show the world that he was back on top again. He did have to admit to feeling nervous about his reception. Would a former Death Eater be welcome at a Jubilee event?

As the week continued, his nervousness must have grown, for Teecie received an owl from her mother saying she'd be the only one coming up on Saturday.

Ticia-

Your father decided against joining in the exhibition game. As much as he wishes to see Draco and Kali play, he feels his presence there will be unwelcome. Even though so much time has passed, he still is nervous about fully reentering Wizarding society. I feel he will never be comfortable there again. I will be there, though, to watch Kali. This is a big step for her, up on her broom again, showing off her God-given talent. She's healthier now, and I know she really wants this.

As James will no doubt be participating, we should try and sit together to cheer everybody on.

-Mum

Teecie wasn't exactly excited about the exhibition game. It would mean losing several hours that could be spent revising for her NEWTS. But with so many of her loved ones playing, she had to be there.

Draco seemed less than thrilled about all of this as well. He seemed moody and uncommunicative, and when Teecie asked him what was wrong after class on Wednesday, he frowned. "Father had assured me that he was going to participate in the exhibition game. Now he's backed out," he said angrily.

Teecie bit her lip and gave her brother a hug. "I'm sorry he's disappointed you. Mum said he's scared to join because he thinks people won't want him there," she replied.

Draco snorted and rolled his eyes. "Father, scared? I can hardly believe that," he scoffed.

Teecie left her brother that afternoon, and wrote a letter to Lucius.

Dad-

Won't you please reconsider coming to the exhibition game on Saturday? We were so looking forward to seeing you there. If you don't want to play, could you just come and sit in the stands with Mum and me? Draco and Kali really want you to be there to see them play, and you're their father, so you should be there to support them. Please say you'll be there, please?

Love Forever-

Teecie

On Friday morning, Teecie received an owl from Lucius.

Ticia-

How can I refuse my youngest daughter when she makes such a request? I don't want to disappoint any of you children, so I will come and sit in the stands with you and your mother. I will see you tomorrow.

Love Always,

Lucius

Teecie grinned and ran off to share the letter with Draco. He seemed quite pleased with it. "The game will be a wonderful chance to show the Wizarding World what talent Slytherin House has produced over the years."

Teecie pursed her lips and put her hands on her hips. "You know, Gryffindor has a few good players too," she replied loftily. "And so have Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Look at Kali."

Draco was silent for a moment, lost in thought. "She is an extraordinary player, I will admit," he finally conceded.

Teecie beamed. "I can't wait to see her up in the air again. It's been too long," she replied. "And I'll have fun seeing you up there too, of course. And James."

"Of course. And I'm sure Mr. Lupin will make sure to do his best for you."

Teecie sighed.

"What?"

"In a few months, I'll be Mrs. Lupin…" she trailed off dreamily.

It was Draco's turn to sigh before shooing her out of his office and off to work on her Potions essay.

Nobody was able to concentrate on schoolwork when Saturday morning arrived. Teecie was excited to see her parents arrive early enough to watch the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw match. "Mum! Dad! We can all sit together!" she cried before hugging them.

"Yes…I thought we could find seats in the Slytherin stands," Lucius replied.

"But dad, they aren't playing today. I want to sit with my classmates," Teecie pouted.

Lucius shuddered. "I suppose we could sit there," he muttered.

Adriana grinned. "Good, since there are two Gryffindors here, we should sit with them. Go Gryffindor!" she cried.

Lucius wrinkled his nose. "Go…your team," he trailed off.

Teecie and Adriana grinned before leading him over to the crimson and gold side. Teecie couldn't be sure, but she thought she saw her father put a cleansing spell on the bench before sitting down on it. Adriana sat down next to him and entwined her arm through his.

It's been a while since I last saw a Quidditch match," she said. "A couple years I think, since Kali's last match."

Teecie looked around at the crowd. It seemed as though most people had arrived early for the exhibition, for the stands were so full that they'd had to bring in extra benches to seat everybody.

Several rows down from them, it appeared that the entire Weasley clan had convened. Most of them had brooms with them for the exhibition later on. She noticed Harry Potter somewhere in the middle of the Weasley contingency, with his Firebolt. She'd heard a lot over the years about his skills as a Seeker, and wouldn't wait to see how he compared to Kali, the most notorious Seeker of her generation.

"If anymore Weasleys sit up here they'll collapse the stands and kill us all," Teecie heard her father mutter just as Peter and Hunter arrived and sat with them.

"Reni decided that Jaron needed to stay home with her," Peter said while settling in. "So it's just Hunter and me today. I'm joining in later, is it all right if you look after Hunter?" Adriana smiled and assured him that Hunter would be well taken care of.

Not all the Weasleys were in the Gryffindor stands. Paul and Kali, dressed in blue, were seated in the Ravenclaw stands, cheering their side on.

When the match finally started, everybody began to cheer. Hunter clapped his hands and stamped his feet. "Go James!" he shouted.

Lucius didn't cheer, but did clap politely when Gryffindor scored or performed a daring feat. To make him feel better about that, though, he did the same for Ravenclaw as well. Adriana watched quietly, wide-eyed, unsure of what exactly was going on, but not wanting to ask questions either. She had never been able to follow the rules of the game very well, even though she'd seen several of Kali's games over the years. She'd never played or watched the sport as a student, and her husband had always been in charge of Kali's Quidditch training. Teecie was only nominally better, but kept her eyes on James and cheered for him the entire time.

Ravenclaw put up quite a fight against Gryffindor, but in the end, James managed to catch the Snitch before the other Seeker did. They'd scored enough points to beat out Ravenclaw, which meant a perfect year, and the Quidditch Cup.

James could barely keep himself under control as the crowd went wild. Professor Wood held out the cup, which James took, kissed, and held aloft for all to see. His teammates gathered around, each reaching up and placing their hand on the cup.

Teecie was crying and her parents had to stop her from rushing down onto the pitch. James looked up and saw her, grinned, and flew up to throw his arms around her. They were crying and kissing and cheering together. Seconds later, James helped Teecie onto his broom, made sure she was holding onto him tightly, and flew off over the stands and pitch to give her a celebratory ride.

Teecie felt the warm wind blowing her hair back and as she looked at the world below, she didn't feel scared to be so high up. James was there to keep her safe, and nothing would happen while he was there. Holding onto James was the best feeling in the world.

The sound around them seemed to fade, and suddenly they felt like the only two people in the world. She sighed. In two month's time she would be married to him. Ticia Lupin. She couldn't wait. She knew everything would be fine for them. As long as James continued to be there for her, keeping her safe, nothing could ever go wrong.

After several minutes, James returned her to the stands, and rejoined his teammates. He arrived just in time to witness a momentous occasion.

Daniel and Patty were hugging and kissing when Daniel knelt down on one knee. "Babe, I told you I was going to propose if we won the Quidditch cup, so…Will you marry me?" He shouted this in order to be heard over the crowd.

Patty's eyes grew wide and she flushed. "Are you serious?" she shouted back.

"Of course I am! I'm crazy about you, you know that! So what do you say? Should we get hitched?"

Patty grinned and nodded her head. "What the hell? Why not?" she cried. They hugged before she frowned. "Hey…where's my ring?"

"I figured I'd go buy you one if you said yes. There was no point wasting money if you said no," Daniel replied with a shrug while standing up.

Patty's frown deepened, and she punched him on the shoulder. "You're supposed to get the ring first!" she cried.

"Does this mean you won't marry me now?" Daniel looked truly scared now.

"No, I'll still marry you, I guess. But we're going out tomorrow to get a ring, and you're paying for it, and that's final," Patty commanded.

"Yes, dear."

Patty's face softened, and she smiled. "Those are the sweetest words I've ever heard," she said before throwing her arms around him and showering him with kisses.

James was close enough that Daniel was able to high-five him while Patty continued to kiss his face.

When the crowd had quieted down a little, Professor Wood tapped his throat with his wand and began to speak from the middle of the pitch. "Due to the large volume of participants, we will be playing in teams based on positions to showcase all the talent from over the years. People from each of the positions will compete against one another."

Players were called out onto the pitch and grouped by their position. They were paired off and put onto teams for playing.

Lucius's eyes grew wide at seeing that Draco and Kali had been paired off together. "Oh no…" he muttered. Teecie and Adriana looked down to see what he was talking about, and gasped when they saw Kali shooting daggers at her brother. Draco looked rather uncomfortable as well.

Draco wanted nothing more than to have his sister Kalare's love. The pain, anguish, and hatred she directed towards him were well-deserved, but it didn't mean he hated it any less. She was like him in the length that they held grudges. His eyes swept over the pitch and he glanced Harry Potter standing next to James Lupin. If Potter won the exhibition…

Kali stood next to her brother, feeling like a small animal caught in a trap. It was too late to ask to be paired with somebody else, and she didn't want to draw attention to herself by creating a scene. Draco looked at her and frowned sadly. "Would you like me to withdraw from the game?" he asked graciously.

Kali looked up into the stands and saw her family watching her expectantly, and then over to her husband, who was across the pitch with Peter and the other Chasers. He smiled encouragingly and blew her a kiss. She took strength from this, and shook her head. "No, don't withdraw," she finally replied quietly. "I'll be all right." Draco smiled slightly and nodded his head.

When the whistle had been blown, they mounted their brooms and pushed off into the air. Draco and Kali stayed close together as they flew after Harry and James, who were circling around the pitch.

James had just won a game, and was feeling confident, yet in awe of being Harry's partner. They'd played Quidditch together over the years, but this was the first time in public. He was also amazed to watch Kali as she flew across the pitch. She was always a sight to see, and he'd never had the privilege to see her up close. She flew with more speed and grace then he'd ever seen anybody fly with before. It was truly amazing. Even Harry stopped to watch her for a minute. "She is good," he murmured. "It's a good thing she came after me or I'd have never won a match against Ravenclaw."

Draco flew past Harry at that moment and noticed the look of awe on his face. "Scared Potter?" he called out with a wicked grin.

"You wish!" Harry growled in response before flying off again.

The four Seekers flew in and out of the rest of the players, and up above the crowds in the stands. The other teammates scored points, and the crowd cheered enthusiastically. So far, nobody had spotted the Snitch.

The two teams played for a half hour longer before both Kali and Harry noticed the Snitch glinting in the sunlight, near the ground. They both dove at it, and were soon side by side, while James and Draco quickly followed suit.

Draco noticed that his sister was positioning herself to perform her Suicide Drop move. She moved her broom into an almost vertical angle, flattened her body against it, and let go of the broom with her arms outstretched to catch the Snitch. Only one thin ankle was hooked around the broom's handle to keep her from falling.

Draco had never seen this move up close, and his heart pounded thunderously while he watched. He sped up to try and catch her if she started to fall. He watched as she neared the ground with no signs of slowing down or pulling up.

Kali and Harry were neck and neck and both reached out for the Snitch at the same time. Kali's hand closed around it while Harry's hand closed around hers. They both quickly moved to straighten up, and as Harry yanked his hand over to clutch the Snitch closely against him, he took Kali with him. Her body was so small and light that she slid right off her broom, so she was dangling by the hand, held up only by Harry, who quickly realized what had happened. He gasped and reached down with his free hand to pull her up onto his broom.

Kali, for her part, was too shocked over what had just taken place to scream or react with fear. Draco saw the look of shock on her face and raced after them.

The crowd gasped while watching all of this unfold. Oliver blew the whistle and flew up to the Seekers to figure out who had actually caught it first.

Draco rushed over to Harry and Kali. His sister was sitting side-saddle on Harry's broom, and seemed to be precariously perched. "Don't you dare drop my sister!" he snarled at Harry.

They all stopped moving as Oliver held out his hand for the Snitch. Harry let go of Kali's hand, and she opened her fingers to reveal the Snitch, which now had two extremely crumpled wings. It twitched pathetically in her hand. Oliver picked it up and held it out to the crowd. "Mrs. Weasley caught the Snitch and wins this round!" he cried out. The crowd cheered and applauded for her while she flushed deeply.

Harry grinned and held his hand out to her. "Good game," he said with a laugh. Kali smiled and shook his hand in return.

Draco summoned his sister's broom from the ground, and held it out to her. She took it and smiled politely. "Thanks," she murmured while sliding off of Harry's broom and onto hers. Draco held her broom steady until she was settled back onto it, before letting go.

"You were amazing, you know," Draco said proudly.

Kali smiled again, and snuck a glance at her brother. "Thanks," she said again. "I was pretty shocked to end up on Harry's broom."

"I would have been too," Draco replied.

Kali laughed in spite of her best efforts not to. "I doubt the broom could have held the both of you up," she commented lightly.

Draco pretended to be insulted. "Are you calling me fat?" he asked with a frown.

Kali bit her lip and tried to regain control of herself. "Stop that," she demanded firmly.

"Stop what?"

"Amusing me."

"I apologize for making you laugh, then," Draco said lightly. He felt ecstatic that his sister appeared to be opening up to him after so much time hating him. "Forgive me."

Kali sat up rigidly on her broom and looked at him. "I…I was so terrified of you," she whispered. "I spent years fearing that you'd come and steal us away again. I had nightmares about it. And when I got older, I got so angry with you. I hated you because of what you'd done. I wanted you to die."

Draco stopped flying and hung his head sadly. The magic moment between them had been ruined.

"But I'm older now…" Kali continued. "You've become a good person, and I can no longer deny that. I can't spend my energy in life hating people. I can't waste my time with that anymore. So…" she trailed off. She looked at Draco and turned her broom so she could look at him better. "I'm letting go of it. I'm forgiving you for the sins of the past. It's not good for my health to hold onto that anger. So we start over, now."

Draco looked up at his sister and felt tears threatening to spring to his eyes. After such a long time, she was finally forgiving him. He felt as though he'd been given the greatest gift of his entire life, except, perhaps, for when his children had been born. As much as he wanted to embrace her, he had the feeling that she would be intimidated by that, and managed to refrain from doing so.

They looked at each other for a several seconds, not speaking and not moving. Kali took several deep breaths before raising her hand out to her brother. Draco wrapped his hand around hers and gently pulled her towards him before wrapping his arms around her. Kali began to cry and Draco could no longer deny that he was choked up as well. They held onto one another for a few minutes while their families in the stands watched with open mouths. They were stunned to see what was transpiring between the two warring factions of their family.

Teecie burst into tears and threw her arms around James, who had just joined them in the stands. Adriana began to cry too, and rested her head gently on her husband's shoulder.

The rest of the crowd had no idea why there were two people in the air hugging, they only cared that they were holding up the exhibition. Professor Wood called out to them, and Draco gently led Kali back to the ground where the parted ways and walked back to their families in the Slytherin and Ravenclaw stands.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day when Kali forgave Draco," Adriana murmured.

Teecie wiped away her tears and smiled. "See dad, aren't you glad you came today?" she asked.

Lucius smiled and nodded his head. He clutched his hand gently to his heart—not in pain, but in pure joy. His children were now at peace with one another. It was all he could ever have hoped for for his kids. As the exhibition continued, he didn't see any of it. All he saw was the image of two of his children moving past a lifetime of anger, and beginning anew. It was an image that would be seared into his mind for the rest of his life.

A/N: "Scared Potter?"…"You wish!" is a quote from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Also, on a personal note, I wanted to let my readers know that I reached a major milestone this week. I finished writing the final full chapter of this story on the Fourth of July this week. I am now working on the epilogue and appendices. There will be one last chapter after this one before the epilogue.

This current chapter will probably be the final posting before book 7 comes out. Nothing written in that book will affect this story, as this story is canon only through book 5.


	105. New Beginnings

New Beginnings

A/N: This is the first chapter I'm posting since Deathly Hallows was released. It's the final chapter of my story, however there will be two more postings after this one: the epilogue, and the appendices. I finished writing all of those a week before Deathly Hallows was released, and this story has always been canon only through OOTP, so none of this chapter was influenced by the final book in any way. Happy reading!

"For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow…Which nobody can deny!"

Draco Malfoy looked around as his family sang to him. It was difficult to see the people at the far end of the table, because the large green dragon-shaped birthday cake obstructed his view. He smiled down at Rouvin, who was sitting to his left. Rouvin, who wore a green and silver paper crown on his head, was singing his heart out and eyeing the cake surreptitiously at the same time. Lisandra, on Draco's other side, gazed adoringly up at him, and grinned every time he looked down at her. Melantha clapped loudly when the singing ended.

"Blow out the candles so we can eat the cake!" Rouvin cried enthusiastically. Hunter seconded this, and began chanting for cake. Rouvin joined in, but stopped when Draco narrowed his eyes in warning.

When everybody had cake and was enjoying themselves, Draco looked around at his family again. Melantha and Lisandra were whispering and giggling. Ticia and Kalare were chatting and enjoying one another's company. Hunter was tearing into his cake with his bare hands. Draco's lip curled in disgust, and he decided right then and there that he'd have Hunter spend time at the Manor that summer holiday taking etiquette lessons. The boy clearly needed to learn manners, and it was really no wonder. The poor kid was being raised by a Weasley. It was a miracle he wasn't still in nappies and knew how to find his way to the dining room table. It was the least Draco could do, as his favourite uncle, to give the boy the best chance at life that he could.

After the family had finished eating, they retired to the sitting room where all the presents were put on the table for Draco. Draco was impressed with how many there were. The gifts ranged from the brand new brass scale from Lucius, to the set of black-and-white drawings of herbs from his daughters, to the amusing ice cream stick puffskein cage that Hunter had made for him in art class at school.

Tanith gave him a lovely set of dress robes, but her real gift to him was given later that night, after all the guests had gone home and they were alone.

Draco enjoyed his thirty ninth birthday immensely. It was wonderful to be so young and handsome still. He was grateful, not for the first time, for his Malfoy genes. The men in his family were known for their good looks. There were paintings in the Manor of his ancestors, all of them handsome, just like he was.

The joys of his birthday lasted over the next few days, until the stress of end-of-year examinations began to pick up among the students. It was never fun to write the exams, but it had to be done. He couldn't help but remember his own exams as a student. That had never been fun, but there was something so satisfying about being able to be the one in charge.

He didn't enjoy seeing his daughters' stress, nor Ticia's. All three of them spent time outside of class with him, revising for their exams. Ticia, in particular, was extremely stressed, as it was her NEWT year. This was the last chance she had to show what she knew. Her entrance to Healing school depended on the results of those exams, and she was definitely feeling the pressure. Her NEWTS were next week and she was frantic to revise as much as possible.

"Oh Draco! What am I going to do if I fail? I won't get into healing school and there's nothing else I want to do! I have to get into healing school!" Teecie wailed one afternoon at tea with her brother.

Draco patted her hand sympathetically. "Ticia, you already know the material. You're going to do just fine," he reassured her. "You've been revising for a long time now, and I know you can do this."

Draco did his best to comfort her, but there was only so much he could do. Teecie found that James comforted her more fully, now, than her father, brother, or Uncle Sev could.

James would hold her in his arms, squeezing her tightly against him, and whisper calming words into her ear. He had plenty of worries about his own NEWTS, but he cared more about what Teecie needed, more than what he needed.

The Sunday night before their NEWTS began, James and Teecie put away their books, and cuddled together before falling asleep in one another's arms. The next morning, though, both of them woke up feeling nervous again, and unsure of how they'd do on their exams.

Teecie had to force herself to eat her breakfast before going outside the Great Hall with the other fifth and seventh year students. Her first NEWT would be Transfiguration. This way, by far, her most difficult subject, but also the one she had tried hardest in and in which she'd made the most improvement. She had begun to master nonverbal spells finally, and hoped to be able to use them whenever she could during the practical exams.

One half of the Great Hall was for the fifth years, and the other for the seventh years. They were assigned seats in alphabetical order, so Teecie was separated from James, Patty, and Paige. She felt her heart flutter nervously as she sat down at her desk. There was a blank sheet of parchment as well as a quill and ink well. Professor Weasley stood at the front of the Hall waiting for everybody to get settled before explaining how the test would work. Teecie remembered about all anti-cheating spells placed on everything from when she took her OWLs, not that she had any intention of cheating on her exams.

When everybody was ready, Professor Weasley waved her wand, and the blank parchment filled out with questions. Teecie took a deep breath, and picked up her quill. Each question had at least three parts to it, and were highly complex. Her head throbbed by the time she was done answering them. It took two hours, but she felt that she'd managed to write good answers for all of them. The questions had covered not only the topics learned since OWLs, but all the way back to first year as well. It was truly a comprehensive approach to their education.

Teecie's stomach growled hungrily after the exam was over. Her brain seemed to have used up all her energy and now her body was rebelling against her. James seemed to be in the same situation because he spent the entire lunch period wolfing down as much food as was humanly possible. "We have to get ready because the practical test is going to be really tough. You know how hard Transfiguration is. I can't imagine I'll pass…" James said sullenly.

"You have to be positive, James," Teecie replied with a frown. "If you think you'll do all right, then you'll have a better chance of passing. You have to believe in yourself more." She was trying to sound more confident than she really felt. She wasn't sure at all whether or not she'd receive a passing mark, but there was nothing else to be done except to hope for the best.

Later that afternoon, the students gathered outside the Great Hall once again, waiting for their turn to take the practical exam. They were called in alphabetical order in groups of four. Being an "O", it took Teecie a while for her turn, and her stomach grew more and more fluttery with each passing minute.

Finally, Professor Weasley called her name, and she walked slowly into the Great Hall with the other seventh years. She walked towards a kind-looking wizard, with a gentle smile on his face. "Step right on up, young lady, there's nothing to worry about," he said as she continued over to him.

"Now, dear, what is your name?" the wizened old man asked as he held a quill up in his hand next to a sheet of parchment in his other hand.

"Ticia Orendes," Teecie replied quietly.

"All right then, Miss Orendes," the man said while writing down her name. "I would like you to start by transfiguring this pocket watch into a cat. Any breed will do." He took a small pocket watch out of his robes and set it on the table between them.

Teecie took a deep breath and took her wand from out of her robes. She turned to look at the watch very carefully, concentrating on it for a minute. Then she began to visualize a cat in her mind. A sleek ginger cat that curled up into a ball and fell asleep right there on the table. Her mother had once told her that this was the key to using nonverbal spells. Instead of using her mouth to speak the spell to achieve something, she should think it, and cut out the step of verbalizing it. Adriana swore it took away the strength of the spell to dilute it with speech, so keeping it all in her head was a better way to do it.

With those visuals in her mind, Teecie said the words of the spell silently in her head, gave her wand the proper flourish, and smiled to see a light yellow flash shoot out of her wand and hit the watch. The watch shook violently for a few seconds before sprouting two pointed ginger ears, and a long tail. She continued to flourish her wand and the yellow light continued hitting the watch. Soon there were four little legs, and a head, and before long, the rest of the body. The young cat got to its feet and began to walk around the table, mewing loudly. Teecie sighed with relief to see that she'd performed the spell properly, but felt exhausted at having done so. It had taken a lot of concentration to do.

The elderly wizard nodded his head and wrote several notes on his parchment before smiling at her. "Very well done," he said before waving his wand quickly and turning the cat back into a watch. "Now, for the next thing, I'd like you to conjure a coconut, please," he continued.

Teecie bit her lip. Conjuring items from nothing was extremely difficult, and she'd never yet done it completely perfectly yet. And a coconut was so big…could she manage it? She had no choice but to try. She closed her eyes tightly and thought about coconuts until she could see one sitting on the table before her. Next she pointed her wand directly at the table, thought the words in her head, and felt something shoot out of the tip of her wand. She mustered the bravery to open her eyes, and was delighted to find a coconut sitting on the table. It had several holes on the top, and straw coming out of one of the holes, along with a little paper umbrella, but it was a coconut. She couldn't have been happier. It wasn't perfect of course, but it was good enough.

"You're doing just fine, Miss Orendes," the man said as he made more notes on the sheet of parchment. "I know you must be tired from the magic, so I'll take it a little more slowly from here." He asked her a series of questions, and had her demonstrate the proper wand techniques for several different spells, as well as explain the differences between each of them.

The examination lasted just over fifteen minutes before the man declared that she had completed all the tasks, and was free to go. "Thank you, sir," she said before putting her wand away and leaving the room. She breathed a huge sigh of relief when she was outside, knowing she'd done well.

James seemed happy with how he'd done too. "I know I won't get a perfect mark, because the pineapple I conjured didn't have the leaves at the top, but I don't care. I'm done until Wednesday!" he cried at dinner.

Teecie was excited about having a free day for revising as well. Her schedule was such that she had exams every other day. It would be useful for regaining her strength and having time for last minute revising.

James and Teecie spent breakfast together the next morning. They read the Daily Prophet together, and were intrigued by the announcement from the Ministry of Magic for the final Jubilee event later that month:

_The Ministry is proud to resent the unveiling of the war memorial in Hogsmeade. Join us the third Saturday in June as we bring this most wonderful Jubilee year to a close. All are welcome. We hope to see you there._

"That should be interesting," Teecie commented. "We'll definitely have to go. We'll be done with our exams then."

"My parents will want to go, so I'll have to go for sure," James replied.

The students talked about the dedication for the rest of the meal. Some of their housemates joined in the discussion of what the war memorial might look like. "I saw a picture of one once," Carl said. "It was in America, and it was this huge long black wall. It was pretty impressive, but sad."

"I think I know what you're talking about," Teecie added, having spent plenty of time growing up watching Muggle television programmes and knew about such things. "It has thousands and thousands of names on it."

"Thousands?" Paige murmured quietly. "That's so many people."

Teecie shrugged her shoulders. "There are a lot of Muggles in the world. They're really good at killing each other."

"Well, Muggles aren't the only ones, I mean, we're getting our own memorial too for the wars," Patty added. "I guess power and hate isn't just a Muggle thing. I guess it's a human thing."

The students nodded their heads in silence as they thought about this. It was quite a deep and complex thought, and left them all a little saddened afterwards.

But there was no time for sadness, because they had to continue revising for their NEWT the next day. Their next exam would be Charms, something that had always come rather easily to Teecie. She felt pretty confident about it, and spent most of the day helping James, but he had always been good at Charms too. Their time was spent snogging for the most part. It ended up being a wonderfully relaxing day, and they both felt ready for the next exam.

Writing out the theory behind a charm was tedious, and took a lot of time. The students had to describe several different charms and the theory behind them. Teecie's eyes were blurry by the time the professor collected the rolls of parchment.

"I'm glad dad helped me understand how some of those charms work," James said in between bites of shepherd's pie at lunch that day. "I know I aced that exam."

"I think I did pretty well too," Teecie added while cutting up her Salisbury steak into bite-sized pieces. "I think the practical should be pretty easy."

The practical exam wasn't quite as easy as Teecie had expected, but she still managed to do pretty good. Each task she was asked to do had at least three or four elements to it, and several spells were required to accomplish each one.

For one of the tasks, she was asked to levitate a stuffed unicorn while making it rotate in circles one way and spin back and forth the opposite way, all at the same time. It took an immense amount of concentration, and she found she had broken into a sweat by the time it was over.

The other tasks were just as draining and demanding, and Teecie felt like collapsing when she was done. It seemed that all the other seventh years felt the same as well, because they were all quiet at dinner that night. Even James didn't have the strength for more than a little kissing that night before falling into a deep sleep.

Teecie massaged James's back and shoulders the next morning before they went downstairs to breakfast. "The shoulder I dislocated still gets sore if I do too much writing," he murmured while she kneaded his muscles.

"Poor thing," Teecie murmured before leaning down to kiss his shoulder. "At least tomorrow is Herbology. That should be easier on your body."

"Yeah, if I can keep the dandylions from biting my fingertips," James mused.

"Well if they do, I'll be able to heal them for you, no problem," Teecie assured him.

The day was spent quizzing one another over herbs and plants and their magical properties. Teecie was very confident, because she'd always excelled in Herbology. Since it was one of the NEWTs she'd need to get into healing school, she'd always made sure to put a lot of effort into it. Professor Longbottom had worked with all the advanced students to make sure they knew all they possibly could before going into the exam. He was one of the finest professors at the school, and Teecie would miss him greatly when she left in a few weeks.

The written exam was intense, and the practical equally so. They had to identify different plants and explain their magical properties. During the practical they had to show the best way to harvest, prepare, and store asphodel root for Wolfsbane potion. Teecie's shoulder throbbed by the time she was done grinding the dried root with a mortar and pestle.

They also had to identify the differences between Devil's Snare, and Flitterbloom. There was an incident during this time, when Serilda Jugson, a Slytherin, seemed to get the two plants mixed up, and was attacked by the Devil's Snare. She screeched before the plant wrapped around her neck, cutting off her oxygen. The Ministry official testing her whipped out his wand and flashed a bright burst of light in front of her, which made the vine unwind and retreat back to its pot. Serilda took a deep breath before screaming again. "I'm blind! I can't see!" She stumbled into the table in front of her while reaching her arms out to see where she was.

The official rushed over to her, put his arm around her waist and escorted her out of the greenhouse. "I'm going to take you to the Hospital Wing," he said calmly. "I'm sure the healer will be able to fix your eyes. I am sorry that the light was so bright…"

Teecie hoped Master Wilkes could heal Serilda's eyes. Perhaps it was only temporary because of the sudden flash. It hadn't been as bright as the actual sun, so it would probably wear off in a couple hours or so.

The rest of the exam went on with no further incidents. Teecie saw Serilda at the Slytherin table that night, holding court and telling everybody what had happened. Her eyesight had been restored after only ten minutes with Master Wilkes, but she was getting a lot of attention that night by exclaiming loudly about pressing charges against the official who had saved her from being strangled to death. During pudding, Draco finally walked down to the Slytherin table and pulled her aside to talk. She was quiet as a mouse afterwards. Teecie never found out what he'd said to her, but it seemed to have worked like a charm.

Nobody wanted to do any revising that night, seeing as it was Saturday the next day. "We've earned a night off!" Daniel declared before taking another plate of rhubarb crisp.

James grinned and took another plate for himself as well. "You said it," he replied before shoveling such a large spoonful of crisp into his mouth that he nearly choked. Teecie patted his back and shook her head in wonder. "Thanks, babe," he sputtered. "What would I do without you?"

"Choke to death, no doubt," Teecie replied sardonically. She gave James a look of warning before turning to chat with Patty and Paige about the exams of the past week. They'd all done pretty well, but were nervous still about the week to come.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts will probably be really hard," Paige said with a frown. "It's always been my hardest subject."

"I'm not nervous about that, but I am worried about my Care of Magical Creatures exam," Patty said. "I'm sure there's going to be some horrid creature we have to deal with."

"I'm worried about all of mine," Teecie confessed quietly. "Potions, Healing, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. I have to do well on all of them to get into healing school for sure."

"You'll do fine," Paige said while putting her arm around Teecie's shoulders. "I just know it."

"Thanks," Teecie replied. She looked over to James, who was now competing with Daniel over who could finish the pan of rhubarb crisp first. She sighed and shook her head again. "Boys," she murmured.

James was full of energy that night, having eaten enough sugar to keep him awake for two days. Teecie was able to keep up with him, and they didn't fall asleep until nearly dawn. They spent a lazy morning in bed, determined to spend the day doing nothing at all important.

After a late breakfast, James left to go fly his broom out on the Quidditch pitch with Daniel while Teecie went off to write a letter to her mother about wedding plans. It was a lot to think about in the middle of her NEWTS, but they had to get taken care of. Adriana was doing most of the actual coordinating and planning, but Teecie was keeping her well informed of her desires.

By Sunday, however, everybody returned to revising madly. Teecie flipped through all her Potions books, notes, and spent time quizzing some of her classmates in the library. James wasn't taking that class, so he couldn't help her, but Zeren was. They spent time refreshing one another's memories about the subject.

Teecie made sure not to tell James who she'd spent the afternoon studying with. It didn't matter that she and Zeren were now only friends, James would never understand. It was easier just to keep him in the dark.

The next morning, Teecie's nerves were almost overwhelming. Her hands were shaking as she went into the classroom for the written exam. Draco passed out the tests and sheets of parchment before announcing the start of the exam. Teecie took a deep breath before reading through all the questions. Her stomach lurched as she read. Each question had multiple parts to answer, and all were extremely complex.

It took the full time allotted to write her responses, and even then, the last one was rushed, and she wasn't satisfied with it. It was the very best she could do, though, and she tried to put it behind her as she mentally prepared for the practical exam after lunch.

The practical exam, while difficult, was much more straight-forward, because all they had to do was brew a potion. The instructions for making the Draught of Living Death were put up on a blackboard at the front of the room, and the students set about working on it.

It was difficult having to work alone, because most of the students were used to working in pairs or teams and dividing up the work among many, but somehow they made it work. Teecie worked faster than she thought she'd ever had in her life, but at the end of the time, her potion was the proper shade of lilac, and she felt a little better about it.

When the exam was over, she felt a wave of relief flood through her. Only two NEWTS left…She'd be done with her education at Hogwarts after that. It was an odd feeling, especially when she thought back to her first few years of not wanting to even attend the school. How much her life had changed for the better since then. She'd never wanted anything more than to live at home and stay with her parents forever, but now she was engaged, preparing for her wedding, and going off to healing school. If she had known then what she'd be making of her life now, she would never have believed it.

James was waiting outside the room for her when the exam let out. "How did it go?" he asked anxiously while taking her hand in his.

"OK, I think," she replied with a smile. "How was your day? Did you talk to your dad?" James had told her he was going to try and get hints about their Defense Against the Dark Arts NEWT that afternoon.

"I did, and he didn't tell me a thing," James said with a frown. "He said something about being fair—like that matters."

"Oh well, I guess we'll just have to revise on our own." They walked off to eat dinner, and chatted happily together on their way to the Great Hall.

The next day was spent revising with their classmates for the Defense Against the Dark Arts NEWT. They were all rather nervous by the end of the day, and it only intensified by the next morning.

The written exam went just as all the others had, leaving them mentally drained and exhausted just in time for a quick lunch before the practical exam began. Nobody knew what to expect, and it created a lot of stress for them.

They were called into the Great Hall in groups of four. James sat next to Teecie, squeezing her hand, until it was his turn to go. He kissed her on the cheek before standing up and slowly walking into the room. Teecie moved over to sit next to Patty and Paige after that.

Finally, Teecie's name was called and she trembled for a moment before getting up and going into the Great Hall. It was set up differently than it had been for the other exams. Now it was divided in half by partitions, one half for the fifth years, and the other for the seventh years. The half for the seventh years had been further divided into long, narrow aisles. There were four Ministry officials, one standing before each of the aisles.

Teecie walked up to the furthest one and looked warily at the woman standing in front of her. "Hello, dear," she said warmly.

"Hello," Teecie whispered. She noticed at that point in time that there was another woman standing at the far end of the space. "What's going on?"

"That's Hestia Jones, one of the Aurors who works for the Ministry, dear. She's here to test you," the Ministry official said while taking out a quill. "Now, what is your name?"

"Ticia Orendes," Teecie murmured while her mouth grew dry with fright.

"All right, Miss Orendes. These partitions have been set up so that you and Auror Jones can have a bit of a duel. She will test you by throwing various spells at you. You must do your best to repel them, as well as try to disarm her with spells of your own. Keep in mind, that she is a highly trained Auror. She will not use any of the Unforgivable Curses against you, so you don't have to worry about that, but do try to keep up for as long as possible."

Teecie's jaw dropped open and she clutched her wand tightly in her left hand. "A duel? A real duel? But…but…" she sputtered.

"My dear, what if you happened upon a dark wizard who intended you harm? You'd have to be able to fight him off without a moment's notice. This is a wonderful way for you to practice that in a safe and controlled environment."

Teecie turned and looked at the black-haired woman standing at the end of the row. She walked up to the line that had been placed on the ground, and took a few deep breaths. She assumed the proper dueling position, and stared her opponent in the eyes, trying to feel confident about what was going to happen.

They stood looking at each other for a few seconds before Auror Jones raised her wand and pointed it directly at Teecie. Something black and globular flew out of the tip of the wand, hurtled towards Teecie, and grew until it was the same size and height as she was. It landed a few feet from her before springing up and trying to envelop her. Teecie gasped; she'd never seen anything like it before and had no idea how to combat it. She hit it with a reductor spell, and watched as it shrank before her until it was the size of a galleon. She levitated it into the air and used her wand to fling it back towards the Auror, but didn't hit her, as she jumped out of the way in time.

Jones gave Teecie a moment to compose herself before trying again. The Auror quickly flourished her wand and sent a bolt of orange light at Teecie. Teecie used a shield charm to deflect it.

Shee stood in silence for a moment, thinking about a good spell to use. She recalled the story Draco told occasionally of sending a huge and ferocious twenty foot python flying after Harry Potter in his second year at Hogwarts. Maybe that would work for her.

She took a deep breath before waving her wand and crying, "Serpensortia!" She watched as a small green garter snake poured out of the tip of her wand and plopped onto the floor at her feet. It slithered around for a moment before heading towards the partition closest to it. Teecie flushed, feeling completely stupid at her lame attempt at a new spell. The feeling of stupidity soon turned to panic as she thought about having failed her NEWT. If she failed, she was out of healing school. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she bit her lip. She sniffled and wiped the tears out of her eyes before standing tall again and thinking of another good spell to use.

With a great deal of concentration, she sent a jelly-fingers jinx at the Auror, but missed, and instead of hitting her in the wand hand, ended up hitting her in the foot. Jones shook her foot as though it had fallen asleep. She was distracted long enough for Teecie to wave her wand and yell, "Accio wand!" Jones's wand flew out of her hand, and into Teecie's.

Teecie grinned and hopped up and down a few times. "Did I win? Did I do it right?" she cried.

"Yes, dear, you disarmed your opponent, which means the match goes to you," the official said while Auror Jones limped over to them.

"Good match," she said while holding out her hand to shake Teecie's.

"Thanks, you're really amazing," Teecie replied with a smile.

"All right, Miss Orendes, this completes the exam," the official said while taking notes on her sheet of parchment. "You may go now."

Teecie breathed a sigh of relief and ran out of the Great Hall to where James was waiting for her. "How did you do?" he asked while wrapping his arms around her.

"OK, I think," she said. "How about you?"

"I think I did pretty well. I went up against Uncle Harry's best mate, Ron Weasley, you know, Professor Weasley's husband. He's good, but I managed to hit him with a bat-bogey hex that stopped him long enough to get his wand."

James was ecstatic because that had been his final NEWT. Teecie still had one final exam in Healing on Friday, and this was the one she was the most nervous about. James did all he could to keep her relaxed so she could revise. He used every technique he could think of—massaging her shoulders, rubbing her feet, nibbling on her ears, collarbone, bellybutton…By the time he had exhausted all the places he could think of to nibble on, Teecie was extremely relaxed and ready for her final NEWT.

Since there was only one other seventh year attempting a Healing NEWT, Teecie didn't have many people to turn to for help revising. Draco kindly spent his Saturday afternoon tea testing her out of her books on facts and figures. He didn't admit it to her, but he was rather impressed with how much knowledge his youngest sister had at such a young age. But it wasn't a surprise really. She was a Malfoy after all, and they'd always been known for their intellectual abilities. Sometimes it was difficult not having many intellectual equals around, but hopefully Ticia would be able to deal with it. Perhaps she'd befriend people at healing school who could stimulate her intellectually. Goodness knows her choice of husbands sure wasn't going to be able to do that.

"Ticia, I believe you have these books memorized," he said by the end of their afternoon together. "If you don't thoroughly impress the officials tomorrow then I will have to have a word with them myself."

Teecie blushed and shrugged her shoulders. "I'll do my best," she murmured. Draco gave her an encouraging hug before sending her on her way.

The next day she was more nervous than she'd been during the last two weeks. Friday was the day that seventh years taking an extra elective course were having their NEWTS. The majority of the students were finished, but a handful still had exams that day.

Teecie and the Ravenclaw boy, Sorin Addison, who was also attempting a Healing NEWT walked up to the Hospital Wing in silence. They were both terrified of what awaited them.

Two desks were set up in the room when they arrived. Master Wilkes smiled encouragingly as they took their seats. "Just try your best," he said while handing them quills and sheets of parchment. "You may begin now," he continued.

Teecie slowly looked down and watched as the questions appeared on the parchment. Her mind reeled as she saw all the intense questions. She was supposed to answer all of those? With a deep sigh of resignation, she set to answering the first one.

The exam was more grueling than she could ever have imagined it to be. She wasn't sure how she'd have anything left to learn at healing school after this. Her eyes were bleary and sore by the time she'd finished.

Master Wilkes sent them off to lunch after collecting the exams, and told them to report back in an hour for the practical. James rubbed Teecie's shoulders while she ate lunch. "Oh it was the hardest test I've ever taken in my entire life," she cried dramatically. "I'm sure I've failed miserably."

"Don't say that, Teecie," James replied. "I'm sure you did just fine."

"Thanks," she muttered before taking a bite of potato salad.

When she had eaten all she possibly could, she walked back up to the Hospital Wing. There were two Ministry officials, as well as two healers. "The healers will conduct the exam while the officials observe," Master Wilkes explained.

Teecie and Sorin were taken to separate parts of the room to be tested. The healer assigned to Teecie was a kind-looking raven-haired woman. "Good afternoon, Miss Orendes, I am Healer Curie, and I'm going to test you today," she said in greeting.

Healer Curie conjured up a projection of a skeletal human hand. "First, I would like you to identify and name all the bones in the hand," she requested nicely.

Teecie had been working for the last two years to perfect anatomy, and was pretty confident that she could do this. There were many bones in the hand, but she started at the top and worked her way down slowly, and was pleased to see that she was able to remember all of them.

Next came identifying several different magical and mundane ailments and explaining the best way to heal them. She also demonstrated the best way to brew a potion to heal a sore throat. The most nerve-wracking, yet interesting moment, was when she was asked to heal a cut on a second year student's arm.

Teecie knew she had nothing to worry about, because if she made a mistake, the healer could fix it for her, but she still didn't want to make a mistake. It was a simple spell, though, and only took a few seconds to perform. The younger student's cut was fully healed, and he smiled and left the room a minute later.

When the exam was over, the healers and Ministry officials left the students alone in the room with Master Wilkes. "How are you doing?" he asked quietly.

Teecie shrugged her shoulders. "OK, I guess," she replied.

Wilkes smiled again before walking to his desk and picking up two elegantly wrapped packages. He handed a blue paper-wrapped package with a bronze bow to Sorin, and a crimson paper-wrapped package with a gold bow to Teecie. "I like to give each of my seventh years a gift at the end of their time here at Hogwarts. To help them on their journey through healing school," he said.

Sorin opened his gift and grinned to see a book about herbs and their abilities to cure magical ailments. "Thank you, sir," he said gratefully. "Herbology is going to be my focus at school, so I know I'll get a lot of use out of this."

Teecie's gift took her breath away and brought tears to her eyes. She opened up the paper to see a pink stethoscope nestled in it. "You once asked me if you could have a pink stethoscope," Master Wilkes said quietly. "And I told you they didn't make pink ones. So…I had one specially made for you."

Teecie sniffled as she examined it. Her initials had been engraved on the round metal piece. She slowly draped it around her neck and grinned up at him. "Thank you!" she cried before giving him a big hug.

Wilkes cleared his throat and looked at the two students. "All right, now I want you to go out into the world, and become the best healers you can be, and try with everything you do, to make a difference. You don't have to find the cure to a major disease or transform the world to make a difference. Often times it's the little things that mean the most to people. Never forget that," he said hoarsely as though trying to remain composed. "So, go on and get out of here! Go celebrate. You've finished your NEWTS. You've earned it!"

Teecie and Sorin grinned before turning and hurrying out of the Hospital wing. James was waiting for her in the common room when she arrived. "How did it go?" he asked anxiously.

"Great, I think," she said before throwing her arms around him. "And look at what Master Wilkes gave me…" She had to explain what a stethoscope was, and how Muggles used it to listen to the heartbeat.

"That was nice of him," James said, looking impressed. "You'll have to pack it away with everything else in a few days."

"I can't believe we've finished school. We really made it. I never thought I'd finish Hogwarts."

"It is weird to think about what happens next, isn't it? A lot of stuff is happening all at once. Everything's changing. We'll be married in a month," James said quietly. "Then we'll have to go on our honeymoon, and find a place to live, and then we'll start up with school again. It's all happening so fast."

The weekend and next week were spent saying goodbyes to professors and packing trunks and spending time out of doors by the lake. Teecie and James enjoyed flying on his broom and skimming their feet in the water.

On Saturday, everybody walked down to Hogsmeade for the dedication of the war memorial. It seemed like everybody in the Wizarding world had gathered there, and it was nearly so. People from countries all across Europe filled the streets and shops, making it difficult to walk to the field where the dedication was being held.

Teecie's parents had already written to her telling her they'd not be in attendance. She knew neither of them felt comfortable being in public in such circumstances. Lucius was certain that he'd not be welcome there, and Adriana had never been involved in the wars, so she didn't want to go either. Draco and his family were there, as were Reni, Peter, and Hunter, and Paul and Kali. Jaron had been left with Lucius and Adriana.

They were able to make their way towards the front of the memorial by the time it began. Minister Vane stood on top of a small stage, behind a podium, and spoke to the crowd. "Good afternoon to you all," she said in greeting. "I would like to welcome you all to the dedication of the war memorial. Today marks the twentieth anniversary of VV Day, the day the man known as Lord Voldemort was destroyed. Victory over Voldemort…the day we learned to never fear the name again. Those of us who were alive then will never forget what we were doing when this day arrived. Many of us were responsible for this day's success. An even larger number, however, never got to see this day. In the two wars, we experienced heavy casualties. Not just here, but in all of Europe. The memorial is dedicated to all of those who are no longer with us. This memorial will stand here forever, reminding us of why we fight against evil and hatred."

During a pause, Hunter asked loudly, "Daddy, what is a war?"

As Peter tried to shush him, Minister Vane smiled. "Let us hope that for generations to come, children can ask that very question, and never have to find out the answer for themselves," she said. The crowd chuckled at this. When they had quieted down, Minister Vane looked serious. "I spent many hours looking for the right quote with which to dedicate this memorial. I searched Muggle books from wars centuries ago and found nothing that seemed quite appropriate. I read the works of Greek philosophers, and could find nothing that was just right. In the end, I realized that there was no perfect quote to sum up a war. To sum up hundreds of people who died in a war. Words cannot truly express the horrors of war; the suffering, the terror. Yet, in the end, words are all we are left with. All we have left to try and begin again. And so, I will leave you today in silence; perhaps the best tribute to the fallen, and to the survivors, that I can give them." With that, she waved her wand, and the dark green cloth covering the memorial dissolved, revealing what was underneath.

Teecie was speechless at the beauty of it. A tall obsidian obelisk towered high above the ground. There were names etched in it—the names of everybody who had died in both of the wars. Water trickled down the obelisk into a small pool at the bottom. The water flowed out of the pool down a stream into a field of red poppies down at the bottom of the hill.

Silently, people made their way up to look at the pillar. Teecie and James watched as Harry Potter, the first one there, brought his hand up and traced the names of his parents. He stood there for a few minutes, alone, letting the water flow over his hand, seeming to feel some sort of connection to the names. George Weasley stood next to him, his hand on his back in a show of support. After a few minutes, they walked down the hill, arm-in-arm, to follow the stream to the field of poppies.

Teecie waited for her turn to walk past the pillar. It was sad to see how many names were etched into it. She didn't recognize most of the names, except for a few surnames here and there. She did see Albus Dumbledore's name, and recalled the things her mother had told her about him. He'd been a most wonderful man, apparently, and the Wizarding World would never be the same again now that he was gone.

James held her hand as they walked down the hill to the field of flowers. It was beautiful down there, and they walked around silently before feeling ready to return to the school.

It felt strange that night at the school. All the students said their goodbyes to one another. It was their leaving feast, the last one they'd ever attend. It seemed somehow appropriate to come after the dedication of the war memorial. This was a new beginning for them all. A new world with wonderful, scary, and happy experiences awaiting them.

As James and Teecie prepared to board the Hogwarts Express the next morning for the final time, they clasped hands, looked at one another, grinned, and set off on the next great adventure that life had in store for them.


	106. Epilogue

Epilogue

Fifteen Years Later

_Teecie hurried home from work one afternoon, determined not to be late. She had a most important appointment to keep. It had been a tough day, and she was rather tired, but her commitment was more important than her exhaustion._

_When she arrived at her home in Hogsmeade, she set her healing bag down on the kitchen counter, kissed her husband James hello, and walked up the stairs to the second floor. At the end of the long hallway, there was a room decorated entirely in pink. She smiled brightly and walked into the room._

_"Hi mummy!" a young red-haired girl cried from the seat she was sitting in at a miniature table laden with small china teacups and saucers. "It's time for tea!"_

_Teecie bent down and wrapped her arms around her youngest child and only daughter. "Hello, Alison, how are you today?" she asked while sitting down in the chair across from her._

_Alison beamed at her mother. "Good! Guess what, mummy, today at school I wrote my name!" she cried._

_"Oh, my brilliant baby girl! You are so smart," Teecie crowed proudly._

_Alison flushed happily and picked up a small pink tea pot. She poured water into two teacups, and held one out to her mother. "Guess what, mummy!" she cried excitedly after Teecie had sipped from her cup a few times._

_"What, darling?" she asked curiously._

_"Nicky was telling me that you and papa were still at Hogwarts when you got married. Is that true? Will you tell me how you and papa got married?" Alison asked imploringly. "I always wanted to know!"_

_Teecie smiled and set her tea cup down. Alison copied her, but accidentally tipped it over in the process. She had inherited her Grandmother Tonks's gift of grace. Teecie didn't reprimand her daughter, but took out her wand and cleared up the spill before smiling at the thought of her wedding day. "Well…where to begin?" she murmured to herself. There were definitely things she'd have to gloss over for her impressionable daughter, but it would still be a fun story for her daughter to hear. "It was in July, only about a month after we had left Hogwarts in our seventh year…"_

"Mum, do you think we'll be able to fit all these gifts into our flat?" Teecie asked while examining a large silver paper-wrapped box that sat on the dining room table among a gigantic pile of other boxes.

"I'm sure they'll all fit," Adriana assured her daughter, though she looked doubtful. "If they don't, you can keep them here until you have your house built. Where are you thinking of having it built again?"

"Hogsmeade, if possible," Teecie replied distractedly as she ran to a window to open it for the owl that was fluttering outside. It had a small parcel that she detached from its leg. She added it to the pile on the table while the owl flew back out the window.

"Oh, that should be nice for you and James," Adriana said in a quiet voice. "You'll have to visit often, though."

"We will, mum, I promise," Teecie said as she gave her mother a hug.

Adriana looked around the room. "Oh look at this mess! Your wedding is in two days and we have to get this place cleaned up, inside and out!" She began to run around and items began to dust themselves as she passed by them. "And I have to start cooking too!"

"Mum, Tonks is coming over to help, remember? Everything is going to be just fine!" Teecie cried.

Adriana didn't calm down until Lucius came home from work and pulled her aside to snuggle while listening to her pour out all her concerns. Once they'd finished, she was fine, and Tonks arrived soon after to help out. Between the four of them, they made light work of the cleaning.

"You'd better go get dressed for your hen party, Teecie," Tonks said as she carried a pile of dirty dishes into the kitchen. "James is already out with his mates on his stag party."

"That's right, James told me they were going to the Knockturn Alley Mission…I hope they don't hire a stripper!" Teecie said while rolling her eyes.

"Well Daniel planned it, so there probably will be one…" Tonks warned.

"Patty's planning mine, so there's probably going to be one at mine too," Teecie said with a shrug.

Sure enough, there was a male stripper at Teecie's hen party. Paige covered her eyes the entire time, but Teecie and Patty hooted and whistled at him, enjoying themselves perhaps a little too much.

"Did you have to stick the galleon so far down his briefs?" Paige hissed at Teecie.

"Well I had to make sure it would stay!" Teecie cackled while taking a sip of her pint. "He deserved to be paid well for his job."

"Did he really deserve it?" Patty asked while wriggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh, yeah, he totally did!" Teecie confirmed before breaking out into giggles. "In fact, I made sure to give him an extra galleon because he really, really deserved it."

Paige shuddered. "You're going to be a married woman," she admonished.

"Married, but not dead! And besides, I'm not married yet!" Teecie cried. "It's not like I shagged the man."

"That might have been nice," Patty said.

"Yeah, but I've had my share of guys. I'm sticking with James from here on out. Although…I will miss some of the guys I was with. Chet…they didn't call him 'Chewie' for nothing, let me tell you. He did things with his tongue that—"

"Oh, Teecie, stop it!" Paige cried while flushing as red as a lobster. "I don't need to know this sort of stuff about you."

"What did he do with his tongue?" Patty asked, ignoring her sister.

Teecie grinned and leaned over to whisper in Patty's ear. Patty screamed a few moments later and began to laugh. "He could really do that?" she asked. Teecie grinned and nodded her head. "Oh, wow, no wonder you kept him around as long as you did!" Patty said while shaking her head in wonderment.

"Yeah, I might try to get James to try it out sometime," Teecie said with a shrug.

"I might make Daniel try it on me," Patty added.

The two continued talking in this manner for some time until Paige declared an end to the party. "You need to get your sleep so you can get ready for the wedding. It's the day after tomorrow!" she said while walking with her to the fireplace. "You're in no shape to floo home alone, so I'll go with you and make sure you get there safely. Patty you stay here, I'll be right back." With that, she led Teecie, who was trying her best to remain upright, over to the fireplace.

Adriana was waiting in the living room for her when they arrived. She took over for Paige, thanked her, and helped Teecie get ready for bed. "I had a feeling you'd be drunk," she sighed.

"I only had a few beers, mum," Teecie giggled. "Oh mum you should have seen the stripper; he had the most amazing—"

"I'm sure it was spectacular, dear," Adriana said while rolling her eyes. "Now brush your teeth." She held onto Teecie's arm while Teecie brushed her teeth and washed her face. She set a trash bin by the side of Teecie's bed, and made sure her daughter fell asleep on her side.

Teecie had never felt pain like she did that next morning. The light of the sun filtering through the curtains into her room felt like a dagger stabbing her eyes. She moaned and covered her head with one of her pillows, hoping to block it all out.

Adriana came into her room a little while later with a glass of blue liquid in her hands. "Here, honey, drink this and you should feel better. I brewed it just this morning for you," she said in a whisper.

Teecie slowly sat up and took the glass from Adriana. She sniffed it cautiously before sipping it. When she realized it didn't taste gross, she drank the rest of the drink in a few gulps. It immediately made her head feel better. "What is this?" she asked.

"It's a restorative potion," Adriana replied. "You should be fine now, which is good, because the seamstress is here to see if there need to be any other alterations made to the dress. So get up and get ready because she's a very busy woman. We don't want to keep her waiting."

Teecie jumped up and was dressed and ready in record time. The seamstress helped her into the dress, and spent over an hour making her turn around and around, until she was dizzy. The seamstress made little changes here and there, until she nodded her head approvingly. "It looks just perfect," she declared. "My work here is done!"

When Teecie had changed out of her dress again, she spent most of the day packing up everything in her bedroom. She'd be moving to a flat in London when she and James returned from their honeymoon in France. They'd be visiting Paris, EuroDisney—the closest James was going to get to Disneyland any time soon, as well as the French Riviera for a little sunbathing. "But no nude beaches," James said, "I won't have all those men staring at you."

Teecie was sad to see her room packed away into trunks and boxes. This night would be her last night at home. Well, her family home. She'd have a new home that she made with James to return to. That was a heart-warming thought.

For the rest of the day, she walked through the farm, enjoying the sun as it beat down upon her. She walked through the wheat field, the apple orchard, and sat out under the olive tree on the hill. As the sun began to fall behind the hills, she went to the barn to feed and water the animals one last time. She milked the cows for her parents a final time, and carried the pail back to the house for them.

It was difficult for her to make it back to the house from the barn, because of all the stacks of chairs and tables dotting the yard. The workers had dropped off the things needed for the wedding that day, to make for easier assembly the next day. Towers of chairs tottered precariously, making her wonder if they'd last through the night without crashing to the ground.

Adriana made Teecie's favourite spaghetti and meatballs for dinner that night. "Your last dinner with us," she sniffled while putting sauce on her daughter's pasta for her. "My last baby, leaving the house and getting married."

Lucius patted her hand sympathetically. "I can hardly believe that you are old enough to be getting married, Ticia," he said in a strained voice. "It seems like only yesterday I was changing your nappies and feeding you strained peas from a jar."

Teecie smiled sadly. "You've been the best parents a girl could wish for," she said quietly. "I'll miss you both, but I won't stay away for long. We'll see each other all the time."

That night, Teecie lay awake in bed, thinking about James. By this time tomorrow, she'd be Mrs. Ticia Lupin, on her wedding night. The next day was sure to be very emotional, but fun. For a long time she was too excited to sleep, but finally, she was able to drift off to sleep.

"Ticia wake up!" Adriana yelled the next morning, waking her daughter out of a deep sleep. "It's time to go to the beauty parlour!"

Teecie stumbled out of bed and dressed to go get her hair and make up done. The wedding wasn't until later that afternoon, so she could enjoy her time getting ready. She was stretching out luxuriously and thinking about what she wanted for breakfast when Adriana pounded on the door again. "Ticia Enora get up this instant! Don't you know what we have to do today? You have no time to waste!" she shouted. Teecie gasped and jumped out of bed. She hurriedly dressed and emerged from her room only to have her mother grab her by the arm and start talking so quickly she couldn't understand. Maybe it wasn't going to be as relaxing as she'd thought…

Patty, Paige, and Kali were all bridesmaids, so they joined Teecie and Adriana at the beauty parlour to prepare. They spent a few hours getting their hair and make up done, laughing and talking the entire time.

Teecie's curls were swept back and carefully tied into a French braid. After that, her face was given only the lightest touches of make up to highlight her features. By the time her make up was done, the others were as well. Each of her bridesmaids had their hair rolled into chignons.

Adriana did her hair differently. She had the edges of her hair curled, and pulled back the hair by her ears with bobby pins, so it looked full and bounced when she walked.

"Oh mum, you look like one of those old actresses," Teecie said while admiring her mother.

"Albus used to tell me I looked just like Hedy Lamarr when we went to the picture shows back then," Adriana said while admiring herself in a mirror. Teecie had no idea who that was, but she nodded her head anyway.

When they were all finished, they returned to the property to dress. Teecie was too nervous to eat, so Adriana helped her into her dress while the bridesmaids ate sandwiches in the kitchen.

Teecie had chosen the design for the dress herself while she was still in school, and had given her mother the drawings. Adriana had given them, along with Teecie's measurements to the seamstress. It had taken a few fittings once Teecie had left school to finish it properly, but it had turned out perfectly. It was off-white, and had a form-fitting strapless bodice, and a long floor-length skirt and train. The bodice and hem were edged with pink and cream embroidery in a series of curlicues and swirls. She had also chosen not to wear a veil with it, so the dress could stand out on its own more.

Teecie wore her amethyst earrings and necklace that her father and brother had given her when she was younger. This was her "something old". "My dress is new, that counts," she declared, for her "something new". Paige loaned her a handkerchief for the "something borrowed". "Blue…something blue…" Teecie murmured while looking around.

"What about putting on a pair of blue underwear?" Patty suggested.

"But I'm not wearing underwear…" Teecie replied.

"What?" Adriana cried. "Ticia Enora, I absolutely forbid you—"

Teecie started to laugh. "I'm only joking mum! But I can go find a blue pair. That will be perfect." She ran off to change while Adriana poured herself her first shot of ouzo for the day.

Adriana stood next to her and looked in the mirror at her daughter. Her eyes filled with tears. "You're so beautiful," she murmured while the tears spilled down onto her cheeks. "My baby…I can't believe it…"

"Mum, please don't cry. This is a happy day! Come on, why don't you go get dressed too. You'll feel better in your new dress," Teecie said while giving her mother a hug.

Adriana emerged from her bedroom some time later wearing what looked like a modernized version of a flapper dress. It was burgundy, with a drop waist that settled around her hips, embroidery and rosettes marking the waistline, and a two-layered skirt, the top of which was sheer and settled about her calves in ribbon-hemmed points. Over the sleeveless top, there was a sheer jacket of the same material as the skirt, also covered in embroidery and rosettes.

Teecie smiled and linked arms with her as they walked into the kitchen together. Lucius looked up and broke into a huge grin. He walked over to Adriana and kissed her cheek. He looked over at Teecie and smiled sadly. "Look at you," he murmured before kissing her cheek as well.

Paige jumped up and ran to Teecie. "Oh my goodness! You look so gorgeous!" she squealed. "Oh someday when I get married I hope I'll look as beautiful as you do." Patty and Kali walked over to her to admire the dress as well. They had already changed into their own dresses.

The bridesmaids were all wearing pale powder blue dresses with fitted strapless tops that fell to their hips, opening in a slant at the front to reveal the A-line belled skirt that left just the tips of their shoes showing. The waist was marked with a slightly darker blue sash and bow of the same material. Both Patty and Kali looked somewhat uncomfortable in them, but Paige seemed to be in seventh heaven. "I think this is the closest I'll ever come to dressing like a princess," she declared while twirling around in front of a full-length mirror. Lucius heard this and rolled his eyes.

Things went pretty quick after that. The caterers and baker arrived with the wedding cake and food to set up. The string quartet arrived as well. They were all members of the Wizarding world, so Lucius and Adriana were able to start setting up the chairs and tables from where they sat on the porch swing. 2

The actual ceremony would be taking place in front of the pond, and when the Ministry official arrived, Adriana led him down there to wait until the ceremony began.

The first set of people to arrive was the Lupins. James was hurriedly led into Lucius's den. Teecie had returned to her bedroom, and wasn't allowed out so that James wouldn't have a chance to see her before the wedding.

Family members and guests began to arrive soon afterwards. Nobody noticed when James slipped out of the study door and knocked quietly on Teecie's bedroom door. "Teecie?" he called out quietly.

A few seconds later, he heard her voice from the other side of the door respond. "James?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's me. I just wanted to say that today is the best day of my entire life," he said earnestly. "I wish I could see you, but I know we have to wait until the wedding."

"But that's just an old superstition," Teecie called back.

"So?"

"I don't believe in superstitions," Teecie said while opening the door, grabbing James by the hand and pulling him into her room.

James stood before Teecie, speechless as he drank in her beauty. Teecie gazed at the man in front of her. He was wearing formal black wizard robes with red accents. Teecie's heart fluttered as she looked at him. Within seconds, they were in one another's arms, snogging like the other was going to disappear forever if they stopped.

The two were on her bed, Teecie's dress pulled up to her waist, James's trousers down around his ankles, deeply embroiled in their activity when there was a loud knock on the door. "Ticia? It's time to get ready. We have about ten minutes, dear," Tonks's voice called out.

Teecie tried to catch her breath before answering her. "All right, I'll be right there," she said while James stood up, looking very frustrated, and started to put his clothes on again. "Go out the window and into the den again," she whispered to him.

James hurried to the window, opened it, and slipped out. When Teecie's dress was straightened out again, and her hair put right, she took a deep breath and walked to the door. "Hello, Tonks," she said brightly.

"Oh, call me mum," Tonks said with a smile. "Is James back in the study, then?" she asked casually while walking towards the study door.

"Uh…er…what?" Teecie stammered while flushing brightly.

"My dear, I had a wedding day too once, you know," she said knowingly with a wink before Teecie closed the door again.

Teecie tried to not feel too mortified in the remaining minutes alone. The next knock on the door was from her father. "It's time to go," he called out to her.

When Teecie had left the room and was standing next to Lucius, he wrapped his arms around her tightly. "My last child," he murmured sadly. "I can't believe you're getting married."

Teecie held onto her father for a minute before he pulled away. "Best not keep them waiting," he said, now showing none of the vulnerability he'd shown a moment ago. He held out his arm, and Teecie took it. Together, they walked out of the house, and down towards the pond.

There was a very large crowd of people waiting when they arrived at the back of the seating area. When the two arrived, the music struck up more loudly, and all the guests rose from their seats as she and Lucius walked past them.

Once they'd made it to where James was standing, the music stopped, and the Ministry official told everyone to be seated. Teecie and James grinned at one another while the official asked who was offering Ticia in marriage. Lucius took a deep breath, looked at the official proudly and said, "Her mother and I do." The official nodded his head and remained silent while Lucius kissed Teecie on the cheek and sat down in his chair next to Adriana.

The ceremony went off without a hitch, with James and Teecie saying their vows to one another. The only problem came when Hunter, the ring bearer, was to present the rings on the pillow to them. He seemed embarrassed to be holding onto a pink pillow and didn't want to lift it up and show all the guests what he was holding.

"May I have the rings please?" the official asked while holding out his hand to Hunter. Hunter shook his head and clutched the pillow tightly against himself. "Um…please?" the official asked again.

Hunter bit his lip before tossing the pillow at him and turning to glare at Teecie. "I hate pink!" he hissed loudly. "Pink is for girls!"

Teecie narrowed her eyes and bent down as though to kiss his cheek. "Behave yourself or I'll tell your mother," she hissed back before kissing his cheek and standing up again. Hunter stood stock still after that, and gladly took the pillow back when the official had taken the rings off of it.

When the vows had been exchanged and the rings placed on one another's hands, the official pronounced them husband and wife. "You may now kiss the bride," he said with a smile.

James looked deeply into Teecie's eyes for a moment before leaning down and kissing her gently. When they broke apart she noticed that he had tears in his eyes. She squeezed his hand encouragingly while the official called out to the crowd, "It is my great pleasure, to introduce to you, for the first time in public, Mr. and Mrs. James Lupin!"

The crowd broke out into applause, and the string quartet began to play once more. Teecie and James walked back down the aisle again, feeling relieved that it was all over and now the fun could begin.

The rest of the wedding party joined them at the end of the aisle. It felt like hours before everybody had made their way past the receiving line. Teecie, whose stomach was growling angrily at her now, was afraid all the food would be gone by the time they had a chance to eat.

It took a long time, but there was still plenty of food by the time James and Teecie were able to fill plates with food and sit down for a while to eat together. "So, how are you doing…husband?" Teecie asked casually with a grin.

James beamed at her and spoke through a mouthful of chicken. "Great, and how about you…wife?"

Teecie giggled. "Oh I love the sound of that. Husband and wife, finally! It feels so right, doesn't it?" she asked before taking a dainty bite of her pasta salad.

After they'd eaten their fill of food, they wandered through the tables and spoke to all of the guests. There was a lot of congratulating and well-wishing, as well as a few "mazel tovs" cried for the newlyweds.

Many of the people Teecie didn't know, because they were friends of Draco or her parents. Most of Draco's guests were his age, so that made them easier to distinguish. The people Teecie was most looking forward to seeing were her classmates. Most, with the exception of some of the Slytherins who hated her, were there.

"Oh you look so gorgeous!" Carl cried before giving her a huge hug. He had been one of James's groomsmen, but hadn't had a chance to talk to her until now. "I hope I look that hot on my wedding day." Rey grinned and nodded his head in agreement.

Patty and Paige gave the bride and groom hugs and congratulated them. "I'm next!" Patty cried happily.

Zeren shook James's hand politely and kissed Teecie's cheek. "Congratulations," he murmured quietly.

"Thank you, Zeren," Teecie said with a smile. Nobody was able to say anything else because Portia Weasley walked over to them and handed Zeren a drink. A moment later, she tugged on his arm and led him away from them. "Zeren's going to have to be careful with her," Teecie commented to James. "She's only going into fourth year and already has her eyes set on him."

James wrinkled his nose. "Let's not worry about them tonight. Tonight, is our night," he said as the string quartet began to play music again. They walked to the dance floor that had been placed out in the apple orchard earlier that day.

Teecie would never forget walking onto the dance floor, and letting James sweep her off her feet. It was twilight, and the fireflies began to twinkle and fly around them. The rest of the world dissolved around them, and all that existed was James and the dance and the fireflies. It was a memory that would remain with Teecie until her dying day.

When their dance ended, she looked over and saw Lucius standing at the edge of the dance floor, waiting for his turn. He smiled and walked over to her. She was surprised at how good at dancing he was. He'd been using a cane for such a long time, she'd assumed that he would be somewhat slower, but he managed to dazzle both her and the crowd. It was the first time in years that it was just her and Lucius, father and daughter, enjoying being together. There had been a time when all she'd wanted to do was to stay at home with her father and take care of him forever. But she'd grown up since then, and everything had changed. But for that moment, she was that little girl again, with her father's arms protectively around her, keeping her safe from the darkness outside.

When their dance ended, it seemed as though every man there wanted to dance with her. Draco, Uncle Sev, Roo, and even Hunter each demanded a dance. She could see James dancing with Tonks and Adriana. He also danced with Kali and even with Reni, in spite of the fear she struck in him. It was a wonderful evening. Soon the dance floor was full of dancing couples.

It felt like hours had past when the couples left the dance floor to find seats to rest their tired legs. Teecie sat down in a chair and rested her legs on James's lap. He massaged her feet while more people filed past them to wish them well.

"Ticia, James, it's time to cut the cake!" Remus said with a smile a little while later. He led the two of them over to where Adriana was standing with a knife in her hand. She handed it to Teecie and stepped back from the cake.

The cake was beautiful. It was four tiers and covered in edible multihued miniature roses. Flakes of white chocolate filled in the cracks left by the flowers. Teecie and James held the knife together and made the first slice. Adriana took over again and cut a small piece for each of them.

James and Teecie smiled before feeding one another bites of the cake. The crowd that had gathered around them applauded while Adriana cut pieces of the cake to hand out to everybody.

While everybody else ate, Hunter walked over to James for a talk. "Does this mean you're my brother now?" he asked excitedly.

"Nope, it means I'm your uncle," James replied with a grin.

"This is so cool!" Hunter cried. "And Teecie is still my aunt?"

"Yes, I am," Teecie said, ruffling his black hair.

"Can I come with you to EuroDisney?" Hunter asked hopefully.

"I'm sorry, Hunter, not this time," Teecie replied. "Maybe next time. This time is just for James and me. It's our honeymoon."

"My mummy and daddy went on a honeymoon. They brought me home presents. Will you bring me presents too?"

James knelt down and looked at Hunter. "What would you like us to bring back for you?" he asked kindly.

Hunter looked thoughtful for a moment. "A cousin!" he finally answered resolutely.

Both James and Teecie flushed and looked awkwardly at Hunter. "Umm…how about a nice box of fudge instead?" James asked after a few moments.

"OK, fudge is good too!" With that, Hunter turned and ran off to play with Roo.

Once everyone had eaten, Teecie decided to throw the bouquet. All her girlfriends gathered around, giggling and squealing over the prospects of catching it. Most of the young men from her class gathered around them to watch who caught it. Teecie turned her back on the crowd and tossed the bouquet over her shoulder.

There was a collective gasp and a few screams and then the crowd burst into laughter. Teecie whirled around to see Zeren standing with the bouquet in his hands, trying not to look mortified. Portia Weasley sidled up to him and smiled demurely at him. He promptly handed her the flowers and slipped out of the crowd. Portia looked down at the flowers for a few seconds before turning and hurrying off after him.

After a little more dancing, and talking, the guests began to leave. Teecie and James were exhausted, slouched in chairs, nearly asleep as people say their goodbyes to them.

When the last of the guests had finally left, Adriana, Lucius, Tonks, and Remus approached their children. "Well, don't you think it's time you set off for your hotel?" Lucius asked as James and Teecie sat up and looked at them.

James looked at Teecie while she yawned sleepily and rubbed her eyes. There was no way she would be awake enough to enjoy their wedding night. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him gently. "What do you think, should we go now?" He asked quietly. Teecie murmured something that he couldn't understand, put her head on his shoulder, and fell asleep.

The next thing Teecie knew, she was waking up next to James on the hammock in her back yard. She was still wearing her wedding dress, just as he still had his robes on. "What's going on?" she said while sitting up carefully.

James yawned and blinked his eyes until he could see properly. "You fell asleep before we could go to our hotel," he explained while sitting up as well. "So I decided we would sleep here and go off today."

"We spent our wedding night in a hammock in the backyard? That's not exactly romantic, is it?" Teecie mused.

"No, but we can make up for it today," James said with a grin.

Teecie held out her hand and waited for her husband to take it. When he did, they carefully stood up from the hammock and walked towards the house. "After breakfast," she said with a chuckle. With that, they walked into the house, and shut the door behind them.

_"Oh mummy, I wish I could have seen it," she gushed. "You must have been the most beautifulest bride in the whole wide world! And papa must have been the most beautifulest husband ever!"_

_"Oh, he was very handsome that day, but he's handsome every day, I think."_

_"I think so too," Alison said in agreement. "Mummy…Do you think I'll ever get married one day?"_

_"If you want to, I don't see why not."_

_Alison grinned and sipped her tea. She wriggled in the chair she was sitting in. "Is it true that Sevilin is coming over to dinner tonight?" she asked as casually as she could._

_"Yes, Nicky asked us a few days ago, and we said that was all right," Teecie confirmed._

_Alison squirmed in her seat again and flushed. There was no doubt in her mind what boy she wanted to marry, but that was her secret to keep, for now. Instead, she changed the subject as she and Teecie stood up from their tea and started for the door._

_"Mummy, when I go to Hogwarts in five years, will you still be there?"_

_"Most likely. There's always something interesting for a healer to do there," Teecie replied._

_"When I come, can we have tea together still?"_

_"I'm counting on it."_

_Alison grinned and took her mother's hand. Together, they left her bedroom, and walked downstairs for dinner._

Fin

A/N: Much thanks to ElfFlame, who wrote all the descriptions of the clothes in this chapter. I would never have been able to do it justice.

There will be one final post for this story: the appendices. I will make my final thanks there!

-Foodie


	107. The End of All Things

The End of All Things-Appendices for the True Revenge Universe.

A/N: The title comes from a line in The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King.

**Appendix A:** Short Pieces

1. This piece has never been posted before, and was written by ElfFlame. It was to be the start of a future story that was never written, however, since it sets up a lot of what happens to Lucius and Adriana, I am posting it here now.

The Cure

He had been digging through the notes Snape had left scattered across his desk when he found it. Notes about a possible cure for Adriana. There had been a time when Draco would have thrown the notes away. Or worse, burned them. But his hatred of the woman had disappeared long ago. They were comfortable now with each other. And if he could do something to help his father's wife, he would. So, after finding the journal that Snape had sent him to find, he pocketed the note, hurried to the bed-ridden headmaster's side, and promised him a much longer visit next time. His mother laughed at the scowl Snape sent Draco's way.

"Dearest, he does have a family of his own to look after. Besides, I can take care of you just fine."

Snape scowled some more, then turned on his side, and huddled under the blankets. Had the healers not informed Draco that his stepfather had nothing more than a virulent strain of the flu, he might have stayed, but he knew that with Narcissa there, Snape was in good hands.

He flooed to his own home, and hurried down to his lab. Snape's notes suggested that the potions that had caused Adriana's longevity were twofold: one kept her in something that could be termed "heat," and therefore kept her eternally young, and the other that enhanced her natural abilities. If Draco could find a way to turn off the first potion, Adriana might begin to age normally, and be freed from the curse that she despised so.

Draco spent all his free time in his lab, working to concoct something that might be useful, testing different combinations on mice and rats that found their way into his lab. He worked at it for months before finding what he believed was the cure. Heart pounding with trepidation, he set out for the farm to deliver it.

However, once he was face to face with his father and Adriana, he was lost as to how to explain. He started explaining several times before Lucius finally growled at him, "What _**is**_it, Draco?"

"I…may have found the cure."

Lucius snorted. "The cure for what? Wizardpox?"

Draco caught Adriana's eyes. "Your cure, Adriana."

2. This was one of the possibilities for the epilogue. I was thinking of using it, but it wasn't quite right. I decided though, to put it here, as a bit of a hidden scene.

Ticia's life was hectic now that she was three years into healing school. Even though school demanded much from her, she was very content in her life. Her marriage to James was nearly picture-perfect, with only a few minor squabbles over the last few years. But she was anything but happy today. In fact, she was so upset that after classes that day, she flooed to her parents' house for afternoon tea with Adriana. Upon seeing her mother's happy smile, she burst into tears and threw herself into her arms.

Several minutes later, she was seated at the kitchen table, sobbing while her mother wrapped her arms around her shoulders. "Darling, whatever is the matter? I don't like to see you this way," Adriana said in a scared tone.

Ticia continued to cry for a few minutes before pulling away from her mother and wiping away her tears. "I'm pregnant," she whispered while twisting her hands in her lap. "James and I had decided to wait until I'd finished school, and we were always so careful. I have no idea how it happened. I'm just afraid he'll be upset about it. He was always so adamant about waiting."

Adriana hugged Ticia again while she continued to cry. "My dear, I know that James won't be upset," she comforted. "The two of you were very careful in trying not to have a baby, and yet you still got pregnant. Don't you think that's a miracle? I think that means this child is very strong and special to have come through to this world in spite of so many attempts to keep him from doing so. His magic is strong already."

Ticia stopped crying and dropped her hand down to her lower belly. "I never thought about it that way before," she said quietly. "Maybe James will see it that way too."

Adriana moved her hand down next to Ticia's. "Of course he will," she reassured, "He'll be thrilled to find out he's going to be a father."

Ticia smiled and rested her head on Adriana's shoulder. "And I'm going to be a mummy," she said. "A mummy to a real baby of my own."

"I think you should tell him tonight," Adriana advised, "Make his favourite meal tonight, retire to bed early, and after making sweet love, tell him that he's going to be a father."

That night, Ticia did exactly as her mother told her to. She made James's favourite roast pork and stuffing for dinner, and treacle tart for pudding. She was so nervous that she spilled half the rice on the floor while setting the plates onto the table. James didn't seem to notice, though, and wolfed down three helpings. He was in a great mood as Ticia led him by the hand into their bedroom when they'd finished their meal.

The two made love a few times before cuddling in one another's arms. When he was half asleep, she took this opportunity to tell James her good news. "James?" she whispered before kissing her husband's cheek. "I have something important to tell you."

James rested his head on her breast and wrapped his arms around her waist. "What is it?" he asked sleepily.

Ticia took a deep breath and hugged him tightly. "James…I…I'm going to have a baby," she blurted out quickly. "You're going to be a dad, James…" She bit her lip and furrowed her brow while waiting for her husband's reaction.

James's eyes opened wide and he seemed to stop breathing. After several seconds, she patted his shoulder. "James, honey? Are you all right?" she asked.

"A baby? How? I thought we were being careful…" he said slowly while looking at his wife with confusion.

"We were, but it happened anyway," Ticia replied with a frown, "You don't sound happy…you are happy aren't you?" She didn't think she could handle it if James told her he didn't want to have a baby.

James sat up and remained silent for a minute. Finally he broke into a grin and pounced on Ticia. "You have no idea how happy I am!" he cried. "I only said we needed to wait because I knew it would be so hard for you to have a baby and be in school still. But you only have a year left, we can work it out I'm sure."

Ticia sighed with relief and kissed her husband. "Oh James I was so worried that you'd be upset," she said, "I'm so happy!" Her eyes filled with tears, and spilled down onto her cheeks.

"How far along are you? Do you know if it's a boy or a girl? If it's a boy, can we name him after my father?" James asked while wiping her tears away.

"I'm about six weeks along, I don't know if it's a boy or a girl, and if it's a boy, I want to name him after you," Ticia grinned. "James Jr., it's got a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"James Jr.," he murmured, "I do like that." He moved down Ticia's body until his cheek rested on her belly. "Hello, James Jr., this is your daddy," he whispered before kissing Ticia's stomach. "This is the first time I get to put you to bed, so I hope I do it right. Sleep well, have happy dreams, and I'll see you in the morning, all right?" With that, he kissed his wife's stomach one more time before moving back up to hug Ticia.

"I think fatherhood will suit you well," she said as they settled into sleep for the night.

"And you'll make a wonderful mother," James replied while nuzzling her ear. "Goodnight mummy."

"Goodnight daddy. Goodnight James Jr."

Ticia and James's dreams were the sweetest they been in years.

3. This piece is unfinished, and was another possibility for the epilogue, but I decided against it. It's a fun read though, so I'm posting it here. Note-Jem is James Jr.'s nickname.

"James, boys, it's time for dinner!" Teecie called out while putting plates onto the dining room table. James bounded into the room, carrying two year old Nicholas in his arms, while Jem and Stuart ran after him.

"What's for dinner, mummy?" Stuart asked while sitting down in his chair and picking up his knife and fork.

"Stuart, can't you smell it? It's spaghetti," Jem said. "It's always your favourite."

"I love pasketti," Stuart said with a grin, wriggling with excitement. "I want pasketti, mummy!"

James finished settling Nicholas into his high chair, and sat down next to him. "Yes, mummy," he added, "we want pasketti!"

Teecie rolled her eyes and passed out plates of food to her family. When everybody was served, they began to eat and talk. "How was your day, James?" she asked.

"Great," James said before taking a large gulp of pasta. "I'm teaching cursive letters at school, so my students are having fun with that. Some of them are rather good at it, but a few of them will need some extra help."

"But mine is the best, dad, right?" Jem asked as he twirled a few strands of spaghetti onto his fork. "I worked really hard today."

"Yes you did, I'm very proud of you," James said. "You have the best cursive writing of any other second grader." Jem beamed to hear this.

"And what about you, Stuart? What did you do at nursery school today?" Teecie asked. She reached out and ran her fingers through his wispy blonde curls.

"Today we learned about sharing. Sharing is good to do," Stuart said with a mouthful of food. "Would you like one of my meatbulbs?" he asked politely while holding out a meatball on his spoon.

"Thank you Stuart," Teecie replied, accepting her son's gracious gift.

"And what about you Nicky?" James asked. "Did you have fun with Gran today?"

Nicky grinned and nodded his head. "Gran fun!" he cried before picking up a meatball with his fingers and popping it into his mouth. "Feeded ducks!"

"You fed ducks down by the pond? That is fun," James said. "And what about you, Teecie? How was your day?"

Teecie took a deep breath and set her fork down. "Well my day was fine. I had two first year students to take care of who'd somehow managed to remove their eyebrows with some sort of spell, but I helped grow them back. And…I had some really good news," she said, taking another deep breath. She looked around at her husband and sons and grinned. "I…am going to have another baby!"

Nicky clapped his hands, excited for his mother's enthusiasm, but had no idea what she meant.

"Another baby?" Jem asked, wrinkling his nose.

"I like babies," Stuart said with a smile.

James's eyes grew wide at this revelation. "Another baby?" he asked, echoing his eldest son's sentiments.

"Yes, and I have a feeling this one might be a girl!" Teecie replied.

"But honey…you've had that feeling each time…" James murmured while looking at his three sons.

"But this time it feels really right. I know it'll be a girl this time."

James smiled, but didn't say anything. He knew Teecie was going to keep trying for a girl until she had one, so he really hoped this next one was a girl. He felt that four was a good number. Four children were just right for their family. Whatever this one ended up being, he had a feeling it would be their last. Or hoped so at least.

Jem shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Only three more babies after this one and we'll be our own Quidditch team…" he sighed. "Nobody at school has brothers and sisters as young as I do. Everybody is going to laugh at me."

"Oh, you'll be fine, Jem," Teecie assured him. "There's nothing wrong with having siblings."

"Does the baby like pasketti too?" Stuart asked.

"I'm sure he or she will when she's old enough," Teecie replied.

"Good."

"No like babies!" Nicholas shouted before overturning his plate of food onto the carpet beneath his highchair. He banged his fists a few times on the tray of his chair for good measure to emphasize his displeasure.

James waved his wand and cleaned up the mess on the floor before turning to speak with his son. "Nicholas, we do not act like this at the dinner table," he said calmly yet firmly. Teecie held out a plate of fresh food for him which James set on the tray. "No more throwing food on the floor," he admonished before sitting down again.

When he was back in his chair, James turned to his wife and smiled. "Well I'm sure this is going to be a wonderful thing for our family," he said brightly while looking at Jem and Nicholas who were glumly eating their food. Only Stuart seemed excited about another sibling.

Teecie beamed and nodded her head. "I've already started making plans for how to decorate her room. It'll be pink of course, oh and we'll need to work with a contractor to build her a cradle that's shaped like a pink castle, and she'll need all new furniture for her room," she said before launching into plans for the baby's first five years of life for the next half hour.

That night James fell asleep before his head hit the pillow. He was utterly exhausted from what he knew was to be a very long nine months to come. Teecie had been like this for every one of her pregnancies. They'd had to redo their children's rooms each time, because she insisted on pink frilly colours before they'd been born. It wasn't always bad, though, he thought the next morning as he got out of bed. Teecie was always insatiable with him, and he was sure to be greatly rewarded for what she put him through.

Teecie woke up that morning and was overwhelmed with the need to thank James for the wonderful gift of a child he was giving her. They were going to have a daughter, after almost ten years of trying. She loved her sons dearly, but a part of her would always yearn for a girl that she could talk with and play with and share secrets with. She knew this was the one. This would be her girl. Of course it would take the next nine months to find out for sure, but in her heart and soul, she knew.

Nine months later, the midwife put Teecie's daughter in her arms for the very first time. Teecie sobbed with joy to look down at the tiny bundle she'd waited a decade for. James beamed at the two and puffed his chest out proudly. "Look at my baby girl," he said. "She's the most beautiful girl in the world, except for her mother of course."

Jem, Stuart, and Nicholas ran into the room a few minutes later to gaze upon their newest sibling. "You were right, mum, it is a girl," Jem confirmed with a nod of his head.

"Girl! Eeewww!" Stuart cried before running out of the room. Being four years old, girls were something he tried to avoid at all costs.

Nicholas toddled over to her and petted her forehead. "Tiny baby," he said. "She mine?"

"This is your sister," Teecie answered.

"What's her name?" Jem asked.

"Alison," James replied. "Alison Lupin, it has quite a ring to it, wouldn't you say?"

Jem shrugged his shoulders. "I guess so," he said.

**Appendix B:** Ticia and James Lupin

Ticia-Born: February 14, 2001 Died: November 9, 2138

James-Born: January 15, 2001 Died: October 12, 2137

Upon finishing healing school, Teecie got word of Master Wilkes's resignation from Hogwarts. She and James lived in Hogsmeade, with one young child, and a post near their home sounded ideal to them. She applied, and received the job as healer for the school. She and James had four children: James Jr., otherwise known as Jem (Ravenclaw), born in 2024, Stuart (Hufflepuff), born in 2028, Nicholas (Slytherin), born in 2030, and Alison (Gryffindor), born in 2033.

While Teecie was a healer at Hogwarts, James was a primary school teacher at the local magical school. Each of his four children were in his class, and he enjoyed watching them learn and grow. When they were old enough, Teecie enjoyed seeing them regularly at Hogwarts. Alison inherited her grandmother Tonk's clumsiness, and because of that she spent a lot of time in the Hospital Wing with her mother.

When Remus retired from his post as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, James applied and was accepted as his father's replacement. He was able to continue watching as his children grew into adulthood.

While Jem never married, James and Teecie's three other children married. When they had grown, Jem remained happily single, enjoying his freedom. Stuart ended up marrying the granddaughter of Bill and Fleur Weasley. Nicholas married Annie Wood, daughter of Patty and Daniel Wood. They ended up having four children, three boys and a girl—just like his parents. Alison eventually followed in her mother's footsteps and fell for a Travers(James was "thrilled"), and, after many trials and tribulations, won and married him, as seen in the story "Memories" by ElfFlame. They had three children together, twin boys, and a girl.

Teecie never discovered the cure for the werewolf bite, and James never became Headmaster of Hogwarts, but they were both happy together. They indeed lived, happily ever after. Both lived long lives, and died peacefully, leaving behind children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren who cherished their memories of James and Ticia.

**Appendix C**: Draco Malfoy

Born: June 5, 1980 Died: June 6, 2135

Draco became Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry upon Severus Snape's retirement. He would remain there until his death, and would be known as the most organized headmaster in Hogwarts history. He also went much farther than his predecessors in forging relationships with other schools throughout Europe. Under his ministrations, Hogwarts became a part of a larger magical community than it had been previously.

His three children with Tanith: Lisandra, Melantha, and Rouvin. Lisandra married a man her father helped to arrange a marriage to, and was very happy in her life. They had three children, two girls and a boy. Melantha, ever the rebel, became the first girl to make it onto the Slytherin Quidditch team, and married James Potter-Weasley, much to her father's chagrin. They had one child, a son named Lucas, named after Mel's grandfather. Rouvin rebelled even further, reclaiming the Malfoy name his father had dropped at his mother's insistence and had never reclaimed. He took over Malfoy Manor, restoring it to a vastly improved version of its older self. He also married a girl from the Travers family that his father did not approve of, and only after they had a son together. In a truly Malfoy move, that boy was named: Edwin Sebastian Althos Lucien Draconus Prince Travers Black Malfoy…

Tanith died ten years before Draco did, but he threw himself into his work, and did his best to keep himself busy and devoted himself to his school and the students.

During his years as Headmaster, he continued to experiment with potions, and managed to find the cure to Adriana's longevity. This would help alter the course of his family's history forever.

Draco died in his sleep, and was buried next to his wife at the traditional Malfoy family burial grounds.

**Appendix D:** Renata Weasley

Born: January 15, 1996 Died: April 23, 2150

Renata's musical career took off when she became the new lead singer for the Weird Sisters rock band after the former lead singer retired. She revitalized the band for a whole new generation, bringing in her love for Muggle music to a world who'd never heard the music before. Her family joined her on the road when she was touring Britain, at least until Hunter and Jaron entered Hogwarts.

Peter Weasley quit his job at the Ministry of Magic, and worked at his wife's manager and accountant. He loved being close to her, and his children.

Renata had two children. Hunter, born December 22, 2013, to Philip Knight, and Jaron, born December 25, 2018, to Peter Weasley. Both boys attended Hogwarts. Hunter was sorted into Slytherin house, and Jaron to Gryffindor house. They did well at school, and grew into happy adults. Hunter married a sweet girl named Alicia Dover, one of the orphans at Harry and George's orphanage. Jaron remained single and put all his energy into his composing career. He took after his mother in the music-department, though his passion was classical music.

Reni retired from the music business once she was assured of her status as rock goddess in the Wizarding World. Peter retired as well when she did, and the two spent the rest of their days traveling the world.

**Appendix E:** Kalare Weasley

Born: August 22, 1999 Died: October 2, 2079

Kalare never played Quidditch professionally, but she and Paul passed on the love of the sport to their children. When Kali gave birth to her daughter, Magdalena, in 2027, it nearly killed her. The pregnancy had been quite difficult, but the birth proved too much for her. Kali and Paul adopted six other children: Christopher, b. 2023; Evan, b. 2025; Kira, b. 2027; Harper, b. 2028; Danae, b. 2030, and Nathan, b. 2031. They trained all seven kids to be their own Quidditch team. They were a large, loud, extremely happy family.

Kali passed away at a very young age, for a witch, due to her past health problems, leaving Paul a devastated widower. He devoted his life to his children and grandchildren in response, and eventually learned to enjoy life without his beloved lifemate. He passed away at the age of one hundred and forty five years old, surrounded by his loved ones.

**Appendix F:** Severus Snape

Born: January 9, 1959 Died: March 24, 2114

Severus retired as Headmaster from Hogwarts in 2060, and enjoyed the rest of his years with his wife, Narcissa. He continued to experiment with his potions, and became renowned, world-wide for his strides in potions-making. At the turn of the century, he created a potion that fully repressed the symptoms of lycanthropy during the full moon, which revolutionized the Wizarding world, and helped improve the lives of countless werewolves.

He also developed into somewhat of a hypochondriac. Teecie would grow accustomed to seeing him in the Hospital Wing at the school for a diagnosis of what usually ended up being a cold or the flu. Narcissa would also become used to catering to his needs and his supposedly delicate constitution. She loved being needed, and found a sort of peace of mind by taking care of her husband.

In between bouts of illness, Severus and Narcissa enjoyed traveling around the world, exploring art and different forms of magic from different countries. Snape Manor would become known for its library and art gallery.

Upon Narcissa's death in the year 2100, Severus closed up the Manor, and moved in with Adriana, who'd been living alone for quite some time. They never married, but remained very good friends until Adriana's death.

**Appendix G:** Adriana and Lucius Malfoy

Adriana Malfoy-Born: 1663 Died: 2105

Lucius Malfoy-Born: 1954 Died: 2056

Lucius continued to be successful in his honey-making and selling business. He eventually opened up a shop in Hogsmeade, and a factory to produce his goods on a larger scale. He expanded into creating baked goods and a line of sweets with the honey as well. Alcedonia Honey would become renowned around the entire Wizarding world as the greatest honey on the planet.

Adriana enjoyed her life on the farm as usual, until Draco approached her one day with the promise of having found the cure to her condition. Having since grown to fully love and trust Draco, she was elated. The potion to fix her would bring about immediate menopause, and as this would be her last chance, she decided to wait until she could have one last child with Lucius.

Julian and Alexander Malfoy were born in 2040. Julian had the olive toned-skin and black hair his mother had, while Alexander looked like a copy of his father. The two boys thrived in a loving family, both immediate and extended. When the boys turned eleven, Julian received a letter from Hogwarts, and Alexander did not. The boys were devastated at the thought of being separated, but came to terms with it by the time Julian left for school. Julian was sorted into Slytherin, something that Draco, now Headmaster of the school, was thrilled about.

Alexander did well at the local Muggle secondary school, and kept his parents company at home. He helped his father with the honey business in his spare time, and developed an interest in Muggle relations. He would eventually take on a position in the Ministry of Magic in the Muggle relations department.

Lucius never recovered fully from his massive heart attack, and suffered another heart attack when his sons were twelve years old. It was fatal. Adriana was devastated, as was the entire family. Draco stepped in and became a second father to his brothers, for which Adriana was eternally grateful. He also took over Alcedonia Honey, ensuring that all profits made were invested properly, as well as set aside as trust funds for Julian and Alexander.

After taking Draco's potion, Adriana went through an immediate menopause. She began to do something that she hadn't done in almost three centuries: age. When she saw the first white hair on her head, she threw a large party for her entire family.

Julian and Alexander were the loves of her later life. She devoted her entire being to them—something she hadn't ever been able to do with her other children. When Lucius passed away, she made her life even more about her boys than before.

By the time the boys had grown, Severus Snape's wife had died. He was as grief-stricken as Adriana, and he moved in with her to share the last years of their life together. They were never lovers, but enjoyed their time together as the best of friends.

When Adriana passed away, Severus lived out the last of his years alone at the property. At his passing, Alexander moved back in, along with his family. Julian, Teecie, Reni, Kali, and all their children and grandchildren visited as often as they could. Alcedonia Farm would always be known as the family homestead, and was passed down from generation to generation.

Adriana's Passing

Adriana's body was no longer cooperating with her as much as she would have liked, but such was the price of growing old. She enjoyed walking around the property still, though she did so now with the aid of a cane. Lucius's old cane, actually. She'd kept it as a keepsake, and was glad, for now that he was gone, she could draw strength from something that had supported him for such a long time in his life. She felt close to him still whenever she held onto it.

It was a warm spring afternoon as she walked up the hill towards the olive tree at the top. It was her favourite place to sit and look at her farm. From that vantage point, she could see all the way around. She watched as the windmill down by the wheat fields, turned lazily in the light breeze. The branches of the apple trees creaked and the wind rustled through the deep green leaves. Sun shone on the pond, and ducks wandered happily around it, nipping at the grass and reeds.

Adriana sighed deeply and closed her eyes to the beauty of the world around her. She was tired, and ready to sleep.

_Do you see her?_

_Shh, not so loud._

_What do you mean? Father, we've come to get her._

_I know, but let's just watch her for a moment. It has been so long since I have seen her look so peaceful. _

_She is beautiful._

_She was the most beautiful woman I ever knew in life, son. Now you'll get to know all the beauty about her as well. But we can't wake her yet, not quite, Lucius has yet to arrive._

_Where is he?_

_He will be here, son, no need to fret. See, here he is now. Hello, Lucius._

_Good afternoon Albus, Brian. Are we ready?_

_Yes, I think so…_

Adriana dreamed about voices whispering, but didn't really comprehend the meaning of their words. All she was aware of was how bright and beautiful it was that afternoon. When she opened her eyes, she saw a handsome man she'd seen only one other time in her life. He was a man who bore great resemblance to Albus, yet had her delicate features. "Brian?" she whispered.

"Yes, mother, I'm here," the man said quietly while kneeling down next to her and taking her hand in his. "I've come to take you home with me."

"What? What do you mean?" As she looked around, she noticed both Albus and Lucius were standing near where Brian had just been. She gasped. "What is going on?"

"I always knew I would see you again one day, Adriana," Albus said with a smile on his face, and a twinkle in his eye.

"We've been busy preparing for your arrival, beloved," Lucius murmured.

"It is time to go now? Right?" Adriana said while trying to stand up. She assumed that her aching muscles would make standing difficult, but she was surprised to find that she nearly bounced up from the ground, free from any painful bodily constraints.

Albus took her right hand, and Lucius took her left hand, and began to walk down the hill, while Brian kissed his mother's corporeal cheek, and set her hand gently back down again. With a smile, he turned and hurried after his family. When he caught up with them, Adriana turned to look at the property one last time, but all turned to brightness, and faded away around her. She had never known such happiness or peace.

An hour later, Severus Snape walked up to sit next to Adriana on the hill, and found her lying against the olive tree at the top, with a smile on her face. When he realized that she was not sleeping, he frowned and pulled her into his arms for a final embrace. When he was ready, he used his wand to pick her up and began to carry her back down the hill towards the house. As he did so, he smiled sadly, knowing that she had finally achieved the goal she had wanted for so long. He would miss her terribly, though, but perhaps they would meet again one day. Perhaps.

Fin

Post Script-

When ElfFlame wrote a story called True Revenge four years ago, she had me read it. I loved it, and told her that she should write Lucius's side of that story. The only problem was, she said she couldn't write for Lucius. I told her I could, but I had never read the books. I'd seen the first two movies, and began writing De Die in Diem and Dark Descent with only that knowledge under my belt. Finally though, the time had come for me to read the books. I'd resisted for as long as I could, and finally caved—just so I could get more information on Lucius. And that is how my involvement in the Wizarding world began. I have written stories for the True Revenge universe for the past four years, which equates to two books and three movies. There has never been a time for me with Harry Potter that I haven't been working on these stories, a very weird feeling now.

Adriana and Teecie have been a part of my life for four years now. I'm finding it difficult to say goodbye to them—Adriana most especially. She was designed to be everything Lucius wasn't: dark skinned, dark haired, short, Muggleborn, etc. Her story has always intrigued the historian in me. Teecie was fun, because she didn't want to go to school. I always found it interesting that all the kids love going to Hogwarts and never felt homesick. I thought it was more realistic that there would be homesick students, so that's how she started out.

I am forever grateful to ElfFlame, who has encouraged me through the times when I wanted to give up. She has read and edited every single chapter of my stories from start to finish. She's been there for the ups and the downs, the happiness and the tears. Yes, there have been actual tears shed!

To Arsinoe: You have been my longest reviewer, from back in DDID days. I have enjoyed getting to know you through your reviews, and have enjoyed reading your stories in return. I knew that I could always count on your for feedback.

To Shining Bright Eyes: You are also one of my long-term reviewers, and I so love your enthusiasm in your reviews. I have enjoyed getting to know you as well. Your excitement has always been a great motivator for me.

To all who have reviewed from time to time or only just read the story, I thank you. I hope you have enjoyed the story, for I have enjoyed writing it. And now I get to think about the future, and what to write next. Stay tuned!

-Foodie


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